via American Entrepreneurship Today

Singlebrook, an Ithaca, New York company that builds and maintains custom software using open-source technology, was founded in 2006 by Elisa Miller-Out to do more than just deliver high quality services. Entrepreneur Miller-Out set up Singlebrook as a Benefit Corp, a fairly recent “new corporate form” available to for-profits in twenty seven states. Benefit Corps have a “new freedom to make decisions that are in the best interests of society as well as their bottom line” as detailed on the B Lab web site, BCorporation.net.

“We went through a rigorous process to get B Corp certified. It included audits of our policies, employees, social and environmental impact, and so on,” said Miller-Out. “The values of B Corps resonated with our company, and we wanted to make it part of our corporate DNA.”

The process of becoming certified isn’t easy, but it sets Singlebrook apart from other companies in a big way. While other companies can only claim to be “green” or “socially conscious”, Singlebrook can now prove it.

Miller-Out believes they are one of the first companies in New York to become a Benefit Corp. Not all Benefit Corps are certified, only those that go through the certification process with B Lab. By doing so, certified B Corps “have access to a portfolio of services and support from B Lab that (other) Benefit Corporations do not.”

“Becoming a B Corp has allowed us to do more for our employees, clients, and also helped us become a part of the incredible B Corp community,” states Miller-out.

But for Miller-Out, simply being certified isn’t enough. In addition, the company’s employees regularly volunteer in the Ithaca community in a variety of ways. They do physical volunteering, such as working at soup kitchens, but they also do technical volunteering, in which they bring their technological and programming skills to the community. They also work on collaborative community projects to make a long-term difference. It’s all part of their mission as a B Corp.

Singlebrook’s mantra, “Code With Love,” describes their passion for supporting their local community and working with socially-missioned clients such as the Sierra Club, Cornell University, and the Environmental Defense Fund.

Right now, Singlebrook is currently preparing for its latest volunteering event, the Holiday Hackathon. This event will bring the community together in a collaborative brainstorm to think of innovative technology solutions to community challenges. The company’s website states “We're hoping that folks will get into the holiday mood and come up with tech projects that support and engage the community and causes that are meaningful to each of us.”

Miller-Out hopes that this event is able to pull various community groups together to foster potential collaborations. Similarly driven, Miller-Out founded the Ithaca Tech Meetup, a monthly event during which entrepreneurs come together to pitch startup ideas to receive important peer feedback. This is part of a rising movement to make Ithaca a tech hub that includes the recent opening of the Rev business incubator in downtown Ithaca. The incubator is supported by the city’s three higher education institutions: Cornell University, Ithaca College, and Tompkins Cortland Community College.

“I was born in Ithaca but went to school in New York, so it’s nice to return to the community and work together to create solutions,” said Miller-Out. “We’re the pioneers of B Corps, and it’s been very rewarding and fulfilling,”

To find out more about Singlebrook’s mission or the Holiday Hackathon, visit www.singlebrook.com