Stories

“B”ing the Change: Connecting Students to Business as a Force For Good Jessica Thomas - Director, Business Sustainability Collaborative at NC State University's Poole College of Management

"Consider volunteering or getting an internship and really seeing what this looks like in the real world. I think it’ll get students more passionate and more focused. Having that picture of seeing how they can have an impact and what that means for them and their skill set. So many students think it’s going to be a role that has sustainability in their title, but there are so few of those roles. The B Corp framework is eye-opening because it shows you can have an impact in any role."

Building Better Lives: One Table at a Time Carter Ellis - Founder, Ellis Furniture Co.

"Over the last year, I developed a lot of confidence as I explored doing this full time. I realized this is what I want to use my life for, I want to do business in a way that gleans: we operate a business that makes a killer product and yet we leave money on the table so that others may have access to work. Profit’s great and necessary, but profit maximization isn’t the end goal."

Disrupting Biases in LegalTech

"I’m working to redefine what success looks like in high tech. I’ve had to overcome subtle bias throughout the process of getting this venture launched. My vision is that bias could be something that could become inherently positive. I think that all of these things that we subconsciously assume are negative, are actually strengths. In my case, I’m an older woman, with a great deal of experience. I have an academic background, which means I bring a great deal of expertise and rigor to the work I do. Unfortunately, some investors don’t see these traits as a positive. I hope to change this paradigm."