Food Entrepreneur - June 22, 2021 - 11

One Mighty Mill grinds fresh flour from locally
grown wheat to produce bagels, tortillas
and pretzels.
centered on regenerative farms and local
stone mills, a partnership that used to
thrive in communities across the country
pre-industrialization.
The community aspect is key to One
Mighty Mill's mission. The company built
its first mill in a neighborhood that lacks
consistent access to healthy fresh foods,
and it provides whole wheat bagels to local
school districts at cost. It also supports
communities by creating quality careers,
with every team member becoming an
owner after their first year.
B Corp certification has helped
One Mighty Mill ensure it delivers on
its mission to grow more organic wheat
acreage, build more stone mills and support
healthy communities. Those efforts
earned it a B Impact Assessment Score of
81.5, 30 points higher than the average
score across all applicants.
" For us, it was more of an audit than a
strategic shift with massive changes for the
company, " Mr. Olinto said. " We had this clear
mission already hardwired into our DNA, but
I wanted B Lab to take a look and make sure
we're as good as we think we are. "
Manufacturing with a mission
Becoming a B Corp has helped Tribe
9 Foods, Madison, Wis., bolster its mission
of improving lives through healthy
foods. Chairman and chief executive officer
Brian Durst launched the company
four years ago as a platform for creating
more nutritious products.
June 22, 2021
Tribe 9 offers a range of functional
and better-for-you foods through its
own portfolio of brands, which includes
gluten-free and fresh pasta makers Taste
part of Tribe 9's mission. It also aims to
advance responsible and sustainable
manufacturing by sourcing renewable
energy at its facilities, donating meals to
local families each year and ensuring all
employees earn a livable wage, efforts that
earned it a B Impact score of 80.8.
" The cool thing about the application
process was that it became a helpful brainstorm
for us, " Mr. Durst said. " When you
apply, you not only earn credits for the things
you're already doing, but you discover new
opportunities for channeling that positive
intention into new programs and policies. "
Finding ways to create a positive
To certify as a B Corporation, a company
must achieve a minimum score of 80 out
of 200 possible points on the B Impact Assessment,
which asks questions about how
the day-to-day operations of a business
support workers, the community and the
environment.
Republic, RP's Pasta and Carla's Pasta, and
nut butter brand Yumbutter. It also makes
products for emerging brands in the natural
foods space as a co-manufacturer.
" We're providing healthier alternatives,
as well as food products that
consumers might not otherwise be able to
eat, " Mr. Durst said.
Creating healthier products is one
impact is a key component of the B Corp
movement. B Lab regularly updates its
impact assessment with revised criteria,
and companies are required to recertify
and provide additional documentation
every three years.
" This process ensures that companies
continue to engage in a high
level of impact with their stakeholders,
even as the business grows or changes, "
Ms. Harbaugh said. " Recertification
gives companies the opportunity to set
improvement goals against the most-upto-date
standards and benchmark their
performance over time. "
Tribe 9's initial application focused
on what the company could do within
its own four walls, but recertifying has
pushed it to consider how it can create
wider changes throughout the food system,
Mr. Durst said.
" The bigger your business gets, the
Food Business News
41
CRAFTED ENERGY
Food Entrepreneur - June 22, 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Food Entrepreneur - June 22, 2021
