What Is A Benefit Corporation, And Why Do Some Legislators Want More Of Them In Connecticut?

Legislative and business leaders converged on the State Capitol Thursday around a common theme: doing good is good business.

“The idea is to make Connecticut the best place to do better business,” said state Rep. Dominique Johnson, R-Westport. “This is about bringing businesses into this building and having businesses become better, and giving them a voice in this building.”

The message behind the event was to bring attention to businesses in the state that are Certified B Corporations, or B Corps. A B Corp is a for-profit corporation certified for its social impact by the nonprofit agency B Lab. To be certified, a company must score at least an 80 on its social and environmental performance, among other metrics.

“In simple phrases, the vision is business as a force for good,” said Phil White, founder of Grounded World. A boutique marketing agency, Grounded World was founded on the idea that making money and making a difference did not have to be competing goals, according to the company’s website.

Phil White, founder of Grounded World, a Connecticut Certified B Corporation, speaks during a press conference at the State Capitol on Thursday, March 20, 2025. Credit: Donald Eng / CTNewsJunkie

White said B Corps answer to three stakeholders: the planet and the environment, people and social responsibility, and profit.

“This isn’t a case of either or, of left or right,” he said. “It’s a case of making sure we find common ground (among the three stakeholders) and commit to a more successful business.”

Grounded World was one of a handful of Connecticut-based B Corps represented at the Capitol Thursday. Milford Democrat MJ Shannon also touted Athletic Brewing Co., a premium non-alcoholic craft brewery in Milford, and Fairfield-based Bigelow Tea, which has a presence in his district with a warehouse in Orange.

In total, there are about 40 certified businesses in the state. Increasing that number was also a goal of Thursday’s gathering, said Rep. John-Michael Parker of Madison.

Parker urged his legislative colleagues to pass House Bill 5004, a comprehensive environment and renewable energy bill. The bill, which has passed the Environment Committee that Parker co-chairs, includes language that would allow certified businesses to have their business registration and renewal fees waived.

“We know it’s a small step, but it’s a first step,” Parker said. “It’s meaningful because it’s financial, but it’s also a signal that the B Corp model is critical for how we’ll move forward.”

Ultimately, Parker said, he hoped to demonstrate that certification and adopting the practices of B Corps could also be a good business strategy.

“We need to find a way to demonstrate that efficiency actually saves money,” he said. “Less energy used equals less money spent on energy.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: The original version of this story listed the wrong location for Fairfield-based Bigelow Tea.