Switchfoot spent a fascinating couple of days at ‘Louder than Words’, the biggest B Corp Festival in the world. We’ve compiled a few reflections…
Our Sold Out Session For Regulated Professionals
We hosted an event for fellow regulated professionals (solicitors, accountants, financial advisers, investment professionals and tax advisers) entitled ‘Rethinking Professional Practice for the Anthropocene’. The session was based on our ongoing collaboration with The University of Surrey Centre for Environment and Sustainability where we are exploring the advice models used by professional practice and considering if they are suitable for the future.
We proved:
- 40 minutes is far too short a time to have these discussions
- There is an appetite to have these conversations – our event was sold out
- There is already a community of forward-thinking professional advisers that see the holes in the current system and are working (often unsupported) towards new models
- That holding space for these conversations to happen can accelerate the progress together
We will be continuing to work with the Surrey Sustainable Professionals Group and the University of Surrey and we are currently drafting a white paper with our conclusions and recommendations for the professions to consider.
Finance System’s Role In Economy Transition
Seb was also invited to join a panel on the role finance can play in supporting the whole economy transition – speaking alongside Amy Clarke (from Tribe Impact Capital & B Labs board member) Amy Robinson (from Triodos Bank) Lucy Ronan (From Octopus) and Charlie Bronks (from Crown Agents Bank) expertly hosted by George Roffey (co-chair of the B Corp Finance and Investment Circle). We all hail from different parts of the financial system but we share a common purpose and we are all working towards system change in finance.
B Corp Anniversary And Future Vision
Next year will be the 10th anniversary of the B Corp movement in the UK. There are now over 2300 Certified B Corporations in the UK, with a collective turnover of £29Bn+ annually and 120,000+ employees working within certified B Corporations. The organisation set out their vision for the next 10 years to make purposeful business the default and the Better Business Act being central to this campaign.
System Change In Focus
The language and practice of system change was noticeable at this year’s festival. Amy Clarke and Anuradha Chugh delivered (in my opinion) the best panel of the main stage explaining how we need to hack the source code of the financial system to deliver an economy in service to people and planet (rather than the other way around)
Want To Get Involved?
If you missed out on the big one in Oxford then fear not, B Local Surrey is arranging our next big event to be hosted at Denbies Vinyard on 6th December 2024, headline speakers include Anuradha Chugh (former MD at Ben & Jerry’s Europe and former CEO of Pukka) and Douglas Lamont (CEO of Tony’s Chocoloney.) Tickets will be available soon and the modest price will include a full breakfast and networking before the event kicks off with the main agenda. Get Tickets Here
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Seb Elwell
Founder, Switchfoot Wealth
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