Last week, I traveled to Denver, Colorado for the B Corp Leadership Development (BLD) Mountain West conference, held at the Denver Botanic Gardens—a fitting setting for the conference theme, Blooming into Action.
Not every conference that aims to spark action delivers, but this one did. I left energized, with pages of notes and a clear sense of how I want to move forward.
There’s a lot I could say, but I want to focus on a few takeaways that really pushed me to act.
During The B Corp Blueprint: Harnessing Certification for Long-Term Success, panelists shared what it means to be part of a movement still led by early adopters, even nearly 20 years in. The work can feel slow, but it’s driven by people who keep pushing forward anyway. Regine Parks, Senior Director of ESG, Safety, and Corporate Compliance at Pivot Energy, said something that stuck with me: she felt fortunate that the time she spent working was spent being “consistently involved in solutions.” That resonated deeply. My call to action was to regroup and remind myself that I’m lucky—the time I spend at my job is time spent being part of the solution. I get to help B Corps and sustainability-minded businesses every day as they work to deepen their impact and be a force for good.
One of the most talked-about moments of the conference was Kimberly McGlonn’s keynote, Moving Beyond Good: Pursuing Exceptional Design. It was the most powerful talk I’ve ever heard at a conference. I won’t try to quote her, but one idea that really stayed with me was her call to avoid becoming wilting plants —instead, we need to be the gardeners, planting what comes next. My call to action is to support as many B Corps as I can at Ecolytics through the transition to the new standards. Change can be uncomfortable, but we can’t let this community wilt. We need to keep planting the seeds that help more companies certify, recertify, and grow their impact.
During the closing reflection session, led by Rose Lavelle and Kate Dixon, we were asked to write down one action we’d take once we got home. Mine came from a conversation with Silvia Laserna: “Ask for what you want, and you’ll get it.” I had mentioned an idea out loud, and Kate Dixon immediately offered help to try to make it happen. That’s the kind of community the B Corp space fosters—where people genuinely show up for one another. My call to action is to keep asking for what I want, confidently, and trust that this community will show up to support my ideas and goals.
To round out this reflection, I want to say a big thank you to the Ecolytics team for sending me to BLD Mountain West. I had the chance to connect with so many incredible people, and I’m already starting to put some of my action plans into motion. I’m excited to keep showing up for this community—and I’m already looking forward to the next BLD.
