Creating a Small Business for Purpose and Profit: The Oregon Benefit Company with Tom Hering, Benefits Corporations for Good
Date & Time: April 22, 2025, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Language: English
Event Provider: Oregon Pride in Business (ORPIB)
Location: Online [Live virtual event]
Cost: Free for ORPIB Members, $5 for non-members
REGISTRATION: Click here to register for this class.
ABOUT THE EVENT: There is a growing business movement in Oregon helping build healthy and equitable communities. Entrepreneurs, Gen “Z,” Millennials, Boomers, small and midsize companies. The movement’s focus: the “Triple Bottom Line,” or People, Planet and Profit. These companies are called Benefit Companies, Benefit Corporations and B Corps and they believe and act differently than other businesses.
Through this presentation, you will:
Learn about the compelling business case for this model
Discover a July 2023 bill that gives Oregon businesses a sustainable advantage for state contracts
Understand why this triple bottom line business model is gaining traction across the state and across the country
Learn the differences between a Benefit Company, Benefit Corporation and a B-Corp
Discover why Oregon business leaders embrace this model and how it has helped them thrive.
Keywords: #triplebottomline #purposedriven #benefitcorporation #smallbusiness #oregonbenefitcompany
Audience for this session: Small business owners and leaders interested in building a company that:
Makes a difference while making a profit
Creates social and environmental impact through its business operations
Seeks accountability for its business decisions
Want to clearly differentiate the business to its stakeholders (customers/team members/prospective employees/community)
Seeks to be part of a community with share business values
About The Speaker: Tom Hering is the co-founder and managing director of Benefit Corporations for Good (BCFG).
When he and Mary Anne Harmer launched Benefit Corporations for Good (BCFG) in 2018, they both realized the positive impact small businesses could have on their employees, their communities and their planet through commitment to a triple bottom line of People, Planet and Profit.
Currently, BCFG has certified more than 100 businesses in 12 different states and one Canadian province with the majority of businesses headquartered in Oregon.
In June of 2023, Tom received word that the bill he sponsored in the Oregon legislature passed both chambers and headed to Governor Kotek for signing. The bill provides a sustainable advantage to Oregon Benefit Companies seeking a contract through the state's procurement office.
Tom has worked as a creative director, copywriter and brand strategist. Before starting his strategic marketing communications firm, he worked for well-regarded agencies in Portland and Seattle as copywriter and creative director.
He currently serves as the advocacy co-chair for the Interfaith Alliance on Poverty, an organization dedicated to fighting generational poverty. He is the co-author of the book, "Putting Soul Into Business: How the Benefit Corporation is Transforming American Business for Good" and "25 Building Blocks to Create a Conscientious Organization."
Tom is a graduate of the University of Oregon's School of Journalism.
Connect with Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-hering-9829727/