At its core, the B Corp movement is about connection. Shared values. Taking bold steps together, for people, planet, and collective prosperity.
While B Lab Global, and regional networks like B Lab Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand (B Lab AANZ), provide leadership and support, the real energy that powers the movement has always come from the community itself.
Enter B Locals: volunteer-led groups that bring together Certified B Corporations and the broader purpose-led business community in a particular city or region.
From Sydney/Warrane (Gadigal Country) to Melbourne/Naarm (Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country), Perth/Boorloo (Whadjuk Noongar Country), and Northern Rivers (Bundjalung Country), these communities are where the B Corp magic happens: connecting, collaborating, and celebrating business as a force for good.
So, what does it take to build and nurture community? And why are these place-based gatherings needed more than ever? We asked B Local leaders from across Australia to share their top tips.
What are B Locals?
B Locals are a vital and vibrant part of the B Corp ecosystem. They are innately grassroots and action-oriented; an essential way to live the B Corp values beyond your four walls. From Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington to Perth/Boorloo, each B Local reflects the unique rhythm and flavour of its place. With regular opportunities to connect, collaborate, and celebrate business as a force for good → find a B Local near you!
Image: SPELL
1. Start small, and build from there
You don’t need a polished plan or huge event budget to get going. Sometimes a simple and low-stakes catch-up over coffee (B Corp-Certified brews highly encouraged!) can be all it takes to spark something bigger.
Take the B Local Sydney/Warrane for example: a city home to more than 240 Certified B Corporations and one of the largest purpose-driven communities in our region. It’s organised by Natalia Sawran-Smith from B Corp TalentWeb, B Corp Consultant and Associate at B Corp One Stone Advisors, Alexandra Stafferton, and Almira Armstrong, Founder and Creative Director at B Corp LUMIRA. Together, they host bimonthly coffee mornings and regular networking events, as well as activities during flagship moments such as B Corp Month, Climate Action Week Sydney, and SXSW Sydney.
Bringing together what organisers describe as a “passionate mix of people with ideas, energy, and a shared belief in business as a force for good,” their advice for anyone wanting to foster a thriving community is:
Start small and build from there. Impact comes from consistency and care, not scale. Honestly — just do it…you don’t need to have it all figured out.
— Natalia Sawran-Smith, B Local Sydney/Warrane
Image: TalentWeb, One Stone Advisors, Lumira
2. Relationships take you further
Community doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and you can’t build it all alone. Vitality lives in strong and reciprocal relationships and being open to others bringing their unique energy, ideas, and perspective.
From thought-provoking panels to ‘nature and networking’ days in Mt Rothwell, and from fun-filled mini golf nights to practical mending workshops, there’s “always something different on the horizon” at B Local Melbourne/Naarm, shares organiser Skye Baker from B Corp Optimising.
Events create opportunities to spark new connections, and they have even led to others in the community bringing to life new events (so the cycle continues!). The people I’ve met through the B Corp movement have been the most rewarding part of the journey.
— Skye Baker, B Local Melbourne/Naarm
Formalised in 2023, the Melbourne (Naarm) B Local is powered by a rotating team of leaders and volunteers, including Skye, Daniel and James from Optimisng, Kate Johnson from ASB Merchandise and sole-trader Marnie Hawson, who “share the load” and all pitch in together. As Skye explains, the most important thing she’s learned about building community has been the importance of leaning on others:
Be honest about your limitations, and lean on others. You don’t need to do it all alone; the smartest person in the room is the combined power of the group. For me, building strong relationships has been at the heart of everything. That’s where the magic happens!
— Skye Baker, B Local Melbourne/Naarm
Image: Optimising
3. Keep it simple and don’t overcomplicate things
When you’re building community on a voluntary basis, it pays to keep things simple. Over-complicating plans is a fast way to burn out, but achievable, regular activities can create a ripple effect of impact.
That’s the approach embraced by B Local Northern Rivers (Bundjalung Country). Co-led by Angie Menghini from B Corp SPELL, Alex McManus from Cape Byron Distillery, Pru Chapman from The Owners Collective, and James Aris from Lion, the group runs casual monthly coffee catch-ups across the Byron Bay region, as well as a variety of panels and talks with local businesses.
You can tend to get tunnel vision working within your own industry, so it’s great to branch out and cross-pollinate with other industries. It helps keep perspective and ideas fresh.
— Angie Menghini, B Local Northern Rivers (Bundjalung Country)
Like the other B Locals around the region, this B Local is open not just to Certified B Corporations, but to the whole community of values-led businesses and “B Curious” folks who want to make business better for the region, and for the world. So how do you nurture an inclusive community over such a vast geographical region? For Angie, simplicity is the secret:
Keep it simple. As a voluntary role, we have to make sure we are planning projects and events that are achievable to balance with our responsibilities in the businesses in which we work.
