Community

At a fundamental level, wielding business as a force for good means using the power of the market to shift the global economy to one that prioritises inclusivity and regeneration over profit and greed. That’s what we’re all about.

Supporting local is our thing

Wherever possible, we use local (to us!) service providers and partners, and we work with businesses that are owned and run by under-represented groups in the business space. We continue to be intentional about our suppliers as outlined in our policy and report the details in the 

Our business bank is Australia's leading ethical bank, Bank Australia.

Something we’re not comfortable with is Simon and Becky use CommBank for our homeloan, because Bank Australia couldn’t approve our unusual circumstances (self-employed, regional, large house, bush fire / floor risk). So while it’s not business it’s a personal financial impact we’re not happy about (interest going to a non-ethical bank) and we fully intend to switch it all to Bank Australia in FY26.

Doing cool stuff with community-focused clients  

If you’ve made it this far, you’ll know we have a guiding framework for helping us choose who we work with. These decisions have an impact on our idea of what community actually is. By supporting businesses that we know are taking great strides to enrich their communities, it means we can amplify our impact through them – in communities we may never have reached otherwise! Which we think is pretty cool.

Clients leading in community action

Shout out to all our wonderful clients and partners who are pushing for action in the community space. Common Ground using storytelling to change social systems; Cerebral Palsy support network changing the lives of people with a disability; Global Leadership Foundation raising emotional health levels for people and planet, KOSI the social enterprise in Solomon Islands improving village livelihoods and RIAA shaking up the finance sector. 

Spotlight - KOSI one year on from the launch of Cocoa

At KOSI’s twentieth anniversary in October 2024, the cocoa range launched as a signal of the organisation’s next chapter, and we are proud to have played a small role in bringing this future direction to life. 

Since partnering with KOSI in 2023, we have supported the shift into cocoa through research, design, brand development, website work and marketing, helping lay the foundations for a more resilient product offering that can benefit village farmers for years to come. Twelve months on, the progress, challenges and opportunities are clearer than ever, and we are excited to see the next generation of KOSI take shape. 

You can read Sarah’s reflection on the blog.

No (bad) days off. Again! 

As much as we love a day off, we choose not to celebrate Australia Day and the Melbourne Cup public holidays. As far as we’re concerned, neither is cause for celebration. Instead, we ask if each person wants to work, or take time in lieu and take a public stance against the day. 

Baby steps on our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) 

We acknowledge there’s still much to learn and do to become true Allies. We again looked into starting a RAP this year, but with the administrative requirements for a business of our size, we decided to focus our efforts on taking meaningful action instead.

A few things we’ve been doing this year: 

• Monthly Impact Update a team member shares a specific learning and person to honour.
• Starting key meetings and project kickoffs with an Acknowledgement of Country (AOC)
• All staff complete the “How to be an ally” course with Evolve Communities
• Learned through our work with Common Ground and Firesticks
• Sarah joined the B Corp RAP working group - supporting B Corps across the reconciliation journey from small activities within business to structured reconciliation action plans and rollout.

Cultural training continues to be part of team onboarding

All staff now complete Evolve’s Cultural Awareness Training on Being an Ally as part of their onboarding. A 60-minute webinar led by Aboriginal Elder Aunty Munya Andrews and community engagement specialist Carla Rogers, exploring how to be a confident Ally to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The session covers current inequalities, common misconceptions to avoid, and practical steps to build cultural awareness, strengthen relationships, and support Reconciliation. We also signed up to Evolve’s Cultural Awareness training where a team member would attend a monthly webinar and share back the insights and reflections from topics including NAIDOC, National Reconciliation Week and Language Groups. 

Hands-on First Nations work

We’re honoured to have had the opportunity to partner with two non-profit organisations this year, both of which have the purpose of empowering Indigenous knowledge, communities and stories. It’s all part of our personal learning and reconciliation journey. 

