JEDI Baseline
Pillars of Focus
Catalysing Change
and Going Deeper

Contents

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Justice, Equity,
Diversity & Inclusion
at B Lab●JEDI philosophy●

JEDI Framework

JEDI Baseline
Pillars of Focus●

Background●

How JEDI Positively
Impacts Business●Baseline Assessment●

Pillars of Focus●

Key Feedback

Racial Equity &Justice●

Questions thatdrive Racial Equity●

Examples aroundthe Network●

Resources

4
5
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Shifting Power &Distributing
Leadership●

Questions to promote
Shifting Power &Distributing Leadership●

Examples around the
Network●

Resources

Accountability●

Questions that drive
Accountability●

Examples aroundthe Network●

Resources

Now What?
●

Implementation●

Global Enabling
Objective 42

1© B Lab 2021

Justice, Equity,
Diversity & Inclusion
at B Lab

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Justice, Equity,
Diversity & Inclusion
at B LabJEDI Philosophy
Our collective global vision is of an inclusive, equitable and regenerative
economic system for all people and the planet.
At B Lab an equitable, diverse and inclusive workplace is one where all
employees and volunteers, whatever their gender, race, ethnicity, national
origin, age, sexual orientation or identity, education or disability, feels valued
and respected. We are committed to a nondiscriminatory approach andprovide equal opportunity for employment and advancement in all of ourteams, programs, and worksites. We respect and value diverse life experiences
and heritages and ensure that all voices are valued and heard.

JEDI Framework
To provide informed, authentic leadership for cultural equity, B Lab strives to:●

See justice, diversity, inclusion, and equity as connected to our mission
and critical to ensuring the well-being of our staff and the communities
we serve.

●

Acknowledge and dismantle inequities within our policies, systems,
programs, and services, and continually update and report onorganizational progress in these areas.

●

Explore potential underlying, unquestioned assumptions that interferewith inclusiveness.

●

Advocate for and support board-level thinking about how systemic
inequities impact our organization’s work and how best to address themin a way that is consistent with our mission.

●

Practice and encourage transparent communication in all interactions.

© B Lab 2021

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Justice, Equity,
Diversity & Inclusion
at B Lab

Domestic vs Global Scope●

An organization's geographic footprint encompasses the regions in which it
and its customers are located. It might be exclusively domestic, or it might beglobal - B Lab is Globally represented. Combined, the primary stakeholders
and the organization's footprint help determine whether the JEDI initiative
should have a domestic or global scope.

●Compared to most domestic initiatives, global JEDI initiatives are concernedwith a richer and more complex set of issues. The reason stems from thewider range of cultural norms represented among all the stakeholder groups.
Global initiatives tend to be successful only when they are adapted to andreﬂect the cultural norms and needs of each region or country.

Antiracism
Antiracism is a paradigm within critical theory utilized to explain and counteract
the persistent, traumatic impact of racism by promoting social justice.B Lab Inc. isprimed and ready to tackle racism as accountable business leaders and commit toexisting as an anti-racist organization and stand against injustice.
Our commitments:●
Educate our leaders and staff on antiracist rhetoric, theories and behaviors●
Dismantle the aspects of racism embedded in our systems and policies●
Decenter Whiteness in our work and analysis●
Centering justice in our goals, outcomes and standards.

B Lab Antiracism Stance - July 2020
As an organization, we stand against anti-Black racism and all forms of oppression
including transphobia, classism, sexism, and xenophobia. We commit to a focusedand sustained action to dismantle racist systems, policies, practices, and ideologies
within ourselves and our networks. As we continue to learn about injustice, weembrace radical reorientation of our consciousness and will listen to the voices ofBlack, Brown, Indigenous and marginalized peoples to catalyze equitable outcomesfor all.

