Corey Lien joins Ryan Honeyman and Emmy Allison for a reflective conversation about the B Corp movement’s original purpose, its evolution, and the questions now facing it. As the founder of DOMI, an early leader behind B Lab Taiwan, and a longtime movement builder in Asia, Corey brings a perspective shaped by both entrepreneurship and ecosystem building. Together, they explore a deeper question beneath the current standards debate: what is the B Corp movement actually for now?
Corey reflects on his own journey into impact business, the early days of launching B Lab Taiwan, and why the original B Corp idea resonated so strongly: business can be a force for good, and companies can help shape a better society. The conversation traces how that early sense of purpose and community helped spark the movement, while also examining how things have shifted over time. Ryan, Emmy, and Corey discuss the tension between movement and certification, the danger of “stopping at the score,” and the unmet promise of interdependence across companies and functions.
The episode also brings in an important cross-cultural perspective, as Corey shares how ideas of humility and restraint in many Asian contexts can shape how companies talk about impact and authenticity. Rather than ending in cynicism, the conversation points toward renewal: a return to purpose, responsibility, and clarity about who each company is trying to serve. This is a thoughtful discussion about what has been gained, what may have been lost, and what the B Corp movement could still become.
What You’ll Learn:
“B Corp can be a force for good to solve social [and] environmental problems.” — Corey Lien [0:09:10]
“It doesn’t matter where you are in the organization, it doesn’t matter what kind of company you are, you can do something.” — Corey Lien [0:17:35]
“Is [the] movement the umbrella and the certification – the tool or [is] certification the umbrella and [the movement] the tool?” — Corey Lien [0:31:03]
“I think the community now is not about ‘how’ anymore, it’s about ‘why’ and then ‘how’ again.” — Corey Lien [0:46:52]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
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B Corp Consultant
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Next Economy Leadership
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Gratitude
Thank you to Corey Lien, Nozomii Torii, and Kirsten G. Bryant for being our monthly contributors at Beyond the B!