Ranking: 34

Industry: Emergency Medical Services

Mission: A professional ambulance and medical emergency service provider in India, addressing the country’s healthcare gap. They care for all, regardless of their income bracket, and aim to create a leading network of fully equipped ambulances across the developing world. Have grown into a fleet of 3,022 ambulances with 10,000 employees across 18 states in the country.

What 3 words best describe your company culture?

Ethical, Transparent, Socially Responsible

What quote best exemplifies your company?

“Saving a life is one of the most rewarding experiences a person can undergo in his/her lifetime.” — Mahatma Gandhi

How is your product or service having a positive social and/or environmental impact?

In 2005, Ziqitza Health Care Limited (Ziqitza Health Care) was founded by Shaffi Mather, Manish Sacheti, Ravi Krishna, Naresh Jain, Sweta Mangal — a group of young professionals — as a result of two contrasting personal experiences.

Late one fateful night in India, Shaffi Mather’s mother choked in her sleep and had breathing problems. Faced with the uncertainty of what to do, which number to call, and whom to rely on for assistance, the family felt helpless and chose to drive her to the hospital themselves. Just a few days later, Ravi Krishna’s mother collapsed in Manhattan, New York, USA, and within minutes, 911 arrived, provided medical aid and his mother survived.

The founders realized that the difference in both scenarios was the availability and accessibility of standardised emergency medical services provided. Every life matters and every second counts in saving a life. We believe that countless lives can be saved and numerous casualties minimised, with adequate and quick transportation facilities.

ZHL recognized the need of organized and professional ambulance providers in the country, and thus began the journey to create the best emergency response service in India that would be on par with 911 in the U.S. and 999 in the U.K. They realized the urgency of an organized and networked ambulance service required for saving those lives that would have been otherwise lost, for want of timely medical attention.

While EMS services are extremely well developed in countries like United States, they were severely lacking in India till early 2000. Despite other developments in the healthcare sector, India had yet to establish a single, comprehensive EMS system that could be accessed by all. The existing system was fragmented and did not meet the acute demand. The main providers of ambulance services were private ambulance owners, hospitals, NGOs, and government agencies. Some services were free, while others were not.

There was no service that covered the entire city, and most ambulances had little or no medical equipment—they were largely stripped down delivery vans. Victims often arrived at the hospital in the back of an auto rickshaw, in a family member’s car, or even in the bed of a delivery truck. There was no ambulance service that covered the entire city, much less one that could be reached 24 hours a day at an easy-to-remember phone number similar to the 911 system in the U.S. The founders of ZHL were also very clear that the service should be accessible and affordable to all sections of the society without burdening those who did not have the capability to pay for the same.

This made them realize that there was no ambulance service in India that covered the entire city that could be reached 24 hours a day at an easy-to-remember phone number similar to the 911 system in the U.S.

It is a universally accepted fact that a patient who receives basic care and is transported tothe closest healthcare facility within 15-20 minutes of a severe injury has the greatest chance of survival. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is a critical element of any healthcare system as it has the potential to save countless lives by providing immediate care. The state of emergency care, however, varies radically from developed countries to developing countries.

There is a high demand for quality ambulance services in India. India is very disaster prone; almost 57% of India’s land mass is vulnerable to earthquakes, 68% to drought, 8% to cyclones, and 12% to floods. Additionally, the ratio of traffic accidents per 1000 vehicles is 21.3 times higher than the world average. 30% of accident victims in India die due to delays in transportation to medical facilities

The existing system is terribly fragmented and does not meet demand. The main providers of ambulance services are private ambulance owners, hospitals, NGOs, and government agencies. Some services are free, while others are not. These ambulances are often unavailable on a regular basis, are in poor condition and do not have appropriate medical equipment or trained paramedics, and the time taken to arrive at a patient’s location is lengthy. Regardless, most people in India do not use ambulances for medical emergencies The statistics collected show why ambulances are typically not called for in India.

