BLD Southeast Comes To Atlanta
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
BLD Southeast is coming to Atlanta, and we here at Ad Victoriam Solutions (AdVic®) couldn’t be more excited to join the party! As a certified B Corp since 2018 and one that is headquartered in the Atlanta Metro Region, we can’t wait for this conference to kick off on September 11. Here are the top four things we’re most looking forward to in Atlanta!
It’s In Our Backyard
First, it’s important to note that BLD stands for B Corp Leadership Development, and they are independent regional conferences hosted by communities of B Corp leaders around the country. While there is a larger biannual conference (Champions Retreat) for the entire U.S. and Canada region, BLDs are designed to have more of a regional focus and be more accessible to everyone.
When we started in this community, one of our first events was the 2019 BLD Mountain West in Denver. And while the event was great, it was focused on that region, not the southeast where we are headquartered. There hasn’t been a whole lot of focus on anything southeastern. But starting in 2020 with a virtual BLD Southeast (remember when everything went virtual), a determined group of volunteers has created an event that speaks our language, features our businesses, and allows us to build valuable business relationships with one another.
After last year’s first-ever in-person event in Raleigh, this year we’ll be in our backyard, a short drive down GA400 to Midtown Atlanta. Home field advantage, local food and drinks, familiar venues, and a party with a Georgia flair–we can’t wait!
Content That Resonates: The Business Side of B Corp
One of our favorite parts of last year’s BLD Southeast was the business-focused content that brought us together around the thing we have in common, we’re all for-profit companies focused on using business as a force for good. But to do good, to scale our collective impact, and to grow the number of good jobs in our communities, we have to build successful businesses.
In addition to getting all of these wonderful companies and people in the same room again this year, the content is once again focused on things we can bring back to the office. Track One is focused on sales, marketing, and operations, and it includes panels and workshops on business development, impact storytelling, and operational goal setting. Track Two’s concentration is on sustainable business, including people, culture, and the planet, with panels and workshops tackling topics like the sustainable tech stack, leading evolving organizations, and workforce development programs.
From the intentional networking to the carefully curated content, we’re excited to not only meet so many amazing leaders but also to learn from them. And the BLD Southeast conference is a great opportunity to do just that.
Highlighting What Works in Atlanta
Atlanta is a special place. But it’s also now the sixth biggest metropolitan area in the country and the largest in the southeast. The economy is the 11th largest in the country, home to 16 Fortune 500 companies, the world’s busiest airport, and a booming tech and startup scene, especially in Fin-Tech and Green-Tech.
While there is still a tremendous amount of work to be done, Atlanta has been incredibly intentional about building an economy that works for everyone. With an increased focus on access to capital and investment, the Atlanta metro now boasts the highest percentage of Black-owned businesses in the United States, topping both Washington, D.C., and Virginia Beach, VA.
Day One of this year’s conference will focus heavily on Atlanta, with excursions to Morehouse and RICE, and an afternoon of programming in historic Castleberry Hill at Atlantucky Brewing. In addition to panel discussions covering music & culture, and the inclusive business community in the city, there will also be a sustainable fashion show featuring another Atlanta B Corp, Sustainable Fashion Week Atlanta!
A Full-Circle Moment
We embarked on our B Corp journey back in 2016 when AdVic was in the middle of its second year in business. We partnered with the University of Georgia’s Full-Time MBA program and ended up hiring one of their students. That student, Nathan Stuck, is now the Executive Director of BLD Southeast, the founder of Profitable Purpose Consulting, and a driving force behind the growth of the community in our state and region. That project with AdVic ended up being the pilot for what is now a Fall semester class at UGA, and their students (under the guidance of Mr. Stuck) have helped seven of Georgia’s B Corps certify.
When we initially certified in 2018, there were only eight B Corps in the state. When B Local Georgia launched, we signed up to be one of the founding members and sponsored many of their earliest events to help them get off the ground. Six years later, the Georgia B Corp community has grown by 400%, boasting 33 B Corps with more on the way.
With Atlanta hosting the regional conference this year, we’re in awe of how far we’ve come and feel a full-circle pride in the role we’ve been fortunate enough to play in building a community of businesses that care about both profit and purpose and that are using their companies as a force for good in their local communities.
If you’re interested in joining us at this year’s conference, tickets are still available on their website.
Lastly, if you are interested in learning more about AdVic’s commitment to being a B Corporation, click here.
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