ZenBusiness is a Public Benefit Corporation
We’re concerned with a lot more than just profits. As a public benefit corporation (PBC), we are committed to helping all business owners by giving back to those that are underserved or most in need.
Public benefits
ZenBusiness is a public benefit corporation, which means we didn’t form our company just to make a profit. We’re committed to operating responsibly and sustainably, while doing good work that benefits our communities.
Public benefit is in everything we do. It’s how we treat each other and our customers, and how we make the world a better place. While the official benefit we provide is “to promote entrepreneurship by providing accessible products and responsive support,” we don’t stop there. See the different ways we show our commitment to the public good.
Our mission is to pay it
forward and support a more equitable world
Since 2020, we have awarded over $300,000 in grants to small businesses through our grant program. We also donate to organizations that are working to end systemic inequality and support entrepreneurship.
We contribute to underserved communities through our work with Kiva. Kiva’s mission is to expand financial access for potential business owners who can’t access other fair or affordable credit.
We are proud supporters of Synergies Work, the only incubator/accelerator in the U.S. that help people with disabilities create sustainable businesses. They offer programs such as Ideas to Incubation (i2i), mentoring, workshops, and an ongoing structure to support entrepreneurs with disabilities.
We’re committed to
promoting equality
We are intentional that our partnerships have a mission and values that align with our own.
We support Inmates to Entrepreneurs which helps people judicially involved, start their own business and overcome systemic discrimination. Founded by Brian Hamilton, it is the longest-running program of its kind. They provide free programming & mentorship and to date, more than 100,000 individuals have utilized the program’s courses and 20-30% have started their own companies.
We’ve partnered with DivInc, a nonprofit whose mission is to bridge the gap between underrepresented entrepreneurs and the resources they need to build profitable, high-growth companies. They offer accelerator programs such as: Women in Tech, Clean Energy, Sports Tech, Social Justice Tech, and Web3. DivInc alumni companies have generated over $4.8 million in revenue, helped create over 422 jobs, and have raised over $14.7 million in investments.
Part of our mission is to support potential entrepreneurs through education. One program we support is Lemonade Day, which gives the next gen of entrepreneurs fun, hands-on experience starting their own business that they may not get anywhere else. Kids learn tons of skills by operating their own lemonade stand.
We partner with the Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce (GAACC), to support entrepreneurs through workshops and educational opportunities. GAACC is the leading partner for driving local economic growth for businesses with ties to Asia and Asian Americans.
We support volunteering within our communities
We are committed to making our community and our world a better place. One way we do this is by providing our full time employees with paid time off to volunteer within their communities either in person or virtually.
Ultimately, all of our actions as a public benefit corporation are an extension of the ZenBusiness mission to help any and all people fulfill their dreams of starting their own businesses and make the world a better place in the process.
PBC FAQs
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A nonprofit corporation must put all its profits into helping a charitable purpose and running the organization. It has no shareholders, and so no shareholders profit from the corporation. A public benefit corporation does have shareholders and the ability to make profits for them, but it must also make part of its mission to serve the public good in some way.
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A public benefit corporation is a designation recognized by some states for corporations that have a mission to benefit the public good in addition to making a profit. A B corp is similar, but it must be approved with a certification from a nonprofit called B Lab. According to the B Lab website, “B Corp Certification is a designation that a business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials.”
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A public benefit corporation is able to make profits like a for-profit corporation, but the difference is that part of its mission must be to also serve the public good in some way.
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A public benefit corporation is a for-profit corporation that is dedicated to performing some form of public good in addition to making profits. Public benefit corporations qualify at the state level.
