AI is poised to radically transform the way we work. This moment is an opportunity for workers, business leaders, and governments to come together and harness this powerful technology for good – or face the consequences of failing to act. Today’s guests, Richie Jones and Hilke Schellmann, help us learn how people and AI fit together into the future of work. Hilke is an Assistant Professor of Journalism at New York University and an Emmy award-winning investigative reporter. Recently, her reporti...
May 26, 2025•21 min•Season 3Ep. 10
The ability for employees to speak up is critical to creating a system that is fair, representative, and works for all. Our guests today, Jenny Holdcroft and Antoine Heuty, are both on a mission to make sure people are heard by their employers. Jenny is Deputy Director of Business Engagement at the Shift Project, the leading center of expertise on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. She and Shift champion unions and organized labor. Antoine is Senior Vice President of Human R...
May 12, 2025•20 min•Season 3Ep. 9
The best way to build a thriving business is to build a thriving workforce. In this episode, we look at two ways both a business and its people can prosper. First, we’ll learn about worker cooperatives from Julian McKinley, Co-Executive Director for Partnerships and Growth at the Democracy at Work Institute. A business co-op is a group of workers coming together to co-own the business for which they work. Generally, workers in a co-op have better working conditions, higher wages, and more power....
Apr 29, 2025•20 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Alternative ownership structures, like cooperatives and employee ownership trusts, are some of the most powerful wealth and power distributors we have at our disposal. Are they the key to creating better jobs? Today’s guests would tell you yes! In this episode, we hear the story of how B Corp and outdoor clothing brand, Patagonia donated itself to Planet Earth and we learn more about alternative ownership structures. Greg Curtis is the Executive Director of Holdfast Collective, the nonprofit tha...
Apr 14, 2025•19 min•Season 3Ep. 7
What does it really mean to go green? As the climate crisis accelerates, businesses are under pressure to transition away from fossil fuels, adopt sustainable practices, and reduce their environmental impact. But this shift isn’t just about the planet—it’s about people, too. In this episode, we hear from Marina Gning, CEO of ApiAfrique, a B Corp proving that sustainable businesses can create both environmental impact and quality jobs. She shares how manufacturing locally in Senegal—despite indus...
Mar 31, 2025•23 min•Season 3Ep. 6
How do we make sure everyone feels welcome when they show up to work? Our unique qualities are what make us great at our jobs and we have to build inclusive workplaces where we can show off those talents. Our guests today are Tom Strong, Director of Employer Activation at the National Fund for Workforce Solutions and Sarah White, CEO and Founder at Fairware. Sarah shares why social justice is a business imperative for her and how she promotes inclusivity on her team. Tom shares his experience wo...
Mar 17, 2025•18 min•Season 3Ep. 5
People want meaningful, purpose driven jobs now more than ever. In this series so far, we’ve talked about what makes a job "good" - we’ve looked at pay, economic mobility, benefits, hours and scheduling. But what about purpose? In this episode, we dive into why workers are demanding more meaning in their careers and how it keeps them engaged for the long haul. Annemiek Nusmeijer is the owner of Greenjobs.nl, a B-Corp and the largest job board in the Netherlands for sustainable positions. In this...
Mar 03, 2025•22 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Policy and progress can’t exist without each other. Without progress there would be no demand for new policy and without new policies we wouldn’t see progress continue. In this episode we focus on policy and the workplace - is it business-focused policy or societal progress that really improves the livelihoods of employees? Our guests for this episode are Jamila Rizvi, Deputy Managing Director at Future Women, a B Corp committed to achieving gender equity in Australian workplaces and Wojciech Ba...
Feb 17, 2025•20 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Maine’s Lobster Industry is at a breaking point. Jobs all over the state depend on lobster fishermen bringing in over 100 million pounds of lobster each year. But with fewer and fewer legacy lobstermen this is becoming harder and harder. That’s where retraining and economic mobility come in. Young people and immigrants from all over the country, and the world, are filling the labor gap in Maine. In this episode we’re joined by Ben Conniff, Co-Founder of Luke’s Lobster and Ryan Rippel, Director, ...
