Worcester Business Journal

4 Worcester Business Journal | October 30, 2023 | wbjournal.com F A C T B O O K Source: B Lab Global 2022 Annual Report BY ISABEL TEHAN WBJ Staff Writer W hen David McLaren started his own accounting firm, it was because he felt called to approach the work in a way that did not fit in with places he'd worked previously. He wanted to do things differently. "I have a very different viewpoint. It's 'How do I change the client's life for the better?' It didn't fit in at other firms," said McLaren. McLaren & Associates CPAs, based in Shrewsbury, is a forensic accounting firm specializing in tracking down lost, hidden, and stolen money. e firm is oen brought in by litigants to track money in legal disputes. It's exciting work, said McLaren, but not work without emotion from clients. "We work on getting to truth and facts," said McLaren. "I believe in justice and doing the right thing." at mindset was hard earned for McLaren. He grew up in Worcester in what he called not the best part of town. A series of family hardships, including the illness and death of his young sister, living off welfare and food stamps, and ultimately living in his car as a teenager, gave him a particular perspective on life. "It brought a very different perspective of need versus want. It brought a grit perspective," he said. Instead of hardening him to the difficulties in others' lives, it made McLaren compassionate in all aspects of business operations. "ere's no judgment. You just ask, 'How do you help people who are struggling?'" he said. "You don't leave your personal problems at the door." Part of that commitment to compassionate business practices at McLaren & Associates is manifest in the company's status as a B Corporation. B Corporations are companies certified by B Lab, a global nonprofit network that works with business with a commitment to social and environmental performance, transparency, and through legal commitments to stakeholders, not just shareholders. Some B Corps are large, publicly traded firms, while others are smaller operations. All B Corps are for- profit companies committed to balancing profit with global sustainability. While B Corporations do not get tax breaks like nonprofits, but as a legal requirement of the certification, they do have to change their fiduciary duties, moving from maximizing profits for shareholders to be accountable to all stakeholders, including customers, employees, the community, and the environment. "We're building the B Corp movement to change our economic system, and to do so, we must change the rules of the game," reads the B Corp movement statement. "B Lab mobilizes the B Corp community towards collective action to address society's critical challenges." Since the first 82 companies were B Certified in Doing things DIFFERENTLY to do things BETTER Two local companies on how compassionate business helps steer the ship Growth of total global B Corporations, year-over-year 0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 '08 '10 '12 '14 '16 '18 '20 '22

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