— Angie Menghini, B Local Northern Rivers (Bundjalung Country)
Image: Spell
4. Listen, learn, and adapt
Listening to feedback and sharing ownership ensures events stay fresh, relevant, and energising. This is the philosophy that drives the B Local Perth/Boorloo, co-led by Jo Wilson from B Corp Hesperia, Jen McMahon from Modern People, and Michael Watts from ToBe Advisory.
With events running throughout the year, the growing impact community is proof that the demand for purpose-led connection is strong (and getting stronger) in Western Australia.
We’ve hosted hidden bar gatherings that feel like a warm hug after a big day, intimate roundtable nights where people ditch the small talk and dive into real systems change, and collaborative panels like Next Generation Design during Perth Design Week, spotlighting brave voices who are at the forefront of breaking down echo-chambers and outdated systems.
— Jen McMahon, B Local Perth/Boorloo
A space where diverse industries and ideas come together to share, connect, and collaborate, organisers of the B Local Perth/Boorloo are proud to convene an “uplifting and energising” community with shared values, and a commitment to positive social and environmental impact. What’s the key? According to Jo Wilson, it’s about keeping the community’s voice at the centre:
Ask for feedback after each event or catch-up to understand what worked well, what could be improved, and what people want more of. Involve local B Corps by inviting them to host events, which builds shared ownership and brings fresh energy.
— Jo Wilson, B Local Perth/Boorloo
It’s not about having all the answers, but “creating the spaces to ask better questions, to challenge old systems, and to build momentum in community,” adds Jen.
Image: Modern People
5. Focus on participation, not perfection
Ask any B Local leader, and they will likely tell you that cultivating a community isn’t about flawless execution. Instead, it’s about creating spaces where people feel welcome to “show up as they are, and share the great, good and ugly,” describes co-organiser of the B Local Perth/Boorloo, Jen McMahon.
The best B Local events aren’t the ones with the biggest speakers, they’re the ones where someone leaves saying: ‘That conversation changed how I see things’.
— Jen McMahon, B Local Perth/Boorloo
Indeed, what all B Local leaders have in common is a willingness to step up, not for the spotlight, but to create a centre of gravity for their community. As Jen puts it: “We could see the potential, so much purpose, so many brilliant humans, but we needed a centre of gravity. Stepping up felt natural (not to take the spotlight), but to hold space and invite in, to build community with open doors and open hearts.”
That spirit of showing up resonates across B Locals, with organisers of the B Local Sydney/Warrane:
We stepped up to become B Local Leaders because we believe in the B Corp movement. We recognise that to shift the system, we need to do it together, as a whole. We are extremely proud that our events, however big or small, bring together some of the most passionate, kind, and smart people — all doing incredible things through their businesses, for their communities, and for the planet.
— Natalia, Alex, and Almira, B Local Sydney/Warrane
Image: Herperia
Emerging hubs and regional networks
Beyond the four (soon-to-be five with Adelaide/Tarndanya) established B Locals in Australia, and three in Aotearoa New Zealand, we’re also seeing emerging hubs of energy and interest pop up across the region — from Canberra (Ngambri, Ngunnawal Country) to Hobart/nipaluna (Muwinina Country) and Torquay (Wadawurrung Country).
In these places, B Corps and purpose-led leaders are starting to gather, host catch-ups, and test the waters of what a more formal community could look like in their region.
These emerging hubs are the first sparks of something bigger — proof that wherever there are values-aligned businesses, there’s potential to create connection, collaboration, and momentum. After all, many of today’s thriving B Locals started much this way: a handful of people meeting over coffee, choosing to keep showing up, and watching the community grow around them.
“I think a lot of people (myself included) feel a bit of imposter syndrome when they step into the community. Our role is about growth and connection, not perfection, or having all the answers. We’re all learning and improving together.”
— Skye, B Local Melbourne/Naarm
How to get involved
Whether you’re in the Harbour City, across the Nullarbor, in a regional town, or somewhere an emerging hub is just taking shape — now’s the time to find your people and power up your purpose. Come along to a local meetup, introduce yourself to the organisers, or even put your hand up to help organise an event. And if there’s no B Local in your area? Take a leaf out of the leaders’ playbook and start one. All it takes is a few like-minded folks (and good beverages) to spark something bigger.
Tipping our hats to the B Local leaders
Building on the hard work of those who have come before, none of this would be possible without the passion, generosity, and energy of our B Local leaders, including: Natalia, Alex S Almira, Skye, Jo, Jen, Michael, Angie, Alex M, Pru, James A, Kate, Sarah, Marnie, Daniel, James R, Brooke, and Lee.
Thank you for showing us what it looks like to lead with purpose, build community, and keep the spirit of the B Corp movement alive and thriving across Australia.