Feb 03, 2025•19 min•Season 3Ep. 2
‘A good job’ is a phrase we hear all the time. But what does it really mean? Perhaps some combination of fair pay, flexible hours, and a strong purpose? In this episode we set the foundation for our series on good jobs with Sarah Kalloch, Executive Director of Good Jobs Institute and Joachim Krapels, Head of Strategy & Global B Corp Movement at B Lab Global. We dive into the current employment landscape, how we got here, and how businesses in the B Corp community are supporting employees to ...
Jan 20, 2025•26 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Forces for Good from B Lab is back with host Irving Chan-Gomez. Our show takes a hard look at how businesses are helping to solve the biggest social and environmental challenges of our time. This season we dive deep into what makes a good job. Across this 10 episode series, we'll use examples, anecdotes and data from experts and the B Corp companies to explore how workers can demand more from their employers. We'll make the business case for good jobs, look at how society and economic systems ar...
Jan 17, 2025•1 min
Why don’t Black and brown entrepreneurs have the same access and opportunities as their wealthy, white counterparts? How can access, opportunity and support empower these entrepreneurs so that their great ideas are able to thrive and make a difference in the world? Jay Bailey is the President and CEO of the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs. When we sat down in Aspen, we talked about how access is the key to empowering entrepreneurs and how RICE is building that access. Learn more abou...
Oct 10, 2023•24 min•Season 2Ep. 17
What is philanthropy’s role in finding the next world-changing great leader? What if the solutions to some of the world's biggest problems are out there, but they just need a little help scaling? Anne Welsh McNulty is the co-founder and president of the John P. and Anne Welsh McNulty Foundation. When we sat down in Aspen, we talked about impact centered leadership, what moral courage means and how the McNulty Foundation is helping develop some of the next great problem solvers. Learn more about ...
Oct 03, 2023•28 min•Season 2Ep. 16
Why does purpose matter? How can for profit companies have a positive impact on their communities? How are purpose and profit linked? Rob Falzon is Vice Chair at Prudential Financial and a Member of the Board of Directors and Lata Reddy is Senior Vice President of Inclusive Solutions. When we sat down in Aspen, we talked about impact investing, community work, and balancing purpose in the financial sector. Learn more about B Lab at www.bcorporation.net Learn more about Danone North America at Da...
Sep 26, 2023•28 min•Season 2Ep. 15
How are food and justice linked? How can we change the way our society approaches nutrition? How can businesses and individuals be a part of that? Maya Feller is a nationally recognized, registered dietician-nutritionist who brings a culturally sensitive approach to her work. Curt Ellis is the CEO of FoodCorps, a nonprofit focused on food justice and education. When I sat down with the two of them in Aspen, we talked about how to infuse culture, connection, and community into food. Learn more ab...
Sep 19, 2023•31 min•Season 2Ep. 14
As we increasingly witness the effects of climate change, what can we expect for the future of our planet? How can we mitigate these harmful effects? What is the importance of coming together to find solutions? Greg Gershuny is the Executive Director of the Aspen Institute Energy and Environment Program, – and co-director of Aspen Ideas Climate. When we sat down in Aspen, he underscored the importance of convening. He says coming together to drive solutions and change creates the greatest impact...
Sep 12, 2023•27 min•Season 2Ep. 13
How are for-profit companies changing the way businesses operate to benefit people and the planet? What challenges do they face along the way? How is B Corp certification helping? Melanie Chow is the Vice President of Mission and Sustainability at Danone. When we sat down in Aspen, we had an honest conversation about how Danone is grap-pling with creating impact in an agricultural industry that demands innovation and effort. Danone North America is one of the world’s largest Certified B Corporat...
Sep 05, 2023•24 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Driving positive impact for people and the planet takes collaboration, innovation, and inspiration. In this special series, B Lab’s Forces for Good is featuring live conversations from the 2023 Aspen Ideas Festival. In partnership with Danone North America, one of the largest Certified B Corporations, this podcast will share groundbreaking ideas and stories about putting purpose into action. From inclusive nutrition to reimagined models of leadership in business , learn about the solutions that ...
Jun 16, 2023•2 min•Season 2Ep. 11
B Corp Certification is a journey, not a destination. Making your business a Force for Good – and ensuring it stays that way – means constantly working to improve your practices. Whether or not they are part of the B Corp community, all businesses looking to improve their social and environmental impact can benefit from a continuous improvement mindset. The goal for every B Lab employee, non-profit leader, and business we’ve talked to on this podcast is not perfection. It’s focusing on learning,...
