B Lab EU: Tell us briefly who you are and what your company does?
Organic Basics: My name is Christoffer Immanuel, i’m one of three founders of Organic Basics, which also consists of Co-CEO Mads Fibiger and CTO Alexander Christiansen. I’m an environmentalist and the Co-CEO of Organic Basics. Organic Basics is a clothing company that works with sustainability as its core motivation. We’re doing that by creating innovative, sustainable products and building a community that celebrates and supports environmental activism and healthy living.
B Lab EU: Why did you decide to become a B Corp?
Organic Basics: For me, seeing myself more as an environmentalist than a business man I had a hard time relating to the traditional startup dreams of becoming a unicorn or a Fortune 500 company. In some ways it seemed very one dimensional to only have dreams and ambitions in one metric, financial size. So, when i discovered the B Corp certification, it felt very obvious that Organic Basics should be a part of it. I love that its a process and a tool to be a B Corp, which is also what i love about our focus on sustainability, the constant innovation to become a better company in various complex dimensions.
B Lab EU: What will being a B Corp mean to you?
Organic Basics: Since we are not yet a B-corp (but in the process of becoming one) I look forward to finding out! We are excited to become part of the B Corp community and really start working with the B Corp tool to improve our business.
B Lab EU: Do you think there will be business benefits of being a B Corp?
Organic Basics: I think every business would benefit from becoming a B Corp. As a startup our organisation is growing quickly and to have a tool like B Corp to help create a better overview of how we are building a strong company will be a big asset. And to the more commercial part of the question - if certification will help us in our business - i definitely think it will. We will try to promote the B Corp movement as much as possible in our local and international communities.
B Lab EU: What are you looking forward to most about the 2019 Summit?
Organic Basics: I’m very excited to hear Rick Ridgeway from Patagonia speak. I heard him speak at Copenhagen Fashion summit some years ago which was a truly inspirational experience. We recently did an event collaboration with Patagonia showing their amazing documentary Artifishal in the Organic Basics office. I hope to get a chance to speak to Rick about how that movie happened and how Patagonia was a part of the creation. I’m looking forward to connect with fellow B Corp nerds and learn about their experiences with building a strong B Corp company.
B Lab EU: What are your plans for the future to use your business as a force for good?
Organic Basics: With Organic Basics we want to create a sustainable alternative to the dirty fashion industry. We want to provide customers with a more environmental choice for their everyday essentials. Other than the humble ambition of changing an industry (!), we have a sustainability roadmap for all the cool initiatives that are about to happen at Organic Basics. We just became climate positive, which means that for every Organic Basics product you buy, it will actually drive a positive carbon footprint. Also I’m very excited for Organic Basics becoming a '1% for the planet' company, and about launching our Impact Index, measuring each product's exact impact, making it easier for our customers to make the right choice.
B Lab EU: Thank you and look forward to seeing you at the Summit!
Organic Basics: My name is Christoffer Immanuel, i’m one of three founders of Organic Basics, which also consists of Co-CEO Mads Fibiger and CTO Alexander Christiansen. I’m an environmentalist and the Co-CEO of Organic Basics. Organic Basics is a clothing company that works with sustainability as its core motivation. We’re doing that by creating innovative, sustainable products and building a community that celebrates and supports environmental activism and healthy living.
B Lab EU: Why did you decide to become a B Corp?
Organic Basics: For me, seeing myself more as an environmentalist than a business man I had a hard time relating to the traditional startup dreams of becoming a unicorn or a Fortune 500 company. In some ways it seemed very one dimensional to only have dreams and ambitions in one metric, financial size. So, when i discovered the B Corp certification, it felt very obvious that Organic Basics should be a part of it. I love that its a process and a tool to be a B Corp, which is also what i love about our focus on sustainability, the constant innovation to become a better company in various complex dimensions.
B Lab EU: What will being a B Corp mean to you?
Organic Basics: Since we are not yet a B-corp (but in the process of becoming one) I look forward to finding out! We are excited to become part of the B Corp community and really start working with the B Corp tool to improve our business.
B Lab EU: Do you think there will be business benefits of being a B Corp?
Organic Basics: I think every business would benefit from becoming a B Corp. As a startup our organisation is growing quickly and to have a tool like B Corp to help create a better overview of how we are building a strong company will be a big asset. And to the more commercial part of the question - if certification will help us in our business - i definitely think it will. We will try to promote the B Corp movement as much as possible in our local and international communities.
B Lab EU: What are you looking forward to most about the 2019 Summit?
Organic Basics: I’m very excited to hear Rick Ridgeway from Patagonia speak. I heard him speak at Copenhagen Fashion summit some years ago which was a truly inspirational experience. We recently did an event collaboration with Patagonia showing their amazing documentary Artifishal in the Organic Basics office. I hope to get a chance to speak to Rick about how that movie happened and how Patagonia was a part of the creation. I’m looking forward to connect with fellow B Corp nerds and learn about their experiences with building a strong B Corp company.
B Lab EU: What are your plans for the future to use your business as a force for good?
Organic Basics: With Organic Basics we want to create a sustainable alternative to the dirty fashion industry. We want to provide customers with a more environmental choice for their everyday essentials. Other than the humble ambition of changing an industry (!), we have a sustainability roadmap for all the cool initiatives that are about to happen at Organic Basics. We just became climate positive, which means that for every Organic Basics product you buy, it will actually drive a positive carbon footprint. Also I’m very excited for Organic Basics becoming a '1% for the planet' company, and about launching our Impact Index, measuring each product's exact impact, making it easier for our customers to make the right choice.
B Lab EU: Thank you and look forward to seeing you at the Summit!