We’ve got some great news – Lightful has become a B Corp™

I am delighted to announce that following a rigorous certification process, Lightful has been welcomed into the B Corp™ family.

A number of years ago, when I attended a wonderful event at the Skoll World Forum, I enjoyed spending time with the people involved in the early days of the B Corp movement. Something in me stirred.

When my friends Carlos Miranda, Johnny Murnane and I founded Lightful, we set out our vision to build a technology company that aligned profit with purpose; to put values at the heart of everything we do; to scale a business that positively correlates financial growth with greater social and environmental impact.

This resolve has only been sharpened by the onset and impact of Covid-19, given the increasingly urgent need to create greater justice and equity in our economies, societies and with the environment.

I am so proud that Lightful has now been officially recognised as a Certified B Corporation®, also known as B Corps. We want to play our part in a movement that endeavours to achieve better outcomes.

B Corps are “businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.”

There are over 3,500 Certified B Corps in more than 70 countries. Companies like Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s and Etsy have become B Corps and now nearly every VC (venture capital) firm has a B Corp in its portfolio.

B Corp certification is an important step that will push all of us at Lightful to do even more. The B Impact Assessment provides us with a roadmap for ‘kaizen’ (continuous improvement) in our business practices, ensuring accountability to our mission. We look forward to sharing these through annual impact reports, the first of which we will release early next year.

At Lightful, our fundamental belief (our “Why”) is that those doing the greatest good deserve the best technology.

We work with the largest foundations and the smallest grassroots charities, and support impact organisations in over 40 countries around the world.

Their work is vital.

During these turbulent times, people are finding a sense of hope from nonprofits and civil society. Stories of positivity and impact are resonating. From Black Lives Matter to Fridays for Future, social and environmental movements – typically digital-first and youth-led – are mobilising to hold truth to power. This is inspiring action in the digital world and in physical spaces, forcing authorities to pay attention; they will need to respond.

Technology has a vital role to play as a force for good, yet we know this is not universally true. The recent and resonant documentary, The Social Dilemma, showcased how technology can be used as a force for bad.

It is my personal belief that our fellow tech companies should embrace the ethos enshrined in the B Corp movement, using it as a way to hold ourselves publicly accountable to the needs of our times.

At Lightful, our exceptional team works daily with amazing beyond-profit clients across a whole spectrum of social and environmental cause areas. We do not want to ‘get back to normal’ – we are driven to help build something much better. I am inspired every day by my colleagues, as well as our clients and all our stakeholders. I am honoured to share this news on behalf of everyone.

So thank you, B Corp, for welcoming us so warmly to your tribe. “Be the change you want to see in the world” is perhaps the most overused saying in the social sector; yet it is quite likely the most inspirational. Gandhi-ji’s famous quote guides us towards what we must aspire to.

We must all come together and be that change. Now is the time, and this is our moment.

Vinay Nair is CEO & Co-Founder of Lightful, a technology company for social good and certified B Corp.