Living Knowledge Place (by the founders of Firesticks)

The Living Knowledge Place is an education initiative dedicated to strengthening understanding and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures by connecting schools with Indigenous knowledge holders. Their vision is to create a future where First Nations knowledge is valued and embedded in everyday learning — fostering cultural pride, connection to Country, and mutual respect across communities. 

Harvey worked with The Living Knowledge Place to refine their brand and messaging strategy, capturing this deeper purpose and articulating their impact in a way that resonates with educators, community, and partners. We also developed a content marketing plan to launch the pilot school phase, positioning the platform as a trusted, authentic space for sharing knowledge and supporting teachers to bring First Nations perspectives into classrooms with confidence and respect. 

Common Ground

We’ve loved working with the folks at Common Ground for a second year across brand and digital. Common Ground continues to use their platform as First Nations led not-for-profit to amplify storytelling to strengthen culture, education and community power. They project First Nations voices, support a thriving storytelling ecosystem and build accountability through truth-telling. Their work centres stories as a way to connect people, shape understanding and imagine stronger futures grounded in Country and culture. Highlights from our year together include;

• Go live of Dreamy website - showcasing mindful stories from First Nations Storytellers. One month after go live, they had over 2k downloads, national coverage with Triple R interviewing storytellers and many offers for collaboration among the community 
• Celebrating 5 years of First Nation’s Bedtime stories 2024 - capture and share stories as old as time and bring them to your home, classroom or workplace. Celine led design, with trusted hands, delivered once again an approach the CG team loved, one that reflected the nuance and detail of First Nation’s story telling and that was inclusive to broad audiences. 
• A new project ‘Kaytetye’ kicked off. Still a work in progress, but when this online resource go live we’ll be sharing it like crazy (it’s going to be freakin’ cool)
• Weaving Truths campaign - Common Ground has collaborated with three First Nations storytellers to bring together a truth-telling series and learning resource for secondary schools.

B Corp, being curious and being connected

Building Connections: The Impact of B Local and B Corp Month in our region

Throughout 2025, the B Local network in Victoria continued to strengthen its ecosystem of purpose-driven organisations and individuals, fostering meaningful connections and collaboration across the region. Having recertified for the second time this year, we’re familiar with the opportunities and challenges that come with B Corp certification and supporting the wider movement of business for good.

Passionate about the role our business can play in this movement and as individual contributors in our careers, Sarah enthusiastically contributes as one of the B Local leaders in our region, volunteering in the business for impact community through connecting B Corps and wanna B’s through a range of interactive workshops and events to relaxed coffee catch-ups. Across the year B Local welcomed hundreds of participants from businesses of all sizes and sectors, deepening a shared commitment to business for good.

Highlights from a Year of Engagement

• B Corp Month featured a variety of panels and events, including the celebrated Veneziano Coffee Roasters panel discussion, designed to spark honest conversation and inspire action in the impact space.
• Coffee catch ups, end of year gatherings
• Activities consistently welcomed team members from across Victoria, including current employees, aspiring B Corps, and those seeking to introduce responsible business principles into their own work.
• Events were often intentionally informal and inclusive, inviting participants to connect naturally, share insights, and build networks free from any commercial pressure.

Community and Lasting Impact

Feedback from attendees has been overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing gratitude for opportunities to re-connect with their purpose at work, discover new collaborations, and find support among like-minded changemakers. Several participants noted that B Local gatherings provided a refreshing sense of community that extended beyond their roles and organisations - and it was also nice to relish some face to face time out in the wild. 

Looking Forward

Based on strong community demand, B Local plans to expand its suite of events throughout Victoria in the coming year, further strengthening the business-for-good movement and creating space for more voices, ideas, and partnerships.

Alongside the volunteers Marnie Hawson, Kate Johnson and Skye Baker, Sarah as a B Local leader for the second year contributed her energy and leadership to the success of this year’s gatherings, helping to ensure an environment where everyone felt welcomed and inspired to engage.