The B Movement celebrates 20 years consolidating a business model that works to benefit all people and the planet. What began in 2006 with 81 pioneering companies is now a global force: more than 10,800 companies in 104 countries employing over a million people.
In Argentina, there are 294 B Companies, belonging to 30 sectors and industries, originating from 16 territories of the country, generating more than 45,800 formal jobs and collectively billing more than US$ 5.7 billion annually. B Companies have a purpose beyond profitability and assume the legal commitment to benefit not only shareholders but also communities and the planet. Thus, they give a new meaning to business success.
Argentina is currently the tenth country in the world and the second in Latin America with the largest number of B Companies. Additionally, in 2025 it was the territory in the region where the most companies applied for certification and this year 23 new B Companies joined the community.
“Argentina has a great opportunity, with a scenario of greater economic predictability and legal security to implement long-term development projects. But for these businesses to be truly sustainable over time, it is necessary to integrate profitability with social and environmental impact at the core of decisions,” said Fernanda Mierez, Co-founder and Co-president of Sistema B Argentina and partner at the Beccar Varela firm.
This vision reached Latin America and began to expand worldwide in 2012 with the help of four Latin American entrepreneurs. “Thanks to the B Movement, these topics are now part of the public conversation, there is more talk about the role of companies in solving social and environmental problems from the market and on a large scale”, expressed Pedro Tarak, Argentine entrepreneur and one of the co-founders of Sistema B. “The great contribution of Latin America has been our systemic approach. Companies are not alone, they are part of an ecosystem. More and more people, from different areas of influence, work for economic transition”, he added.
Two decades proving that another way of doing business is possible
In these 20 years, B Companies have shown that the private sector can tackle society’s most urgent challenges without giving up sustainable long-term growth:
- According to the study “The nature of business” by B Lab, if all companies managed their environmental impact as B Companies currently do, the increase in global temperature could be reduced by 0.5 °C by 2100.
- They have also demonstrated a greater resilience in contexts of uncertainty: 95% of B Companies overcame the COVID-19 crisis, compared to 88% of traditional companies.
“We started out of conviction. Being a B Company was completely aligned with the ‘why’ we did what we did,” explained Déborah Sabsay, co-founder of Lucenza, which became the first Certified B Company in Mar del Plata in 2014. “But today, in addition, we choose to continue because it makes us more competitive in every way: with the community, customers, and collaborators”, she added.
“The company is a catalytic actor of changes, positive or negative. Being part of designing solutions that drive positive changes is, ultimately, our purpose”, said Irene Berardo, partner and director of Fixit, Certified B Company since 2019 and currently the oldest in the province of Santa Fe. “The value of the B Companies Community is finding cohesion in heterogeneity. It’s like a soccer field open 24/7: you can go play the game you want with people who ensure a certain quality of play. There is a shared base of beliefs and ways of doing business”, she added.
The growth of the B Movement can be divided into four phases:
- From idea to infrastructure (2006–2011): the B Impact Assessment codified the principles of the Declaration of Interdependence that B Companies assume upon certification; early adopters put them into practice and the state of Maryland (USA) turned them into law through Benefit Corporation legislation in 2010.
- From one country to global reach (2011–2016): with the creation of Sistema B in Latin America, the movement began to expand worldwide, reaching 37 countries. Natura Cosméticos became the first B Company to be publicly traded, demonstrating that the model could adapt to different cultures, legal systems, and economies.
- From niche to necessity (2016–2021): by the end of the 2010s, B Companies were already operating in 70 countries. After COVID-19, applications increased by 38%, with leaders seeking stability and community amid uncertainty. The number of 100 B Companies in Argentina was reached.
- From consolidation to systemic influence (2021–2026): as environmental and social crises deepened, the model grew exponentially: in 2022 there were 5,000 B Companies worldwide and in 2025 they surpassed 10,000, a trend reflected in the figures of Latin America and Argentina. Companies like Nespresso and Danone became B Companies globally. In Argentina, companies like Logística La Serenísima, La Anónima, Urbano Express, and McCain certified.
“The world needs epic companies and brands that commit to their essence, purpose, and impact, to transform reality”, said Guillermo Schulmeier, Co-founder and Director of Emprendia, the first B Company in the country, certified in 2012. “This increasingly makes more sense to more people. There are many entrepreneurs who, when they reach the B Movement, feel at home.”
In different parts of the world, the movement also drove transformations in legal frameworks. Currently, 54 jurisdictions have already adopted Stakeholder Governance regulations. Countries like Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, Italy, Spain, and France lead this transition with the BIC law (Benefit and Collective Interest Corporations).
Towards a new decade of business transformation
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