Singlebrook talks with Liz Brenna, Founder and CEO of Socially Good Business, a social enterprise building sustainable and socially good brands through operational programming and digital tools.

Socially Good Business’s Sovvo platform (sovvo.org) is a subscription based, impact-mapping platform used to organize and communicate all aspects of sustainability and social responsibility (SSR) programming. It serves as an internal, company-wide tool to map, educate and track the impact of SSR initiatives.

Singlebrook: How did you come up with the idea for your organization? What was the process for turning your idea into reality?

Liz Brenna: After working at Ben & Jerry's headquarters, where I learned the ingredients a brand needs operationally to become known as a "good" brand, I set out to help other organizations become more sustainable and socially good. Socially Good Business is more of an implementation firm than a consultancy. We strive for long-term partnerships with companies integrating sustainability and social responsibility programs into their brands.

We have done a lot of careful industry research, which helped us with the recent launch of our first digital tool. Sovvo is a platform to help brands organize and communicate sustainability and social responsibility programming. It's a two-pronged tool for sustainability professionals who organize and report programming--whether it’s being used for the B Corp Impact Assessment or a public-facing annual report found on the company’s website. Sovvo is also an educational portal for communications professionals. It allows them to log-in and learn the sustainable or socially good things the company is doing so they can communicate accurately and effectively to differentiate the brand.

SB: How have you used web or mobile technology to help further your mission?

LB: With the launch of Sovvo.org, we’re able to live our mission as a social enterprise and certified B Corp by helping to educate women in underdeveloped areas. For every one year subscription purchased, we're able to put a girl through school for six months.

Companies large and small are deciding to digitize their SSR programming and reporting, and there are a number of reasons to do so:

• Sustainability & Social Responsibility (SSR) programming is homeless. SSR programming currently lives in file drawers, email folders, spreadsheets, different network drives, and peoples’ minds, and it’s managed across many departments.
• Employees are your brand. When there is a lack of internal education, messaging and campaigns are too generic. Consumers are left wondering, “Is this brand authentic?” 
• Tracking, compiling, and assessing information is currently a reactive process that burns valuable time, energy, and resources.

Each company on the Sovvo platform is matched with its own Impact Manager. Setup includes administrator training, Visual Impact Mapping, and a company-wide launch and user training. For more details and to apply for launch partnership, shoot an email to hellosovvo@sociallygoodbusiness.com.

SB: Lastly, what advice do you have for aspiring social entrepreneurs?

LB: Be loyal to your mission, not your business model. It usually takes a few tries to get a model that is financially sustainable with a market that is ready for it. Be willing to pivot and find different pathways for your business that are still aligned to your social and environmental mission.

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