© B Lab 2021

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Justice, Equity,
Diversity & Inclusion
at B LabJEDI Enabling Objectives & the Global Theory of Change
Enabling Objective 4. Create foundations to catalyze JEDI principles across the
network: develop Global JEDI Principles and baseline JEDI
expectations/considerations to delineate what aspects of JEDI can be globalized andwhat must be localized.
B Lab Network Baseline JEDI Principles
Evaluate B Lab's ToC, strategies, and frameworks to determine baseline JEDI
principles/knowledge.
●
Analyze existing data from the Global ToC process, the I&E survey results compared to other B Corps, and our external JEDI focus groups●
Identify suggested areas focus●
Inform Global Network of suggestions●
Develop Resource Library
Global JEDI and Anti-Racism Strategic Plan
Complete Structural Inclusion Audit to evaluate B Lab’s policies and practices for
JEDI and anti-racism considerations by June 2021●
Create Global JEDI Advisory group with Global Partners●
Complete Global JEDI Strategic Plan, and goals by December 2021 to support
global planning for 2022●
Communicate publicly and internally on JEDI journey regularly●
Create a circle of stakeholders to support crafting the 3- or 5- year plan (JEDI
Global Strategic Planning Committee)© B Lab 2021

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Justice, Equity,
Diversity & Inclusion
at B Lab

Building B Lab’s competencies as an anti-racist organization
Organize or complete B Lab Leadership and staff JEDI-related & anti-racism trainings●
Complete Board & Leadership trainings “A Black & Brief Survey of Systemic
Oppression in America” by June 2021 - DONE!
Complete 2-3 additional trainings/sessions and one additional global
JEDI/anti-racism book reading in 2021 - Book reading complete.
●
Measuring equity-centered practices at the Board & leadership level via
leadership quarterly reviews, based on the JEDI areas of focus we identiﬁed●
Developing accountability metrics for course corrections and support instagnant areas.
●
Complete 2-3 additional trainings/sessions and one additional global
JEDI/anti-racism book reading in 2021 - focus groups completed.

© B Lab 2021

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© B Lab 2021

JEDI Baseline
Pillars of Focus

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JEDI
Baseline Pillarsof Focus

A. Background
1. Baselines do not mean “good enough” and they are not the end goal.
These are the identiﬁed areas of focus which will equip the organization to deliver on
the existing goals and objectives already set forth and committed to. Furthermore, thepillars better prepare the community for a JEDI Strategic Plan forthcoming in Q1 2022.
The B Lab JEDI team will soon be kicking off a process to create a B Lab. JEDI 5-year
Strategic Plan, set to release Q1 2022 for implementation.
These principles will prepare individuals and organizations with the acumen needed
to be ready to embark upon the next leg of our JEDI journey and to drive themovement according to that strategic plan.
The Pillars are based on:●●

B Lab Global Theory of Change
Responses from the Inclusion & Engagement Survey●

Responses from the JEDI focus groups●Market research on civil and social justice matters

B. How Diversity Positively Impacts Business
1. According to Forbes, companies that have more diverse teams have 19% higher
revenue due to innovation. This ﬁnding is huge for tech companies, start-ups, andindustry where innovation is the key to growth.
2. The American Sociological Association report companies with the highest levels of
racial diversity saw 15 times the sales revenue compared to companies with the least
racial diversity among their employees.
3. McKinsey’s research shows that gender-diverse companies are 15% more likely tooutperform their peers and ethnically-diverse companies are 35% more likely to do
the same.
4. 69% of executives rate diversity and inclusion as an important issue in 2017, up
32% from 2014, Deloitte reports.
5. A Deloitte study found that 39% of respondents believed diversity and inclusion
offer a signiﬁcant competitive advantage over their competitors.
6. Just 3.2% of Fortune 500 companies openly share race and gender demographics oftheir employees, Fortune reports.
© B Lab 2021

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JEDI
Baseline Pillarsof Focus

C. Baseline Assessment
A baseline assessment gauges the current situation against a set of goals or sought
outcomes to identify the starting points for a programme or project.
It looks at what information must be considered to establish a baseline or starting
point; the benchmark against which future progress can be built and assessed.

