Corporations with a conscience

Can corporations maximize a profit and still be socially responsible? Last year California lawmakers passed a pair of bills that make it possible for corporations to consider the greater good without running afoul of their obligations to shareholders, setting new standards for corporate success. Flexible purpose corporations fold social and environmental responsibility into their articles of incorporation and must report annually on their objectives and progress. Benefit corporations can include special purposes in their bylaws redefining the fiduciary duties to include the ability to consider environmental and social factors. Patagonia was the first California corporation to convert to a benefit corporation.

Learn about this new corporate paradigm from the co-chair of the working group behind the new law, John Montgomery, in a workshop to be held Friday, October 19 at 2:00 p.m. at the Monday Club as part of Central Coast Bioneers’ Eco-Preneurial/Locanomics track. The workshop is for business owners, future business owners and anyone else interested in this new paradigm of doing business and doing good. John is a Silicon Valley corporate attorney, entrepreneur, executive coach and writer. He is the author of Great from the Start: How Conscious Corporations Attract Success, a book that will be available from the Conference bookstore. There will be a book signing at 3:30 following the workshop. Thank you to Information Press for sponsoring this workshop.