In this three-part series, we examine the B Corp community’s evolving relationship with justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI)—celebrating progress and grappling with uncomfortable truths. Click here to listen to Part 1 with Raj Aggarwal.
In Part 2, we’re joined by award-winning B Corp leader, educator, and author Nathan Stuck to explore the complex intersection of business, purpose, and politics in today’s polarized climate.
Nathan is the founder of Profitable Purpose Consulting, Executive Director of BLD Southeast, and teaches an MBA course on B Corps at the University of Georgia (UGA). He also runs B Local Georgia, hosts the B the Change Georgia Podcast, serves on the B Academics board, and is a TEDx speaker on reimagining capitalism.
In this episode, he offers insight into the ongoing conversations around DEI and urges a return to outcome-driven work over performative gestures. We also examine how B Corps can stay focused on local solutions, embrace inclusive economics, and confront systemic racism without caving to political pressure. Tune in for a candid conversation about tracking real impact, activating true allyship, and staying mission-focused without losing sight of the bigger picture!
Key Points From This Episode:
- How B Corps can drive real DEI outcomes, not just check boxes.
- Local problems, local solutions: creating community-driven change.
- The role of white discomfort in DEI pushback within the B Corp community.
- Why a monolithic, one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work in the real world.
- How B Corps can confront systemic racism without caving to political pressure.
- Allowing DEI to evolve organically: letting the results speak for themselves.
- A business-centric approach to diversity and inclusion.
- Tracking data without boasting: intentionality versus performativity.
- Actionable advice to help B Corps activate the “action part of their allyship.”
- Staying mission-focused, speaking truth, and building with those committed to real change.
Quotations
“How do we come together as a community to figure out – the outcomes we’re driving towards? Then, let’s reverse engineer how we’re going to get there. Then, we can agree on the language.” — Nathan Stuck [0:28:48]
“Now, the baby is getting thrown out with the bathwater, and all of the impactful outcome-driven work is getting thrown out with – the performative stuff. The journey is complicated, so how do we embrace everybody wherever they’re at and still push people to do more?” — Nathan Stuck [0:47:09]
“If we lay out the economic argument for what it means [to have] a thriving middle class, Black, brown, white, all across the country, – it’s going to be a compelling economic argument.” — Nathan Stuck [0:57:56]
“We can sit here and use the word performative, but to me, anybody doing this work is an ally.” — Nathan Stuck [1:04:00]
“If you’re here for the work, there’s a seat at the table. [We need to] identify those that are here for the work, say the hard thing when it needs to be said, but keep our eyes on where we’re going.” — Nathan Stuck [1:11:54]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
- Nathan Stuck: https://usca.bcorporation.net/b-consultant-nathan-stuck/
- Nathan Stuck on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanastuck/
- Profitable Purpose Consulting: https://www.profitablepurposeconsulting.com/
- BLD Southeast: https://bldsoutheast.com/
- B Local Georgia: https://www.blocalgeorgia.com/
- B the Change Georgia Podcast: https://www.blocalgeorgia.com/podcast.html
- B Academics: https://bacademics.org/
- Happy Monday: Designing Your Dream Career: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BGN66GVP
- ‘Reimagining Capitalism Through Purpose, With Purpose, & On Purpose’: https://www.ted.com/talks/nathan_stuck_reimagining_capitalism_through_purpose_with_purpose_on_purpose
- Capital in the Twenty-First Century: https://bookshop.org/p/books/capital-in-the-twenty-first-century-thomas-piketty/6701881
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