The UNH Changemaker Collaborative’s B Impact Clinic launched in spring 2019 as a program that connects teams of undergraduate students from all majors and disciplines to serve as consultants for regional companies that are working to complete their B Impact Assessment (BIA). The BIA is a rigorous assessment tool created by the nonprofit organization, B Lab Global, and is used to assess a company’s impact on the environment, economy, and society and is the first step to B Corp certification. Students help company leaders who want to address and improve their social and environmental impact by guiding them through the BIA, breaking down their goals, and making relevant recommendations focused around the company’s future impact.
Katie Rascoe ’22, Business Administration, Marketing and Sustainability dual major, has been extensively involved in experiential sustainability programs at UNH, especially through the B Impact Clinic. Katie has worked with Timberland through the UNH Sustainability Fellowship, and with Aday, Dirigo Collective, Luke’s Lobster, and Dean’s Beans through the B Impact Clinic. She is passionate about improving sustainability in the business world by guiding companies in creating more responsible products and supporting stronger communities. All of her experiences have been meaningful and educational, but her most transformative collaborations were with Aday and Dirigo Collective. Her work with Aday, a NYC-based clothing company, was especially memorable because it was Katie’s first time participating in the Clinic. Additionally, Katie helped them market their sustainable mission statement “Do more with less,” during a social media internship that followed their work together in the Clinic. She also really enjoyed working with Dirigo Collective, a Maine-based media planning company, because “they were super energetic, optimistic and excited to improve their positive impact and their BIA submission score,” which Katie’s team helped raise by over 40 points!
Katie has recently been promoted as the Clinic’s Program Assistant for the spring semester. With this new position she helps run the interview process, serves as a key contact for peer mentors and clients, and presents self-designed training workshops for new student consultants. She engages in weekly meetings with the peer and faculty mentors to address challenges faced by student teams and clients; together they work to find unique sustainable solutions.
Katie advises students from all majors to participate in the program because the Clinic attracts companies from every industry including media, hospitality, social work, engineering, and more. Katie emphasizes, “Not only can students make really great connections with the clients they work with, but you can also learn a lot about different fields and skills.” Students gain valuable experience in business practices such as facilitating meetings, working with excel spreadsheets, and collaborating with an interdisciplinary team.
Katie pairs her real-world corporate experience with a rigorous dedication to her academic interests. She has been a Teacher’s Assistant for the Sustainability Dual Major introductory courses as well as the Business Ethics course. She is also the Co-President of Net Impact, the UNH undergraduate chapter of national nonprofit organization Net Impact, which supports next generation leaders in using their business skills and careers to make a positive impact on the world. Net Impact was recognized as the Student Organization of the Year at the 2022 UNH Sustainability Awards.
After graduation, Katie plans to start her own firm mirroring the work she’s completed through the B Impact Clinic. In collaboration with two former peer mentors, Jill Durkin and Gabrielle Sott, Katie has entered her start-up, Gen Impact Partners (GIP), in UNH’s Social Venture Innovation Challenge and Holloway Business competitions. Taking a hands-on approach, Katie and the GIP team plan to seek out small- to mid-size companies looking to become certified B Corps and aid these companies in completing the B Impact Assessment, as well as support them in creating external communications surrounding their identity and driving purpose as a B Corp.
The UNH B Impact Clinic is a partnership with the New Hampshire Businesses for Social Responsibility .
To join UNH Net Impact: Net Impact Undergraduate Chapter - Wildcat Link (unh.edu)
