Bodhi Surf + Yoga’s Third B Corp certification

One of the things that most defines us here at Bodhi Surf + Yoga is our commitment to using our business as a force for good.

Throughout our 13 years of operating, we’ve worked tirelessly to ensure that we’re constantly improving in terms of our positive contributions to our local community and the world.

We’re stoked to announce that late last year, we were awarded with our third B Corp certification! For us, this feat indicates the drive we have to be and inspire positive changemakers.

Having spent the last few months undergoing B Lab’s rigorous recertification process, we’re beyond excited to have received the great news that we’ve been recertified. And we’re even more excited to share this news with all of you!

Bodhi Surf + Yoga and B Corp – the Backstory

We here at Bodhi Surf + Yoga were the first surf and yoga camp in the world to be B Corp certified, and the first tourism company in Costa Rica.

Upon first undergoing the process for being awarded our B Corp status, we weren’t even sure that we’d get it.

We knew that it would entail an extremely rigorous process, and we thought that maybe we weren’t quite there yet. However, we decided that whether or not we actually get approved, this process would be a huge learning opportunity for us on our journey to drive positive change.

So we put our heads down and worked tirelessly to meet B Lab’s (the global non-profit that certifies B Corp companies) high standards across all aspects of our business. Namely, the categories that B Lab uses to analyze are:

• Governance
• Workers
• Community
• Environment
• Community

You may be wondering, “Why is it such a big deal for them that they’re a B Corp company?”

Excellent question! Whether we are a B Corp or not, we are still committed to our mission of using our passions and our business as a force for good. Nothing changes that.

But this designation allows us to share our mission on a much larger scale. It allows us to network, communicate, and work with a number of like-minded businesses – the goal that unifies all B Corps, regardless of industry, is the commitment to serve society and leave the planet better off.

Being a B Corp-certified company means that we’re joining a community of other for-profit companies that voluntarily commit to meeting higher standards of transparency, accountability, and performance in the social and environmental realms of their businesses.

Through these objectives, we’re redefining what it means to be successful in business. Being a part of this community means that we’re working alongside other amazing businesses that are using their passions to achieve this common goal.

But it’s not necessarily just being a B Corp that legitimizes us and validates our actions. We’ve learned over the years that it’s business, like ourselves and our B Corp peers, that ultimately add value and meaning to what it is to be B Corp certified.

We take huge inspiration from our B Corp peers, and we ourselves strive to inspire others, too.

Bodhi Surf + Yoga’s First B Corp Certification

Following B Lab’s rigorous evaluation process, in November 2016 we were notified that we had been approved to join the ranks as a certified B Corp.

Our overall B Impact Score was 98.8, with 80 being the minimum qualifiable score.

For us, this was a huge achievement! It’s one thing to say that your business does good and inspires change and makes a positive difference, but it’s quite another to offer concrete proof that this is true.

Not only was this first certification indicative of our hard work leading up to that point, but it also had huge impacts on what our future would entail as a company.

How We Achieved this the First Time Around

We led and participated in a number of environmental and social initiatives in our community leading up to our first B Corp certification. Out of all of them, here are a couple of the most memorable:

Weekly Surf & Service Saturdays

These events were (and still are) a means of empowering those in our local community to safely enjoy the ocean, as well as making a push to look after our natural environment. 

We’d invite members of our local community to join us at the beach to partake in an hour of picking up trash on the beach, and they’d later be able to enjoy a free surf lesson given by our surf instructors.

It’s incredibly important that we make it our responsibility to care for the environment. 

But it’s also crucial that we ensure that our community gets the same opportunities that we gladly give to those that visit us from around the world – i.e. surfing and nature immersion.

By giving these opportunities to our community members, we believe that right here within our home we’re creating Ocean Guardians.

The Bahia Ballena Free of Plastic Initiative

In 2016 we, along with many other businesses Bahia Ballena, formed a part of the Bahia Ballena Free of Plastic Initiative. The goal behind this initiative was to encourage our community to become completely plastic free.

One of the most memorable projects that came of this is the construction of a 9 x 5 meter humpback whale, made out of 3,494 plastic water bottles. This plastic whale serves to act as a visual reminder of human plastic use and its impact on marine life.

Visitors to our community of Bahia Ballena can visit the plastic whale – it really is quite impressive! This symbolic whale reminds us of the fragility of our marine ecosystems, and that by taking actions we as humans can reduce our negative impact on it.

“Best for the World” Awards

Not only does it feel great to be ranked among some of the top responsible businesses in the world, but it also keeps us on our toes. 

Now that we are being held accountable by an independent third party, we can never become too complacent and will be motivated to improve our Impact Assessment every year.

Every year, the team at B Lab chooses B Corps and recognizes them as “Best for the World” based on their annual Impact Assessment scores. 

In 2017, following our first B Corp certification, we received our first “Best for the World” recognition for our work within the ‘community’ category.

That year, the median score amongst B Corp businesses for this category was 17. We scored well above this at 57.

Within our community, Bodhi Surf + Yoga has several programs and initiatives designed to:

•  Improve where we live for ourselves and others
•  Offer educational opportunities and services to our neighbors that may otherwise be inaccessible
•  Foster teamwork and solidarity among residents and visitors

This is just to name a few! In 2016, Bodhi Surf + Yoga generated over 3,500 hours of service hours for its community through its Yoga for the Community, Service & Surf Saturdays, and summer high school student service groups.

