Бизнес в Центральной Массачусетс активно получает сертификацию B Corp ради социальной ответственности

Becoming a Certified B Corporation can require months of work, legal changes, and buy-in throughout a company. Already a Subscriber? Get Instant Access to This Article Subscribe to Worcester Business Journal and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more. Becoming a Certified B Corporation can require months of work, legal changes, and buy-in throughout a company. Despite the demanding process, business leaders who have pursued the designation say the payoff can make the effort worthwhile. ADVERTISEMENT Interest in B Corp certification has grown, particularly in Boston, which is home to more than 70 certified companies. The growth is part of a broader movement among businesses seeking to demonstrate their commitment to social and environmental goals alongside financial performance. That effort has now spread to Central Massachusetts, which is home to six B Corps. “It’s a movement, so why not be a part of the movement?” said Matthew Boyle, partner at Westborough accounting firm AAFCPAs, the largest B Corp in Central Massachusetts. What is a B Corp? Since 2006, the international nonprofit B Lab has certified for-profit companies meeting standards for social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Companies of varying sizes can pursue the designation. To become a Certified B Corporation, a business must achieve a minimum verified score through B Lab’s B Impact Assessment, with its performance independently audited and verified by a third party. ADVERTISEMENT The process can require companies to examine and change how they operate. Going through certification AAFCPA had operated for more than 50 years before becoming certified in December. The financial and advisory services firm works with businesses, nonprofits, and individuals. The months-long certification process was challenging, but pursuing the designation felt like a natural fit because much of AAFCPA’s mission already aligned with B Corp standards, Boyle said. “Instead of just doing [business] on our own, let's join this movement of like-minded companies who believe that you can do well by doing good and be part of a movement," Boyle said. “It's very inspiring to join other like-minded companies who believe in the same things that you believe.” Earning certification required more than demonstrating AAFCPA’s existing practices. The firm had to register as a benefit corporation in Massachusetts, work with a legal team, and gain support throughout the company. ADVERTISEMENT Jim Olson, co-founder and principal at creative consulting company The Experience Alchemists, went through a similar process before his firm earned certification in April 2024. Before starting The Experience Alchemists, Olson and his partners spent four years working for a public benefit corporation that gave back to the community. “This is a better future for the way businesses could be run,” Olson said. Olson has since joined the leadership group of B Local Boston, which facilitates meetings among members of the local B Corp community. Through that work, he saw interest in the certification increase from 2020 to 2025 as companies sought different approaches to operating their businesses. Yet joining the movement is only part of the challenge. Maintaining certification can require companies to meet evolving criteria as B Lab changes its standards. Scalora Consulting Group in Ashland decided to keep pursuing the designation when its certification was up for renewal. The firm, which has maintained its certification for four years, completed its latest recertification process and received approval in August 2025. The process had become more challenging since the company first became certified as B Lab continued refining its standards and verification requirements, said Keri DiLeo, vice president and partner at Scalora. Despite those hurdles, the company determined the benefits outweighed the work required to remain certified. Why companies stay For Scalora and other certified businesses, supporters say the value of becoming a B Corp extends beyond a direct financial return. Certification provides a framework for serving communities, creating a healthy workplace, considering a company’s environmental impact, and holding the business accountable to those goals. Scalora’s certification serves as a reminder to remain transparent about the company’s operations while communicating its priorities to potential employees, clients, and partners, DiLeo said. “It continued to remind us of why we're doing the work we're doing,” she said. “It continues to be a big part of how we recruit and retain talent and make people feel part of, you know, part of the program.” As certification standards evolve, companies pursuing or maintaining the designation face a more demanding process. For businesses like AAFCPA, The Experience Alchemists, and Scalora, though, B Corp certification provides a formal way to connect their business practices with a broader set of social and environmental goals.