D. JEDI Baseline Pillars of Focus
1. Racial Equity & Justice
2. Distributing Leadership & Shifting Power
3. Accountability

E. Key Feedback Themes & Data
Themes:Feedback was divided into 5 main themes, which allowed the JEDI team to focus on
the most common factors.
●

Clarity (50%) - These comments asked about depth of information or lackof clarity. Each comment was considered and tweaks to language andexamples were added to the resources.

●

Global (25%) - These comments surrounded Global language or topics thatwere not US-centric. Some language was left vague in order to allow for abroader swath of the network to see themselves. Clarity was provided with
examples from the Global network.

●

Language (12%) - These comments surrounded the actual language used.
Language was not changed, however clarity surrounding the language has
been better outlined.

●

Climate (6%) - This feedback did not garner any course correction at this
time.

●

Ownership Culture (6%) - This feedback did not garner any course
correction at this time.

© B Lab 2021

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JEDI
Baseline Pillarsof Focus

Racial Equity & Justice●
On a scale of 1 to 5, how well do you understand this pillar as described?
Average: 4●
To what extent does the following statement reﬂect you, "I am able toconnect this pillar to my work." Average: 4●
To what extent do you agree with the following statement, "I am able toconnect this pillar to the movement." Average: 4.5
Distributing Leadership & Shifting Power●On a scale of 1 to 5, how well do you understand this pillar as described?
Average: 4●
To what extent does the following statement reﬂect you, "I am able toconnect this pillar to my work." Average: 4.5●
To what extent do you agree with the following statement, "I am able toconnect this pillar to the movement." Average: 3.9
Accountability●
On a scale of 1 to 5, how well do you understand this pillar as described?
Average: 4.25●
To what extent does the following statement reﬂect you, "I am able toconnect this pillar to my work." Average: 4.25●
To what extent do you agree with the following statement, "I am able toconnect this pillar to the movement." Average: 4© B Lab 2021

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© B Lab 2021

Racial Equity
and Justice12

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Racial Equity
and Justice

Racial equity is deﬁned as just and fair inclusion into a society inwhich all people, immaterial of their race or ethnicity, can participate, prosper,
and reach their full potential. (Angela Glover Blackwell).
Racial inequity is largely perpetuated by structural racism. Structural racism
refers to historical and ongoing political, cultural, social, and economic policies
and practices that systematically disadvantage people of color.
●

Racial Equity is all-inclusive.
Racial intersectionality exists in every aspect of human interaction.
There are no other forms of equity focus that encompass all others
except racial equity.
For example: every human who exists with a disability has a race whether known, unknown, or assumed - whereas everyone who exists
within or across races does not have a disability.

A. Questions that drive Racial Equity & Justice
1. Have you established who is your most racially minoritized? (For the ﬁeld,
community, participants, stakeholder groups etc.)
2. What assumptions have you made? Are you qualiﬁed to have made thisassumption? Why have you made it? Is your perspective broad enough?
3. Who may not be able to access this information or program and have you
addressed this in your planning?
4. Have you asked “why” at least once during your process?
5. Have you decided to do something different this time or committed to do so
next time? What are your accountability measures?

© B Lab 2021

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Racial Equity
and Justice

B. Examples around the Network
1. B Corp Climate Collective Summit●

Considering Black and Indigeous People of Color are disproportionately
impacted by the effects of climate change, the summit aimed tointentionally elevate those on the frontlines of climate justice work andwhose lived experiences are most proximate to the challenges at hand.
This was the ﬁrst time our B Lab & Sistema B networks convened the global
B Corp community under one (virtual) 'roof' for an event of this magnitude.
We gathered over 5,000 attendees from more than 100 countries around theworld. We had 240 speakers who spoke across the 76 separate sessions thatwere hosted as part of the Summit. And we did it all to inspire meaningfulaction on the climate emergency centered in climate justice - in over sevenlanguages, with live translations and closed captioning.

