Encouraging your company to B(e) Next

Tell Mimi Shankin that you don’t think something really has much chance of happening, and she will find a way to not only make it happen, but she will make it fun and invite a whole lot of other people to the party as well. As Director of Sustainability and Development at Avant Staffing in Durham, she convinced her somewhat skeptical boss, Kevin Griffin, that sustainability is not a trend, but an ethical way to do business that can positively impact the bottom line. After spending a year initiating, improving and documenting Avant’s sustainability policies and programs, they became a certified B Corporation.

B corporations are a new class of corporation that use the power of business to create public benefit and solve social and environmental challenges. Six states have passed legislation making B corps a legal entity (on par legally with C, S, LLC,. etc) and North Carolina is one of 6 other states where the legislation has been introduced. Any business has the option of becoming a certified B Corp even if it’s not yet a recognized legal entity in their state. There are currently 21 certified B Corps in NC among the 370 nationwide.

Now Mimi is working to engage other companies to get on the path to sustainability, and become certified as an excellent way to benchmark current activities and impacts and measure progress. She believes if you are an enthusiastic champion of your cause – and show people how it can be done - you can bring people along who don’t even know they wanted to be brought along.

Tell me about your current work/projects:

I am developing materials to educate our job candidates by providing whole person resources, that include sustainable living tips that can saved them money at home and help them perform their jobs in alignment with Avant’s sustainability principles. I am also looking for ways to make my sales routes driving more efficient, to use conference calling more to cut down on travel, and purchase more carbon offsets (Avant already purchases some).

What motivated you to take this on:

My sister had cerebral palsy – so I learned the value that non-profits provide in resources and support to community members and decided that I wanted to be involved in making a difference in the communities I am a part of. And as my parents were entrepreneurs, I am inspired by for-profit ingenuity.

When did you first get interested in Sustainability?

While employed at NC Community Shares, a workplace giving organization that supports groups working for progressive social change, I engaged for profit companies in offering this program to their employees. While providing an excellent way for people to direct their philanthropy, I was looking for something that integrated non-profit and for profit drivers.

At the same time, I was attending Ryan Allis’s (I Contact’s CEO) Social Entrepreneurship Meetup, and learned more about how companies were combining social mission and profit making.

I also met Jane Norton, sustainability educator and consultant, at the Chapel Hill LEADS group and we started scheming about how we could get more people and companies on the sustainability path. For individuals, we co-created the Sustainable Triangle Community Action Meetup which met for a year at Southern Energy Management, and for companies, we started B(e) Next as a way to showcase local companies’ sustainability initiatives and to invite others to ‘be next’ to join the movement. .

Who/What inspires you?

My three daughters- Holly, Julia, and Madison (ages 11, 13, and 14); they already take environmental and social consciousness to another level- doing school projects that address these topics. In response to a school assignment where students had to analyze the economic performance of North Carolina Companies, Julia chose to address Smithfield BBQ’s environmental record as she realized that the financial numbers only tell part of the story. I am also inspired by working in our neighborhood community herb garden.

What is your vision for where you take this next?

I want Avant to be a recognized leader and a hub for green jobs- attracting job seekers and clients because of Avant’s commitment to sustainability. I want us to attract candidates who are looking for green jobs and client companies who are already actively engaged in sustainability programs or ready to start.

I would like to develop a way to help new clients become B Corp or Green Plus certified. I already speak to everyone I meet about the benefits of becoming B Corp certified, but would like Avant to offer assistance to our clients going through the process.

What are your ideas for making the Triangle more sustainable?

I want better communication across the Triangle- more cross pollination of ideas and strategies for going green- making it more accessible – not just elite companies. It’s important to connect the companies already doing this work and engage many more in getting on the path. I want 3rd party certified (B Corp, Green Plus, Green America) companies to work together more, especially locally.