Esade and B Lab Spain have entered into a partnership to promote the impact economy. This partnership has happened at a historic time when commitment to SDGs and a sort of capitalism that promotes social progress is essential for post-coronavirus social and economic reconstruction. The education sector, and business schools in particular, are mainstays for accelerating the global cultural and educational shift needed to redefine the contribution that companies make to society.

The partnership between Esade and B Lab Spain involves developing innovative educational content and programmes at different levels (Executive Education, MBAs and Masters,  etc) based on the model, metering, case studies and good practices of the B Corp community. The two entities hope that their partnership will help create a new generation of leaders dedicated to creating a better future. 

B Corp companies focus on the common good and meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency and corporate responsibility. The B Corp movement is active on the five continents and already includes more than 3,500 companies in more than 160 sectors and 70 countries. 

It is hoped that this connection between the academy and B Corp will transform the prevailing paradigm about the corporate concept and guide it towards a new business model centred on people and the planet, and strikes a balance between social, environmental and economic benefits. It is essential to bring this vision into line with SDGs and re-set priorities in order to advance towards sustainable recovery and achieving the 2030 Agenda. 

“Corporate social responsibility is part of the Esade values which is precisely why working with agents for change such as B Lab Spain and the B Corp movement bolsters our combined commitment to advancing towards a new business landscape and training future leaders to deal with the major challenges facing society”, said Koldo Echebarria, Esade director general. With a mission to teach and conduct research in business management and law, Esade is a pioneering, global, educational establishment that aims to train skilled, socially responsible professionals and improve organisations and society by generating knowledge. On November 13th within the framework of this partnership, Esade will take part in B Good Day, the annual meeting of the B Corp community, in a workshop to discuss how the academy can accelerate the shift towards a new, sustainable and inclusive business model. 

Pablo Sánchez, CEO of B Lab Spain, was also quite clear about the importance of this agreement and the key role of academic establishments in redefining the meaning of business success: “The academy, and business schools in particular, have always played a leading role in generating knowledge and defining prevailing business values. This partnership with Esade, and their solid commitment to developing a new business model that strikes a balance between creating social and economic value, gives us an opportunity to integrate the values of the B Corp movement into their educational programmes and accelerate the systemic change we promote”. B Lab Spain is the non-profit foundation that promotes the B Corp movement in Spain, a group of more than eighty companies that are redefining the meaning of business success.