2. Anti - Racism Resources Guide●

Established by the U.S./Canada Team, the comprehensive resource guidefeatures BIPOC consultants, organizations to support, and Black Owned B
Corps

C. Resources●

Anti-Racism Project●“America’s Racial Contract Is Killing Us” by Adam Serwer●

The Combahee River Collective Statement●“My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant” by Jose Antonio Vargas●

Showing Up For Racial Justice’s Educational Toolkits●

Race & Racism: Policing and Mass Incarceration●

Zinn Education Project’s Teaching Materials●

103 Things White People Can Do For Racial Justice●Anti-Racism and White Accountability - Loyola University Maryland●

Five Practices for Developing and Staying Accountable to Racial Equity Goals- Stanford Social Innovation Review© B Lab 2021

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© B Lab 2021

Shifting Powerand Distributing
Leadership15

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Shifting Powerand Distributing
Leadership

Distribution of power can be achieved when each decision is made in
conjunction with the group affected by the consequences of that decision.
There are times when a group who is affected by a consequence does not havethe power, privilege or opportunity to make a decision - this is when we either:●●

Shift the power so that the group can decide or,Provide space for the group to candidly and transparency inﬂuence
the decision

A. Questions to consider that promote Shifting Power& Distributing Leadership
1. Who’s comfort has been centered?
2. How many decisions does this person/group have the privilege or opportunityof making? How often?
3. Does this person/group make decisions because of title or hierarchy? Did you
ask why?
4. Are the people making the decision the closest to the work?
5. Do they belong to the group who could be adversely impacted by theoutcomes of the decisions?
6. Who did this person/group consult before making decisions? What are theaccountability measurements?

B. Examples around the Network
1. Activist In Residence (B Lab UK)
Dr. Mary Johnstone-Louis has been appointed Board Chair and Charmian Lovetakes new role as Activist in Residence●© B Lab 2021

In her new role as Activist in Residence, Charmian Love will explore theintersection between activism and business while enabling meaningful
dialogue between the two sides.

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Shifting Powerand Distributing
Leadership

2. B Lab Lead Executive Search & Search Design & Advisory Committee (B Lab Global)
As the B Lab Board embarked on a journey to seek for a new leader with the transition of
the current CEO’s, major efforts were made to create a process heavily rooted in equity,
accountability and transparency. The process includes several new and creative aspects
to a traditional C-Suite search:●

The creation of a Search Design & Advisory Committee for 3rd party accountabilityto1.) support the Board in considering a pool of candidates outside of the “norm”,
2.) communicate about this process with the Network, and3.) elevate concerns or feedback to the Leadership Development Committee, as
needed●●●Shifts in decision making throughout the process. While the Board is accountable
for the ﬁnal selection, they are informed, inﬂuenced and supported by the Lead
Executive Committee as well the SDAC
The creation of a community-appointed role on the SDAC. In the spirit of thecommitment to a transparent and inclusive process, the SDAC sought out a sixth
member for the committee to include voices from the Global Network staff thatare not typically a part of these processes.
Ongoing community update videos are provided by the SDAC in order to reinforce
transparency and engagement throughout the process.

C. Resources●

Case Studies in Distributed Leadership - The Hewlett Foundation●

Concepts of Shifting Power and Building Leaders●

Distributed Leadership Explained - SecEd●

Distributing Leadership and Authority In A Safe and Trusting Manner●“Stronger Together: Building Distributed Leadership” - Deborah Ancona, MIT
Leadership Center© B Lab 2021

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© B Lab 2021

Accountability

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Accountability

Accountability is when an individual or department experiences consequences fortheir performance or actions - or lack thereof.
●

Accountability is essential for an organization and for a society. Without it, it
is difficult to get people to assume ownership of their own actions because
they believe they will not face any consequences.