We also received this accolade in 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022.

Sustainable and Responsible Business Practices are in Our DNA

Since our inception in 2010, the Bodhi Surf + Yoga owners have been in love with the idea of using our business for the greater good. 

Our mission statement is “Educating, inspiring, and empowering our stakeholders to live more sustainably through surfing, yoga, nature immersion, and community engagement.”

Right from our offset, we’ve woven responsible business practices into the fabric of Bodhi Surf + Yoga.

We are working to improve with each passing day, week, month, and year. Receiving our second B Corp certification in 2020 was a great indicator for us of this relentless determination.

It showed us that as a result of our hard work and commitment to positive change, we were able to improve on our previous years. 

Moreover, it reinforces that there’s always room for improvement –i.e., we can STILL improve on what we’re doing now.

To continue in our calling, we actively engage in:

• Community programming
• Local investments
• Global fundraising
• On-site impact reduction
• Environmental advocacy
• Responsible travel

Some of our biggest tools in achieving these things include our 

• Smile While You Paddle Surf-A-Thons
• Travelers Philanthropy Program
• Ocean Guardian Pledge
• Surf & Service Saturdays
• Membership as a 1% For the Planet company

We invite you to check out our 2022 Sustainability Initiatives blog to learn more about what we do to drive positive change for our community and environment.

Our Most Recent B Corp Recertification

2023 was a very successful year for us in terms of our sustainability accolades.

We received our third B Corporation certification, achieving a score of 127.9 – our highest score yet!

To put this into context, according to B Lab the median score for “Ordinary Businesses” is 50.9, and a score of 80 is the minimum to qualify for a B Corporation certification.

Again, this was an encouraging sign of our relentless hard work over the past few years to do even better and improve on our previous certification.

Taking it a Step Further this time Around

In 2023 we applied for Costa Rica’s Ecological Blue Flag Award for the category of Climate Change. Just like with certifying as a B Corporation, in working towards this award we had to meet a number of very strict standards and parameters.

Also like with certifying as a B Corp, we weren’t even sure that we’d get this award. But we thought “hey, let’s give it a go!”

We decided that even if we didn’t achieve this award this time around, it would still be an excellent learning opportunity for us as a sustainable and responsible business that’s constantly trying to improve.

What does this have to do with our latest B Corp certification?

Following the strict guidelines for the Bandera Azul award, we were to even further lower the impact that our operations had on the environment. In striving for this goal, we:

• Installed solar panels, which power 70% of our lodge
• Started collecting and using rainwater, leading to a 30% reduction in our water consumption
• Offset 15 tons of carbon that year
• Created an average of 50 kg per month on average of organic waste

By meeting these standards of environmental sustainability and reduction for Bandera Azul, we became an overall more sustainable company with an even lower impact on the environment than before.

We also improved on our social sustainability practices, whereby we:

• Raised over USD $16,000 for a Marine Conservation & Education Center
• Invested approximately 375 hours to support community projects
• Invested 50 hours in training for our staff on subjects relating to sustainability and climate change
• Raised over USD $3,000 for a local youth leadership program, called SELAL

In essence, by taking action to meet Bandera Azul’s requirements, we were strengthening our performance in terms of our B Corp profile, as well.

Read our blog published on The Center For Responsible Travel (CREST) to learn more about our Bandera Azul award and what the rest of our sustainability journey leading up to our third B Corp certification looked like.

Enough About Us, What does this Mean for You?

When you choose to vacation at Bodhi Surf + Yoga, you are, in essence, putting your money towards sustainable tourism and responsible business practices. 

By supporting a B Corporation, you can be confident that you are contributing to the efforts of a company that supports its community, treats its workers fairly, and cares for its home environment. You’re supporting a business that has been assessed and evaluated rigorously in all categories of its operations.

You are also rejecting the traditional business model that values profits above all else and fails to consider the entire impact of its operations. 
Your patronage makes you part of a movement that aims to shake up the existing system and create a market where companies compete to be not best in the world, but best for the world!

You Help Make Us Good for the World!

We are fortunate enough to operate out of the Marino Ballena National Park – which is right on our doorstep here in Uvita, Bahia Ballena, Costa Rica.

This absolutely breathtaking “classroom” that we conduct our surf lessons in, allows us to transmit the love and awareness that we have for the ocean and marine ecosystems to the people that we come into contact with.

The Marino Ballena National Park is much more than just a natural classroom to conduct our surf lessons in. It brings us closer to the immense nature that this area of Costa Rica is known for.

By spending time in the ocean and immersing in nature, our guests have the opportunity to communicate with a thriving natural ecosystem, realize that it gives so much to us, and come to the realization that we too are responsible for giving back to it.

Our business model is based on using this “natural classroom” to inspire some kind of awakening in our guests. They then travel back home with their newfound inspiration to make positive changes in their lives and their communities.

This is Our Story – What’s Yours?

Just how we’ve taken massive inspiration from individuals and other businesses on our journey, we hope that our story inspires you!

We want to show both our colleagues and our customers that Bodhi Surf + Yoga is not your average surf and yoga camp, tourism business or vacation destination. 

We want to show that it’s neither difficult (nor a bad business decision) to utilize your business as a tool for something greater and far more important than just making a profit. 

We do not take this honor lightly and are more than up for the responsibility that this certification entails – just as we have been since receiving our first certification in 2016.

We look forward to sharing with you our goals, initiatives, and achievements over the coming months and years!