In 2013, Hub Australia became one of the first certified B Corporations in Australia – and the very first coworking space provider to achieve certification.
Eleven years later, we’re still going strong in the movement. As we prepare for our fourth B Corp recertification this year, we reflect on our commitment and efforts to create a positive impact on people and the planet.
Empowered to achieve more
In the decade since Hub Australia first became a Certified B Corp in 2013, we’ve grown in so many ways as a business.
The things we’ve achieved include:
- Expanding to 15 locations across Australia
- Venturing out into city-fringe and suburban areas
- Becoming the first Carbon Neutral Certified coworking space
- Becoming certified as a Great Place to Work since 2019
- Growing our team to almost 140 employees
- Offering close to 300 complimentary memberships to impact-driven businesses via our Flexi Impact program
- Achieving the first stage of our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)
Through all these growth and achievements, our commitment to impact remains the same – if not stronger.
Since B Corp certification – and recertification – is a rigorous process with high standards, securing and maintaining this accreditation has been a key contributor to Hub’s guiding principles.
“We’ve always believed that being in business is about more than profit,” says Brad Krauskopf, founder and CEO of Hub Australia. “As it turns out, taking care of our team, community and environment is great for our customers and business too.
“We’ve always been big on steering clear of greenwashing. B Corp provides us with third party audit and guidance on where we are doing great, and where we need to improve.
“Plus,” he adds, “in the business of running a business, it can be easy to push ESG down the to-do list. B Corp holds us to account and makes sure this does not happen.”
Three impact initiatives we’re proud of
1. Supporting purpose-driven businesses and organisations
One of our longest running impact initiatives is our Flexi Impact program – something that Brad, as an entrepreneur and business owner himself, personally champions.
“Through this program, we award 1% of our memberships each year to B Corp, not-for-profit, or indigenous-led organisations,” he says. “This year alone, we have provided membership for 87 businesses.”
2. Creating a positive impact on the environment
Sustainability is an area where the nature of our business allows us to ‘move the needle’ through our initiatives – and Brad is especially proud of Hub Australia being the first certified Carbon Neutral flexible workspace operator in Australia, and perhaps the world.
“Workspaces and getting to work have a big impact on the environment,” he elaborates. “Our certified Carbon Neutral status for our organisation and for all our products – such as our members’ offices – is a great example of the culmination of some of these efforts we have implemented as part of our B Corp initiatives.”
3. Prioritising the people at Hub
Our people are the heartbeat of Hub. With the team’s wellbeing always at the top of our mind, we’ve put in more mechanisms to measure employee satisfaction and facilitate feedback, as well as platforms that enable us to act on that feedback. We also ensure that we’re always providing the top standard level of training, health and safety, compensation and benefits, and flexible work arrangements.
Our certification as a Great Place to Work for the past five years has also greatly contributed to us being recognised as an employer of choice in Australia.
Goals that propel us forward
The three initiatives above are just a handful of our impact and sustainability commitments. We celebrate what we’ve achieved – but it’s clear that there’s always more to be done.
To keep us on track, we’ve launched our three-year ESG strategy with targets and goals to achieve across the business.
Some of them include:
- Going beyond net zero by taking proactive action on emissions reduction.
- Ensuring our supply chain is free from harmful social and environmental practices.
- Increasing focus on our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) efforts, to be an employer of choice for individuals across all diversity characteristics.
- Continuing our support of impact-driven businesses through our Flexi Impact program as our business grows.
- Proactively reporting on our ESG performance and impact.
Our guiding principle through it all? To remain steadfast in our corporate value to go beyond profit – and our commitment to B Corp.
“Being part of anything for over 10 years is a big thing these days, and it’s been amazing to see the B Corp community grow,” Brad says. “I especially love it when customers of ours also become B Corps, or choose Hub in part due to our B Corp and other ESG initiatives.
“Above all else, the importance of B Corp is for our team. It helps us attract and retain the right talent, adds to our culture, and generally makes us part of something bigger.”
Wondering what B Corp is all about – and how your company can become certified? Read our previous blog article to discover all you need to know about B Corp.