A. Questions that drive Accountability
1. What is our shared goal?
2. What is our ultimate purpose behind setting this goal/these goals?
3. What is our deﬁnition of success?
4. What are our deliverables?
5. What am I personally responsible for?
6. What do I need to accomplish my personal tasks?
7. How will I respond when things go off-course? Who will I tell?

B. Examples around the Network
1. Impact Management Solution (B Lab East Africa & B Lab Europe)
B Lab’s adoption of Sustainable Development Goals set forth by the United Nations.
●© B Lab 2021

The Sustainable Development Goals (or SDGs for short) are a collection of 17
interconnected goals that were agreed to by 193 United Nations member
states in 2015 to serve as a blueprint to build a better world for people and ourplanet by 2030.
○
East Africa, emphasizing on boosting and supporting business run by
and supporting women & girls.
○
B Lab Europe, emphasis on Net Zero.

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Accountability

2. Increased Focus on Public Policy (B Lab UK & Sistema B)●●

B Lab UK has built a coalition of 400+ companies to support the launch of the
Better Business Act.
Sistema B partnering with the International Development Research Center tocreate the International Working Group for Economic Reactivation of Impact.
○
The goal of this working group is to develop focus public policies toachieve the United Nations 2030 agenda.

3. Transforming Performance Requirements for B Corps (B Lab Global)●

Establishing and updating metrics to ensure organizations meet speciﬁcstandards on the BIA to achieve/retain B Corp Certiﬁcation.
○
Ex. commitment to a living wage, a formalized code of ethics,
mechanisms to ensure worker input is considered with company
decisions.

C. Resources●

Accountability Is A Team Sport●

When Movements Are Guilty of What They Are Trying to Challenge - Alicia
Garza

●

© B Lab 2021

What is Accountability? - Barnard

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Now What?

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Now What?

A. Implementation
1. Organizational Management Circles (Ownership Culture)
is a method of decentralized management and organizational governance, which aims
to distribute authority and decision-making through a group of self-organizing
teams rather than being vested in a management hierarchy. B Lab utilizes thispractice of organizational structure and relies heavily on the collaboration andinclusiveness of these circles. As such, to fortify the baseline pillars of focus and put
the considerations into practice, the following three (3) circles will be identifying how
to and selecting ways to implement the principles into their practice in a safe-to-try
environment to provide feedback and suggestions for future org-wide adoption.
●●●

Org Strategy & Ops Circle
Management Circle
Marketing Website Project

2. Training
B Lab will create training modules for each pillar. Modules will be available on ourinternal knowledge base. It will be available to B Lab staff as well as the network.

B. Global Enabling Objective 4:
1. Network Surveys
Surveys of the network show evidence that they understand the baseline JEDI
principles●●●

Q1 network survey, 70% of all respondents show evidence of awareness andrecognize application of baseline principles
Q1 network survey, 70% of respondents report seeing work done within theirorgs surrounding the areas of focus.
Q3 internal survey, 70% of all respondents report that "B Lab's commitment to
JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion) is consistently demonstrated".

2. JEDI Strategic Plan
The B Lab JEDI team will be working with a strategy ﬁrm and a group of
stakeholders to create a JEDI Strategic Plan for B Lab. This process will continue
to use these principles to guide the goals of the Strategic Plan and provide thefoundation for the work moving forward.
© B Lab 2021

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The JEDI Committee

Ellonda L. Williams
Director of Justice, Equity,
Diversity & Inclusion, JEDITeam

Irving Chan-Gomez
Manager, Global Partner
Engagement and Development,
Strategic Partnerships© B Lab 2021

Joshua Odam
Justice, Equity, Diversity &Inclusion Specialist, JEDI Team

Neha Ghosh
Product Manager I,
Product Team

Jasmine Jones
Senior Standards Analyst,
Certiﬁcation & Veriﬁcation

Andrew Kassoy
CEO, Planning, Management& Governance23Thank you