Louder Than Words: The B Corp Festival – Our Takeaways

the festival was exactly what it says in the name – to encourage, as the old saying goes, actions that speak louder than words.

The festival was set out in an “Edinburgh Fringe-style” format over 12 venues in Oxford, with an exciting blend of keynote speeches, hands-on workshops, and collaborative sessions that all touched on the critical social and environmental issues facing businesses today. For us, as a newly accredited B Corp, it was an opportunity for us to dive into the wider B Corp community from across the UK and get acquainted with likeminded organisations. The key themes were regenerative futures, leading the change and collective action.

Here are our takeaways from the two-day festival:

• The atmosphere was amazing with a real festival feel: We met some brilliant people, and there was a strong commonality among delegates, speakers and organisers for the determination to make an impact.
• We were challenged to act: Keynote speaker, Mary Portas OBE, challenged us all to galvanise change rather than just advocate for it. There were also panel discussions exploring how businesses can drive significant impact on the UK economy, foster a positive shift in business culture, and engage in crucial debates on systemic change. The impetus for action lies with us, and working together we can be the both the advocates and enablers of positive change.
• Collaboration, collaboration, collaboration: It was evident to us that there’s a real hunger to collaborate within the B Corp movement, particularly within sectors. Our experience introduced us to a green travel initiative that had grown organically from the shared desire of B Corps within the transport sector to pursue a shared challenge and implement meaningful change. Everyone in attendance was keen to network and learn about each other. There’s an infectious desire within the community to befriend and work with likeminded businesses who share the same values, and it was a great experience to be at the heart of that.
• Cutting consumption and localising your suppliers: Patrick Grant FRSA, the festival’s other heavy hitting keynote, spoke about how reducing consumption and focusing on higher quality, locally made items can make us happier and more fulfilled in addition to being sustainable.

Overall, it was a fascinating event which we feel privileged to have been a part of. The festival’s mission statement of being the meaningful change that you want to see really resonated with us, and we’re excited to take our learnings away and develop on them in a way that leads to real, impactful action.

We’re looking forward to the next one and continuing our role as a B Corp in this wider community of sustainable and responsible businesses.

Read more about B Corp and Square One Law’ journey to become a certified B Corp law firm here.