It's March! We are anticipating the start of Spring and also, once again, celebrating B Corp month!

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This year, we thought we would highlight one of the leaders in the national B Corp movement who just happens to live here in Athens, Georgia! Nathan Stuck is an award winning leader in the B Corp community and the Founder of Profitable Purpose Consulting, a culture, impact, and B Corp consultancy. He founded and chairs B Local Georgia and serves on the board of B Academics, a nonprofit committed to research and experiential B Corp learning opportunities. He is also the Executive Director of BLD Southeast, a regional annual B Corp conference that brings together B Corps from the southeastern United States for a celebration of business as a force for good. Check out our interview with Nathan below.

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What is B Local Georgia, and what inspired you to start it?

B Local Georgia is the community organizer for our state’s B Corp community. Our mission to uplift and support the journey of mission-driven entrepreneurs, businesses, and students across Georgia. And we do that with networking events, volunteer days, college and university partnerships, and statewide advocacy.

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B Local Georgia has played a key role in growing the B Corp movement in the state. What do you see as the biggest challenge and opportunity for expanding the number of B Corps in Georgia?

Our biggest challenge is resources. We rely on volunteers for our board and even our executive director role. One of our biggest strategic objectives in 2025 is raising funds to support our work, which includes reaching beyond Athens and Atlanta. 

Our biggest opportunity is Georgia’s business community. It isn’t uncommon to see Georgia businesses doing impactful work in their communities, empowering their employees, and looking out for our natural resources, not to mention our Green Tech ecosystem. A lot of us are already making the business case that you can do well by doing good.
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What are some of the biggest misconceptions about B Corps that you’d like to clear up?

I think I have to clear up the myth that this is a greenwashing certification. Anyone who has been through it knows it can’t be bought and you can’t fake it. The verification process is incredibly rigorous. And my work at my day job as a B Corp consultant with Profitable Purpose Consulting has given me intimate insights into over 50 certifications – nobody was faking their impact to get a logo for their website. 

The other myth is that all of this stuff (the employee benefits, the community impact, the carbon offsetting, etc) all falls under the L column of your P&L statement. Going through the B Impact Assessment and certification process makes businesses better. It aligns their impact with what their employees and customers want and value, making companies more attractive to top talent and new clients. This is a community of real business people that are doing well by doing good.
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What advice would you give to businesses looking to improve their sustainability efforts, whether they’re a B Corp or not?

Use B Lab’s tools, like the B Impact Assessment. I actually wrote a blog earlier this year for companies not looking to certify on how they can use it to make improvements. I’ve seen all kinds of organizations use it, including nonprofits and colleges. It really is a long hard look in the mirror and reveals the gaps between what you say you do and what you are actually doing. 

I would also recommend hiring a consultant. Yes, this is a shameless plug for my for-profit. But, it’s also common sense. You don’t try to figure out how to do your bookkeeping, or how to develop your social media strategy. You bring in an expert so you can remain focused on your business. 

Many businesses want to be more socially and environmentally responsible but aren’t sure where to start.

What advice would you give to companies beginning their journey toward B Corp certification or considering B Corp certification?

Just start. Take the B Impact Assessment. Pick one area of improvement per month and make it an organizational goal. Find one thing you aren’t tracking and start tracking it (volunteer hours, pro bono work, carbon footprint, etc). Don’t let perfection be the enemy of progress.

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Do you see any emerging trends in the B Corp movement that excite you?

This won’t be a popular answer for some, but I am actually thrilled that we are seeing large multinationals certify. It means we’re making the business case. I am not an ideological purity test kind of person, and I don’t think all past sins of an organization are irredeemable. The fact that subsidiaries of Nestle are using these standards to clean up their supply chains and make them more transparent and equitable has an incredible impact. This is the type of monumental change we need to make if we’re going to reimagine capitalism and make a certification like this obsolete in the next 50-100 years.
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Looking ahead, where do you see the B Corp movement in the next five to ten years?

With the momentum in the Southeast and events like BLD Southeast and Super South, I think you’ll see our region have more of a leading voice. I think we’re better positioned to make the business case, foster a diverse community of businesses, and bring a more centered voice to the North American B Corp community.
 

How do people get in touch with you if they have questions or need help with their B Corp Certification?

Shoot me an email at nathan@profitablepurposeconsulting.com. Yes, I run a consulting business, but I also teach a B Corp class at UGA, run cohorts throughout the year, and am just a good person that will have an honest conversation with you about all of this.

What are your thoughts about the work that Retaaza is doing?

I was lucky enough to shepherd Retaaza through the B Impact Assessment on their journey to certification. Kashi was incredibly intentional about the process and used it to really cement the company’s foundation. This has made them more transparent, more intentional with their choice of suppliers and community partners, and better equipped to track their impact. And it’s allowed them to stay true to these as they’ve continued to grow. 

We’re incredibly proud of their work and they are becoming one of our flagship B Corps in the state. Their work is a win-win-win for all involved and they’ve proven that doing good for farmers, for communities lacking access to fresh, healthy produce, and for their team is a sustainable and profitable business model. 

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Make sure you also check out Nathan's TEDx talk here - https://bit.ly/3QSyuUV.

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