DIOSA recently became a B Corp and as you may have already guessed, we’re more than a little excited to share the news with you. It’s a movement towards taking care of not only our businesses, but also ourselves, each other, and the world. Here’s what it means to be a business for good that prioritizes people and our planet.

What in the world does “B Corp” mean? 

Put very simply, B Corp is a non-profit organization that offers certifications that help both consumers and investors find changemaking organizations that prioritize solving social and environmental problems. “B Corp” is short for beneficial corporations, and they don’t give their certification to just any company claiming to do good things. 

Every company they certify, including ours, must meet rigorous social and environmental benchmarks to prove they’re making genuine, positive differences in the world. 

B Corp is a global community with a powerful mission to use business as a force for good. Whether it’s the outdoor apparel company Patagonia stewarding the environment, or ice cream maker Ben & Jerry maintaining its non-GMOs mission, there are inspiring B Corp companies all over the world.  Right now, there are over 6000 B Corps in 86 countries and 158 industries and growing. We are so proud to be among these B Corps, all “unified by one common goal: building an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economic system."

Why is it so important for Diosa to be a B Corp?

DIOSA has always been inspired by positive impact and innovation from B Corps like Eileen Fisher, Athleta, and Tom's. From our beginnings, we’ve always had a mission to be a business for good, just on a slightly smaller scale. 

As a relatively young company, DIOSA Designs’ wanted to become a B Corp early on so our foundation would be rooted in sustainability and constant striving to improve our impact. We’re beyond thrilled to have made this happen as a young Canadian company that’s family run. 

In addition, the fashion industry is long overdue for transformation. With its negative environmental, social impacts, and booming growth, it’s difficult to overstate the necessity for the industry to do better. We pride ourselves as being among the companies in the industry who are ethical, sustainable, and giving back in real ways.

What makes DIOSA a Certified B Corporation? 

B Corp grades companies on the following benchmarks: governance, workers, community, environment, and customers. Here’s a bit more about what that looks like: 

1. Strong impact business model from one or more of the five sustainability pillars, which are governance, employees, community, environment, and customers. 
2. Commitment to community means diversity on our teams and supply chains, efforts to support local people and other businesses, and contributing to charitable organizations. 
3. Commitment to net-zero means businesses that are quick to get on board and do what it takes to get to net zero.
4. Managed risk means B Corp certified companies encourage people to come forward with concerns about any aspect, concern, or worry about our business, including employees, customers, and suppliers. 
5. High employee satisfaction means making sure our employees are happy, satisfied with their job, and feel a personal connection to us and our goals and objectives. We encourage them via fair compensation, rewards, and shared ethics. 

Here are some specific ways we are actively engaged in meeting those benchmarks: 

• We give back a total of 2% of our annual sales — 1% for the Planet, 1% of for Women
• We opt to work with like-minded people, suppliers, and others who share a commitment to positive change and constant improvement.
• We source high-quality leather for our bags from a tannery certified by the Leather Working Group. 
• We aim to keep our bags circular with our imperfectly perfect Loveworthy Collection, keeping bags from going into landfills.
• We raise awareness about breast cancer research and awareness with a special product and support.

How DIOSA became a B Corporation. 

DIOSA makes high-quality, thoughtfully crafted bags, backpacks, and more, all designed to last you for years to come. We also care deeply about our impact on our communities, staff, customers, and the world. That’s what led us to B Corp. 

B Corp and B Lab carefully vet all companies, including ours, making sure we meet their stringent social and environmental benchmarks. In practical terms, DIOSA and all other B Corps have to go through a lengthy, thorough evaluation and verification process, pay annual fees to make sure we’re dedicated for the long run, and be devoted to improving, year after year. It’s not just about being great— it’s an ever-evolving journey to get even better as we progress. 

We worked with Decade Impact, an organization that helps companies like ours help us get to 80, which is the minimum score companies must meet on the B Corp Impact Assessment. 80 may not sound like a lot, but even some progressive companies have a hard time meeting that goal. We took their intensive six-day guided course, over a six week period, into the world of impact, purpose-driven business.

We began the process in June 2020 and were certified in October 2022—the entire process for DIOSA Designs to become B Corp certified was nearly 2.5 years. 

Lastly, it’s good to know that the recertification process happens every three years, so companies like ours will constantly seek to improve, adapt, and stay aware of their impact.

Kristy O'Leary and Brianna Brown, Co-founders of Decade Impact.

Quick B Corp facts and stats. 

• Compared to ordinary companies, Canadian B Corps are likely to have a board of directors where the majority of the members are from underserved groups such as women or underemployed communities. 

• B Corp workers around the world spent over 30,000 hours doing community service in 2021.
• B Corps are four times more likely to hire most of their managers from local communities.
• Environmentally, B Corps had a combined offset of 2.1 million tons of carbon, and they’re 4.5 times more likely to use 100% renewable energy. 
• For their staff, most B Corps provide employees with flexible schedules, telecommuting benefits, and bonuses or profit-sharing to non-executive workers.

Want to learn more? Check out the B Corp website, communities, and get in touch with us anytime to hear about what makes us B Corp!