For a business to earn B Corp certification, it must prove that it operates to the highest standards of transparency, accountability, and social and environmental performance. We're proud to say Zen Educate has done exactly that.

Receiving this certification is one of the proudest moments in Zen Educate's history. We believe it's meaningful not just for us, but for every school and educator we work with. In this post, we’ll explain what earning it involved and why we think it matters.

B Corp Certification: What it is and what it takes

B Corp certification is awarded by B Lab, a global nonprofit launched in 2006 to evaluate companies on their social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. It exists to close the gap between what businesses claim and what they actually do.

Earning our certification was a 12-month process. We completed the B Impact Assessment, a comprehensive evaluation covering five key areas: governance, workers, community, environment, and customers. We had to achieve a verified score of 80 or above out of 200, pass an independent review by B Lab, and demonstrate an ongoing legal commitment to consider the interests of all stakeholders, not just shareholders.

B Lab scrutinized each and every claim we made. One of the most demanding aspects was proving the real-world impact of our work. Claiming that we save schools money wasn't enough. We had to demonstrate it end to end, with industry data, school surveys, and evidence that those savings genuinely benefit children in the classroom.

Here are just some of the things that helped us meet B Lab's standard across each of the five areas:

Governance
We made a legal commitment in our founding documents to prioritize the communities, schools, and children we serve, not just our bottom line.

Workers
More than 85% of our staff, including our educators, are paid above a living wage as verified by independent third-party audits.

Community
We hire locally, in the areas where schools are and where the need is greatest.

Environment
Our commitment to operating sustainably and minimizing our environmental impact.

Customers
More than 35% of the schools we work with are high-need schools serving children from the most disadvantaged communities.

We're proud to be one of the very few businesses worldwide to have earned this certification. It's a reflection of the values that have guided Zen Educate from day one, and proof that a business can do right by its people and still deliver exceptional results.

What This Means for Schools and Educators

For school partners, B Corp certification is third-party proof that we can be trusted to deliver on what matters most: ensuring every classroom is staffed with exceptional, thoroughly vetted educators so that every student receives the inspiring education they deserve, at a cost that works with your budget. It's the kind of assurance that goes beyond what you may have come to expect from traditional school staffing agencies.

For educators, this certification verifies that we take our responsibility to you seriously. From the moment you join Zen Educate, through recruitment, training, and placement, we are independently verified to support you with the fairness, transparency, and care that the vital work you do deserves. We know that great educators are the foundation of great education, and this certification represents our commitment to always show up for you the way you show up for your students.

Why This Matters for Zen Educate

At Zen Educate, our mission is to empower schools and teachers to give every child an inspiring education. That mission has always shaped how we operate, but B Corp certification means it has now been independently verified.

This certification is our way of showing the world that doing right by schools and educators doesn't have to come at a cost. A school staffing solution can be fair, transparent, and accountable while still delivering exceptional results. And we have the numbers to prove it:

• $20M+ saved for school partners

• 1,000,000+ hours of classroom instruction delivered by 5,000+ Zen educators

• 94% average fill rate across more than 1,000 school partners nationwide

What Comes Next

B Corp certification is not a one-time accolade. To maintain it, companies must be re-evaluated every three years and demonstrate continuous improvement across all areas of the assessment.

We have every intention of meeting that standard. Our commitment to B Lab's rigorous criteria isn't something we'll set and forget. It's a responsibility we take seriously and one that will continue to shape how we operate as a business as we raise the bar for what an education staffing partner should be: fairer, more transparent, and more accountable than the industry has historically delivered.

We're proud of what we've built. And we're even more excited about what comes next.