Rakuten OverDrive now a B Corp: recognized for social and environmental impact
Rakuten OverDrive is officially a Certified B Corporation. But what exactly does that mean?
B Corporations, also known as B Corps, are a new kind of company that use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. What “Fair Trade Certified” is to coffee, B Corporation certification is to for-profit companies that meet rigorous social, workforce and environmental standards.
There are currently nearly 2,500 Certified B Corps in more than 50 countries from over 130 industries, such as manufacturing, consulting, solar energy and legal services. In being recognized as a B Corporation, Rakuten OverDrive joins a robust community of forward-thinking organizations like Ben & Jerry’s, Kickstarter, Patagonia and Etsy.
The B Corp certification reflects the values upon which Rakuten Overdrive was founded, as well as the mission, vision and operating values it pursues today. Rakuten OverDrive is taking responsibility for tomorrow; together with 38,000 library, school and publishing partners worldwide, to support communities while championing education, reading and literacy.
“Every member of Rakuten OverDrive embraces the social and public mission of our library and school partners to improve communities with access to information and tools to promote literacy,” said Lori Franklin, Rakuten OverDrive Chief Operating Officer. “This includes our commitment to our planet, our workforce and business partners and the Rakuten OverDrive worldwide network of public institutions dedicated to improving society via lifelong learning.”
As a B Corporation, Rakuten OverDrive will continue to innovate and challenge itself to be the best, following the highest standards. Not only is it the right thing to do, it aligns with the mission of the company’s library and school partners and what they strive for each day: A World Enlightened by Reading.
Celebrating everything Rakuten OverDrive stands for
- Empowering communities with Rakuten OverDrive’s digital reading services
- Supporting literacy and creating reading happiness worldwide
- Supporting initiatives that offer work-life balance for Rakuten OverDrive employees
- Incorporating work practices and business policies that strengthen and preserve the environment for future generations.
“We are thrilled to welcome Rakuten OverDrive into the Certified B Corporation community,” said Ben Anderson, Chief B Keeper at B Lab, the nonprofit that certifies B Corporations. “By meeting the rigorous standards of B Corp Certification, Rakuten OverDrive has shown the value they place in measuring and managing their impact and creating positive impact for all stakeholders.”
Becoming a Certified B Corporation will motivate Rakuten OverDrive members to continue to challenge themselves to think about how they are affecting the environment, their partners and employees with every business decision they make. It will also serve as a roadmap and guide to becoming a better organization over the years.
Aligning business with a greater good is good business, and as a leader in the digital reading industry, Rakuten OverDrive embraces its responsibility to adopt practices that positively impact its community. The B Corporation model now strengthens the organisation’s ability to communicate to its global community its commitment to these business practices.
