Vermont has long been an incubator of innovation — and companies whose mission and impact are central to their business model.

In 2010, Vermont became the second state in the country to enact Benefit Corporation legislation, allowing new companies to form, and existing companies to organize as benefit corporations. The legal framework of a benefit corporation gives businesses and investors the flexibility to consider mission and public benefit, in addition to profit, for all stakeholders, including shareholders, over the long term, even through exit transactions such as IPOs and acquisitions.

B-Corp Certification is an additional tool for businesses to manage their operations and programs according to the highest social and environmental standards. Certification is managed by the nonprofit organization B Lab, who sets rigorous standards for social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. (Benefit corporations may, but are not required, to choose B-Corp Certification as well). There are 36 certified B-Corps in Vermont ranging from famous food producers like Cabot Creamery Co-op and Ben & Jerry’s to publicly owned utilities like Green Mountain Power, financial institutions  such as Mascoma Bank and Clean Yield Asset Management, retail brands like Seventh Generation and King Arthur Flour and advanced manufacturing firms such as Chroma Technology Corp. Vermont ranks among the country’s top ten states with the highest per capita number of B Corps.