In this edition’s Staff Spotlight, we’re thrilled to feature Sarah Payne, our Senior Director of Impact & Operations at the UnTours Foundation. Beyond her work with us, Sarah is also the Certification Co-Chair at B Local San Diego, where she plays a key role in strengthening the B Corp community. We sat down with Sarah for a Q&A to dive into what fuels her passion for B Corps, mission-driven business, and creating lasting impact.
Q: What initially drew you to the B Corp movement?
A: I learned about the B Corp movement during the first semester of my MBA program back in 2016 when I was taking a course about social entrepreneurship. I had been skeptical about the idea of businesses making the world better until I learned about social enterprises, businesses that exist to solve social, economic, and environmental problems through market models. I was even more impressed by Certified B Corporations, who must go through an intense verification process and legal change in order to attain B Corp Certification. The high legal, impact performance, transparency, and accountability standards for B Corps mean that businesses can’t fake their way into certification, and consumers, employees, and investors can trust that these companies are genuine in their commitments.
Q: What are some of the most meaningful ways B Corps can strengthen local economies?
A: There are a variety of ways B Corps can positively impact local economies. One of the clearest ways is providing high quality jobs, particularly for individuals who face barriers to getting employment. Another way that isn’t thought about as often is by sourcing with intention. By purchasing locally from suppliers who also have positive impact, B Corps support other businesses to grow and keep dollars in local economies. Another example of strengthening local economics is banking locally and with intention.
Q: How are B Corps creating jobs and wealth in underserved communities?
A: There are a number of B Corps who provide high quality jobs in local communities, specifically for individuals who face barriers to employment. Two examples that come to mind (who are also investees of ours!) are Yellow Leaf Hammocks and Peaceful Fruits. Yellow Leaf Hammocks is a B Corp that provides sustainable job creation and training so that the women weaving their hammocks can break the cycle of poverty for themselves and their families. Each Yellow Leaf hammock is handwoven by the expert craftswomen of the Mlabri Tribe (“the people of the yellow leaves”) in Northern Thailand. Across three weaving communities, Yellow Leaf is creating jobs for mothers and building a foundation for positive community transformation. The second example I’ll share is Peaceful Fruits, a B Corp that sources sustainable fruit from communities in the Amazon and employs individuals with development disabilities to make healthy fruit snacks whose only ingredient is fruit! These are just two examples from our portfolio, but there are many more companies beyond these that are too numerous to mention. I will however specifically call out Greyston Bakery based in Yonkers, NY because it has an incredible open hiring policy in which the company hires for entry-level bakery positions without judgment of a person’s past, which means no resumes and no interviews—positions are simply hired first-come first-serve. Greyston then provides training, social services support and more, so that their employees can grow personally and build a better life for themselves and their families. Greyston has made a huge impact in its local community by offering these jobs.
Q: Can you share a memorable B Corp story?
A: Last year I was really honored to co-present the Hal Taussig Award to Carolina Miranda of Cultivating Capital, a leading B Corp owner. At each Champions Retreat (the gathering for B Corps in the US and Canada), B Lab selects an individual who most embodies the spirit of the B Corp movement to receive the Hal Taussig Award. This is the highest honor in the B Corp community, named after UnTours’ founder Hal Taussig, and I was able to also speak with Jay Coen Gilbert (one of B Lab’s co-founders) prior to the award presentation to hear firsthand what Hal meant to him. It was such a truly special time and I was so grateful to be able to represent UnTours and the UnTours Foundation in this way. We’ve truly been a leader in this movement!
Q: What does it mean to you that UnTours Foundation owns the world’s first B Corp?
A: I feel incredibly proud to work at the foundation that owns the world’s first B Corp. The story of UnTours is truly impressive to me, and to follow in Hal’s footsteps is incredibly humbling. Hal inspired the B Corp movement by living an authentic, purposeful life informed by his values. I love hearing stories about Hal and his offbeat way of doing business.
Fun Facts about Sarah:
Best way to spend a day off: Outside! Surfing, reading on the beach, going for a run, or hiking.
Favorite junk food: it’s not junk food because I try to avoid those, but my favorite snack is an acai bowl!
Coffee or tea: Both! Depends on the time of day
Favorite quote: “You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” (Eleanor Roosevelt)
