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The Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) in collaboration with the Institute for Business and Professional Ethics (IBPE) at DePaul University have designed a timely course on “How to Create a B-Corporation and Gain a Competitive Advantage”.
A Benefit Corporation is a type of for-profit corporate entity, authorized by 30 US States and the District of Columbia, which includes positive impact to society, workers, community and environment, in addition to profit. Incorporating as a benefit corporation legally protects an enterprise’s social goals by mandating considerations other than just profit. By giving the directors the secured legal protection necessary to consider the interest of all stakeholders, benefit corporations can help meet the needs of businesses helping solve social and environmental challenges.
There are many impetus to becoming a B-Corporation. The demand for corporate accountability is at an all-time high. Socially responsible and impact investing are growing in market share, with $8.7 trillion in assets under management in the US. Even so, companies are often pressured for quick returns by investors. B-Corporations provide insulation against pressure from short-sighted investors.
Benefit corporations differ from traditional corporations in purpose, accountability and transparency but not in taxation. The rules of how to use a b-corporation standing, when to do so and how to leverage the advantages are not always clear. CSE and IBPE combine research and experience to share:
- Practical benefits of B-Corporations
- Why investors like benefit corporations
- How Corporate Responsibility gives companies competitive advantage
- How to integrate Corporate Responsibility to a company’s culture and strategy
- Differences between a certified B Corp. and a benefit corporation
The course will be led by Nikos Avlonas, founder and President of the Centre for Sustainability & Excellence (CSE) a global sustainability strategic advisory and training firm with activities in North America, Europe, MENA and Asia. Nikos has been distinguished as one of the “Top 100 Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business Behavior” by Trust Across America, an organization dedicated to promoting trustworthy business behavior. In 2017, he has been recognized as a Sustainability Professional of the Year by PR News.
The course is informed by the work of IBPE, founded in 1985 as a joint effort of the College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences and Driehaus College of Business at DePaul University. IBPE promotes ethical deliberation by decision-makers by stirring their moral conscience, encouraging moral imagination, and stimulating research into business innovation and practices. It is a forum for exploring and fostering ethical practices in Chicago-area business organizations at DePaul University with programs for students, faculty and the business community.
There is limited space in the course.
Fri, March 31, 2017; 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM CDT
1871 – Technology and Entrepreneur Center
theMART, 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza, #1212
Chicago, IL 60654
