Hi everyone, I'm leaving beautiful Livingston, MT for a couple of weeks of Texas baseball, Phish, friends, and some down time in Santa Fe. I'm *really* making the most of this summer on the road!
In the meantime, I'm learning and accomplishing some pretty cool stuff!
Click to watch the video or scroll down read the Claude-assisted content below!
🎉 Big News
We secured our first verbal commitment! The seal is officially broken. I can't wait to share who it's from and thank them publicly. Who wants to be second? Get in touch!
Pro tip for 1% for the Planet partners: Donations to WeTheChange count toward your 1% commitment since we support B Corps focused on regenerative practices. You don't have to choose—support us AND meet your environmental commitment.
🤔 Key Insights from This Week's Conversations
Venture vs. B Corp Model Tension Had a fascinating conversation with someone pivoting from venture-style to private equity-style investing in B Corps. Key observation: venture models and B Corp values seem fundamentally incompatible. B Corps are "zebra" organizations—built to run sustainably, not built to exit. This creates natural friction with both angel and venture approaches.
Curious about PE for B Corps: Anyone have insights, introductions, or resources on private equity models for purpose-driven businesses? I'm trying to learn everything right now.
Case Study: Force for Good Fund (2016-2018) Discovered this low-interest debt fund for women and BIPOC-owned local businesses. From what I can observe, they supported entrepreneurs through B Corp certification and provided financing + mentorship. Results appear mixed—about half the organizations seem to no longer be operating.
This reinforces our investment thesis: Our member businesses are established (average 12 years in business). The business case is already proven, not propped up by support systems.
🔄 Strategic Shift: Recertification as Qualifier
New thinking: We're considering requiring second B Corp certification (recertification) as a qualifying characteristic. This demonstrates:
- Longevity in the business model
- Sustained commitment to values
- Proven track record beyond initial certification
What are your thoughts on this approach?
🌱 Values in Action
Had an incredible experience touring Wiccan's Farm in northeastern Montana—famous in regenerative beef circles. Despite having zero interest in ranching, I was struck by how many conversations I could participate in because of our shared values around non-extractive, long-term thinking. It reinforced how expansive these values are and how many ways we can make them practical.
📊 Key Advisor Meeting Highlights
Two major topics emerged:
1. WeTheChange Leadership Succession As we raise this fund and deploy pilot money, the organization will need a paid leader for programming growth, membership, and investment administration. My interest lies in learning regenerative finance—I'm excited to build this, but the ongoing management may need different leadership.
2. Impact Metrics Framework Exploring how to use B Lab's Business Impact Assessment (both old and new versions) to define our impact metrics. If we can track BIA results from investees, we can demonstrate job creation, carbon reduction, and other measurable impacts directly tied to our investments.
🏖️ Taking a Break
I'm going on vacation for 1-2 weeks. Unless something major happens, this is it until mid-July.
🎬 Don't Miss
If you haven't watched last week's LinkedIn Live with Sandra Stewart, I recommend it! Great overview of where we are and how we got here.
🤝 Get Involved
Want to contribute, make introductions, or schedule a meeting? Now's the time to reach out.
Have a wonderful start to July and happy 4th! Talk to you when I'm back.
Until then, keep up the good work!
P.S. Seriously, would love your thoughts on that venture/PE question and thoughts on the recertification requirement. Hit reply if you have perspectives to share!
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