An Evening with: Belén Viloria
“We must work to ensure that this wonderful world thrives in the right way. Let’s focus on all the good that is yet to be done and find the path to make it happen.”.
Interview with Belén Viloria, Executive Director of B Lab Spain, by Teresa Zamora
7 May 2024
With that kind of energy and good vibes (as the trendsetters would say), she inspires action and mobilises. Without friction, and without even trying to provoke, just through words full of conviction—and getting down to work, which is how true change happens. It’s something she’s witnessed over the years and conveys with both rigour and enthusiasm: “To feel part of change, we must act—and that action must be tangible, not just a thought.”
This is the life philosophy of Belén Viloria, Executive Director of B Lab Spain, the organisation behind the B Corp movement in Spain—a movement that is transforming environments, communities and individuals, and whose strength and reach is spreading across the globe.
What have you learned from the large corporations you’ve worked for and from your time at the Red Cross, and how do you apply it to your role as head of B Corp?
Everything I’m applying now comes from different phases of my life—not just professional ones, but personal too.
It draws on my academic background—Belén holds a degree in Law and Business Administration from ICADE—as well as my experience in major companies. And, of course, on my social and cultural interests, which led me to social innovation and to connect with TED, a collaborative space focused on building thriving communities through knowledge, culture and innovation.
At one of TED’s global conferences, I met Al Gore, the driving force behind The Climate Reality Project and a global leader in the climate movement, which I also joined.
All of this—social innovation, community building, volunteering, combined with environmental concerns and social entrepreneurship—led me to work with the Cruz Roja on its project to reconnect with society and young people. This is a movement that relies not just on global reach, but on capillarity, as a fundamental condition for achieving local impact.
What does it mean to be B? What characterizes the nearly 300 companies in our country and the more than 8,500 globally that belong to the B Corp movement?
B Corp is growing rapidly—with annual increases of around 30%. In Spain alone, there are 270 companies across 63 sectors, and globally, over 160 industries are represented.
Being B means using the strength of business to achieve systemic change in the economic model; that is, a more fair, inclusive, and regenerative economy.
It’s a movement open to all types of companies. Currently, 70% are small businesses, and the remaining 30% are medium and large enterprises. That makes sense, as becoming a B Corp is about transformation, not just reporting, and smaller companies can adapt more quickly. The certification also requires companies to reflect these changes in Article 1 of their corporate bylaws, something that large corporations are now beginning to implement.
The B Impact Assessment is a free tool created by B Lab to verify whether companies meet the high standards required, and to help them identify, measure and manage their impact.
But beyond the technical side, there has to be a way of being and doing—because without authenticity, rigour, commitment and values, no company can meet the required standards or become a B Corp.
The movement includes companies; local B Communities (in Andalucia, Cataluña, the Valencian Community, the Northern Community and Madrid); B Academics (a collaboration with academics, researchers and universities); and the B Impact Circle—impact leaders who aim to inspire others.
There is also a B+ cities project, which is the maximum territorial scope, with Barcelona B+ as a pilot project. My personal dream? A Spain +B, a country brand.
What challenges lie ahead?
- The first challenge is achieving the evolution of standards to remain at the forefront of good sustainability.
B Lab’s standards were created almost 20 years ago. We’re now undergoing the eighth evolution, which reflects the movement’s adaptability.
This is important because B Corp companies must stay ahead of legislation to fully comply with it. This will be the case, for example, with the recently approved CSDDD (Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive), a European regulation that seeks to promote corporate responsibility in matters of sustainability, particularly human rights and environmental matters.
- Another challenge is public advocacy and greater representation in the economic landscape.
In fact, it is society that has achieved recognition for SBICs (Common Benefit and Interest Companies), a legal entity that recognizes purpose-driven businesses, which requires providing them with a secure legal framework. But a law without regulations is ineffective, so we are now in the process of developing them. In the meantime, a code of good practices, a white paper, and a guide to the specifics of common benefit and interest companies have been developed.
- We must also strengthen the capillarity and local reach of the movement by encouraging more local B communities.
- And finally, we must launch more collective actions, which is what gives meaning to the movement.
There are two major collective actions:
- In partnership with B Academics, we’ve developed a teaching tool that educators can use in local classrooms to develop great leaders and prepare current and future generations.
- Our own communications and advertising campaign, “Se escribe con B” (“Written with a B”), where B Corps invite citizens to help rewrite history and the future—by joining the movement and choosing to consume products and services from responsible, values-led companies.
Companies must recognise that a paradigm shift is essential—that the times call for new actions, positions, and ways of doing business. What kind of corporate model do you think the world needs?
Clearly, the one embodied by B Corps—because they prove that profitability, positive social impact and regenerative environmental action are possible. It’s an economic engine that generates prosperity while putting people and the planet first.
All businesses are built with a vision of continuity. But if they focus solely on financial gain, that continuity becomes subject to market fluctuations. We must aim higher—towards advanced continuity, which is about legacy and values. Traditionally seen in family-owned businesses, this is intrinsic to B Corps, which are driven by the mission to create and leave a positive legacy.
A woman leading B Corp. Progress is being made, but there’s still work to do. What would you say are the key levers to accelerate this change?
Diversity is a reality, and while equity still needs work, the so-called glass ceiling is weakening. In fact, IBEX 35 companies are now required to meet gender equity targets, which means more women are involved in major decision-making—and female role models are increasingly visible. That said, we’re in a privileged country. In much of the world, there’s still a long way to go.
There’s always a ‘B side’. Reports suggest that over 50% of companies engage in greenwashing—claiming to be sustainable when they’re not. Can this kind of ‘green marketing’ be prevented?
If sustainability is treated merely as a reporting exercise, the result is often greenwashing or impact washing—which also includes social and governance issues.
This can be avoided through legislation and also through the legal certainty I mentioned, that is, the much-needed regulation of SBICs. And, in parallel, we must continue working to ensure that society has as much information as possible.
You know us closely — what do you value most about ILUNION Hotels?
That you are and that you do. That you don’t just talk, you act. And that you’ve been working for many years for diversity and inclusion, and that’s incredible.
But what I value most is that it’s real, authentic. From the moment you walk into an ILUNION Hotel, the experience is unique. You make people feel like people — valued individuals. And diversity and inclusion are present in every detail.
Finally, could you share a thought and a lesson with us?
A thought: “This is the moment. Let’s write our present and our future together — not through confrontation, but through collaboration.”
A lesson: “The power and beauty of movement. The richness of that word.”
Working with purpose — as you do — is life-changing, because you’re working with a why and a what for. That’s why it’s so important for more and more companies to have a purpose, so that more people can have the chance and the privilege of working in environments like yours.