Smallhold Mushrooms
The Need
As a quickly growing startup, Smallhold Mushrooms was in search of a certification that would both 1) solidify their values into practice before they had scaled and 2) signal sustainable leadership to current and future investors. B Corp Certification addressed both of those needs for Smallhold, which is why they enlisted Measure Meant and HPC for support.
The Work
We analyzed many of the B Impact Assessment’s Impact Business Models (IBM) with Smallhold, looking for creative ways to represent their impactful business practices. Smallhold had quantified aspects of their environmental impact, including how the GHG emissions and water use of their product compares to alternatives like meat or pea protein. Even with all this great data, it turned out that the simplest way to capture points in the Environment section was through Smallhold’s very high percentage of Certified Organic products. The rest of the project followed this pattern, where Smallhold focused on increasing their impact, and we helped translate, formalize, and focus their practices for certification.
The Impact
Smallhold achieved B Corp Certification with relative ease, scoring highly in the environment section, with a strong Worker foundation. With new tools at their fingertips through our work together, and the B Corp framework for inspiration and guidance, it is only the beginning for Smallhold’s impact. Smallhold is already embarking on projects to discover the highest and best use for their leftover materials, including their highest output: mushroom substrate, continuing to explore renewable energy increases, and developing new carbon friendly products.
Update
Smallhold has since filed for bankruptcy. We enjoyed working with the people at Smallhold and hope that the projects we embarked on together will ripple out to their new positions
