Why Curio Is a B Corp™ and Why It Matters

by Claire Cheney, Curio Spice Founder & Blender-in-Chief

When I founded Curio Spice Co. back in 2015, I knew one thing for certain: I wanted to be part of the growing movement to use business as a "force for good™". Profit for profit’s sake didn’t interest me. But I also knew that starting a nonprofit wasn’t the right path — I wanted to build something sustainable, something that would create a positive impact through the very products we made. Crafting spice blends sourced directly from small farms felt like the perfect way to do that.

That’s why I chose to establish Curio Spice as a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC).

What is a Public Benefit Corporation?

A Public Benefit Corporation is a for-profit business committed to generating public and social good in a sustainable, responsible way. In Massachusetts, where Curio is based, the only extra requirement for a PBC (compared to a traditional corporation) is an annual narrative report, detailing the ways the company has served the public good. These reports are publicly available, helping to ensure transparency.

I remember sitting on the edge of my bed in Somerville in 2014, working through the paperwork to make Curio a legal entity. I knew that if I wanted to be part of the Certified B Corp™ movement, this was the first step.

"Wait… I just have to submit an essay at the end of the year?" I thought, feeling a bit underwhelmed by the requirement. Oh, and pay $125.

Who reads this essay? Who holds businesses accountable to these claims? It all felt a bit flimsy — but still, I was glad it existed. Meanwhile, my kitchen was bursting with ethically sourced spices from Southeast Asia — torn bags of star anise, seven types of cinnamon, dried chilies, nutmegs still wrapped in their delicate lace of mace, and a jar of feathery botanicals labeled: Unknown, Chiang Mai, Thailand, 2014.

At that moment, I knew this journey was about something much bigger than just selling spices.

The Road to B Corp™ Certification

From 2015 to 2018, I dutifully submitted my public benefit reports, sharing them with customers via our newsletter. But something still felt incomplete. At the time, Curio was too small to qualify for B Corp Certification™, so we entered the "pending B Corp" stage — like a hopeful contestant waiting in the wings of a high school auditorium.

But what exactly is the B Corp movement, and why did I want so badly for Curio to be a part of it?

What is a Certified B Corporation?

The B Corp movement was founded in 2006 to redefine success in business. It started with about 80 businesses and has since grown into a global force. The nonprofit B Lab™ is at the heart of this mission, working to transform the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet.

"B Corp Certification is a designation that a business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials." (credit: B Corporation™)

The certification shows customers that a business is, as the expression goes, “putting their money where their mouth is” which is unfortunately not the case for so many other corporations in today's world. They put a farmer on the label, or green grass and a cow, and somehow the customer believes the product is honoring, not harming, farmers. Sadly, greenwashing, as it's called, is rampant in our economy, making it harder and harder for consumers to know what’s doing good and what isn’t. 

To become a Certified B Corporation, a business must undergo a rigorous assessment evaluating its impact in five key areas: Governance, Workers, Community, Environment, and Customers.

While it’s a bit clunky and complex to explain, the assessment is rigorous and requires a great deal of data to prove a businesses’ claims. In other words, if your business claims it offers healthcare, you need to show proof of it (via secure forms with your B Lab analyst) etc.

Undergoing the assessment takes months, and many meetings. I can attest to the blood, sweat and tears of going through this process, and while I wish it were easier, I’m grateful it isn’t. It HAS to be rigorous, or else economic change wouldn’t be meaningful.

Why B Corp Matters in a World of Greenwashing

The certification is not without its flaws - recently Dr. Bronner’s (of the magic soap), which was the highest scoring B Corp in the world, backed out of the certification over concerns that the standards were not being upheld and that too many mega corporations were being awarded certification, diluting the legitimacy of the certification.

While the PR stunt was a good move of activism in their field, it’s important to recognize that in the messy world we’re in where truth is an elusive thing to come by, something is better than nothing when it comes to regulating businesses for the purpose of trying to do better.

No one, including customers, governments, or Greek Gods are directly holding businesses accountable for the detrimental effects on the planet and its people. The climate crisis is raging, equity is crumbling, and we are a part of it. Yes, I share the concern with Dr. Bronner’s (and many others) about large multi-nationals carrying the certification, but until anyone or any other organization steps in, there’s not much else to holistically measure a company’s impact. Already consumer products are a checkerboard of ‘badges’ - Non-GMO, organic, Kosher, Gluten free, Cruelty free.

Here at Curio, we’re not immune. We’re proud to have completed our ‘woman-owned’ certification recently. And we’re proud to be a certified b corp. It’s a tangled process, trying to make a positive impact, but we have to keep trying.

B Corp Declaration of Independence

We envision a global economy that uses business as a force for good. This economy is comprised of a new type of corporation – the B Corporation – which is purpose-driven and creates benefit for all stakeholders, not just shareholders.

As Certified B Corporations™ and leaders of this emerging economy, we believe:

• That we must be the change we seek in the world.
• That all business ought to be conducted as if people and place mattered.
• That, through their products, practices, and profits, businesses should aspire to do no harm and benefit all.
• To do so requires that we act with the understanding that we are each dependent upon another and thus responsible for each other and future generations.