Feb 21, 2023•33 min•Season 1Ep. 10
So much of what makes up a ‘good’ business is external. They promote the positive impact of goods and services to customers, they put out PR statements about their purpose, and they make commitments that shareholders and customers call for. But what about the people who make a company run? In this episode we answer: How can companies ensure that workers are satisfied and share their sense of purpose? How can businesses give employees opportunities to learn and grow? What is the best way for busi...
Feb 07, 2023•30 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Businesses are usually seen as competitors but, in order to solve the crisis facing our planet they need to work together, collaboratively and collectively. In this episode we answer: What does collective action really mean? How are coalitions built within industries and among businesses with similar goals for sustainability, social change, and more? What are the advantages — and challenges — of taking action as a collective? Guests include: Shaun Russell , Founder, Skandinavisk Manjyot Ahluwali...
Jan 24, 2023•29 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Our current economic system is built on a history of injustice, inequity, violence, and oppression. But businesses do have options to build more inclusive workplaces. On the show, we speak with businesses (both large and small) that are attempting to disrupt legacies of oppression. In this episode we answer: What can companies do to dismantle these conditions of violence and oppression in their business practices? How can business standards drive our economy towards a system that is more equitab...
Jan 10, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Sustainable food and agricultural systems are critical to human wellbeing and the health of our planet. Yet, environmental degradation, climate change, hunger, poverty, economic inequality, and the impacts of war all contribute to a complex of interconnected challenges that put our foodways in crisis. How can business be driven to make decisions that mitigate food waste and loss, fight hunger, and address the growing threats of climate change? In this episode we answer: What aspects of business ...
Dec 20, 2022•34 min•Season 1Ep. 6
There's not a worker alive today who does not want to be paid fairly for their labor. But what is a fair, living wage? In this episode, we speak to experts who help us understand the difference between a minimum and a living wage, dig into profiles of workers and industries that are at the greatest risk of falling below a living wage standard, and showcase businesses that are working to ensure every worker — throughout their entire supply chain — is fairly and ethically compensated. "Living Wage...
Dec 06, 2022•31 min•Season 1Ep. 5
How can businesses take part in movements for social and environmental justice? It might seem like a strange question — business is a core driver of negative impacts, from economic inequality to environmental extraction. Yet by examining their practices and changing for the better — and advocating for peers to do the same — businesses can unlock enormous potential for positive change. Activism has a place in corporate boardrooms, and businesses can enable activist work both among their employees...
Nov 22, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Climate crisis is not a looming threat — it’s already here. Catastrophic extreme weather events are on the rise, and they’re taking a devastating toll around the world. Businesses are one of the biggest contributors to the crisis — and yet they are also among the most important players in finding solutions. In this episode, we dive into the science-backed targets that a growing community of business leaders are committed to achieving as early as 2030. Our colleagues share evidence-based actions ...
Nov 08, 2022•28 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Have you noticed an influx of products marketed as sustainable, eco-friendly, or recycled? You're not alone. As the global climate emergency accelerates and consumer awareness grows, businesses are increasingly leveraging green marketing to reach conscientious customers. But not all marketing is created equal. On the show, experts explain the problem of "greenwashing," when marketing is designed to make consumers believe a business is doing more for the environment than they really are. We also ...
Oct 25, 2022•25 min•Season 1Ep. 2
“Purpose-driven company.” You've likely heard these words, but what does it actually mean for a company to act with purpose? In the inaugural episode of B Lab’s original podcast, “Forces for Good,” we tackle how growing social and environmental conscientiousness in the business community has led many companies to rethink their mission and become increasingly accountable for impact beyond return on investment for shareholders—including how their processes and output affect workers, customers, com...
Oct 11, 2022•22 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Forces for Good , a new podcast that tells the story of economic systems change through the lens of the B Corp movement. Our show takes a hard look at how businesses are solving the biggest societal and environmental problems of our time. This season, we dive deep into topics including: the purpose industrial complex, how to spot greenwashing, what it means to be an activist business, and how companies can learn from their mistakes and continuously improve. In each episode, host Irving Chan-Gome...
Sep 28, 2022•2 min