Three key reasons demand the need for high quality emergency healthcare in India:

1. Highest disaster and health accident prone areas in the world are in India
2. High road traffic accident ratio and poor road infrastructure
3. No established high quality emergency service in India

The solution of the founders to the above questions / issues was to set up and operate the ‘Dial 1298 for Ambulance’ Service as a cross-subsidy fee based business model. Under this model, it uses differential pricing: wealthier customers would pay the full rate for the Ambulance Service while the poor received a heavy discount and free service when required. To generate fixed income to service subsidized calls, 1298 gives external advertising space to corporates on yearly basis. Our corporate partners work with us through branding and awareness opportunities through our highly visible ambulance operations. This innovative pricing and leveraging corporate support has enabled us to make the service financially sustainable and cater to all sections of the society at the same time.

ZHL saw opportunity of partnering government to reach out quality ambulance service across the country, to execute the 108 services. Realising that it limited the opportunities for private organizations to participate in the process, ZHL played a very critical role in getting various states to introduce transparent bidding processes for private ambulance providers to bid for these PPPs in ambulance services. In 2009, ZHL won the 1st ever tendered out ambulance service in India (for Patna), bringing about a sequential change in other states also.

Keeping these factors in mind in 2005 and based on personal experiences of the founders the company was formed as Ziqitza Healthcare Limited. Our organization’s vision is to be the leading Ambulance Service provider in the developing world by assisting in saving human lives by providing a leading network of fully equipped Advanced and Basic Life Support Ambulances across the developing work.

We intent doing so, firstly, by adhering to our core values of being ethical, transparent and fostering teamwork within our organization. Secondly, in our road to realize our vision, we want to make sure that we meet international standards for quality in Emergency Medical Services, be accessible to all people irrespective of income and to be financially sustainable. At ZHL, emphasis on technology has been an important driver for improved service levels and quality of treatment during transit in emergency situations. Early technology adoption has helped ZHL with better management of our ambulance movements. During the very early stages the gap in existing training standards for the paramedics was very evident therefore to bridge this extensive emphasis is laid on skill training of the staff.

Today ZHL is operating more than 3300 ambulances across 16 states in India and has served more than people since inception. In last 15 years have created multiple service solutions that are tailor-made with quality standards benchmarked to international EMS. The focus has always been ensuring efficient transfers to trauma cenrtes by trained pre-hospital care professionals to save as many valuable lives. To this end, Ziqitza created different medical emergency response solutions, each serving the needs of very specific segments of customers and income class in India:

1. Corporate EMS Wellness: Targeted at hospitals, corporates and manufacturing facilities, Special Economic Zones, Corporate Parks, Events, Sports Facilities, Public Gatherings and many more. Staffed with trained paramedics and drivers to manage day-to-day fleet operations with both Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulances and Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulances
2. Cross-Subsidized Subscription Model: A subscription based model that guarantees ambulance services at one’s doorstep, and one pays what they can afford. By charging more from the affluent, ZHL was able to provide the same quality service to those who came from less affluent strata.
3. Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) Model: ZHL engaged with State Governments under the PPP model, making quality and standardized EMS accessible even in the remote corners of the country. ZHL is also working closely with the government to move towards a single EMS number, and has partnered with state governments of Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Orissa and Punjab and the National Health Mission (NHM) to operate the 108 helpline for medical emergency services for the general public.

Industry Firsts by Ziqitza: The impact has been tremendous in area of EMS as an effort of ZHL like:

• First company to launch GPS tracking of ambulances in India in the year 2005 with an aim to reduce response time.
• First company to launch First Responder Programme (FRPs) to generate awareness and impart life-saving skills. 3,40,000 people have been trained till date.
• First Indian ambulance service to partner with the London Ambulance Service and the New York Presbyterian-EMS for knowledge sharing.
• Opened doors for Transparent tendering for PPP for EMS.
• Had Created an innovative model under cross subsidy that makes world class ambulance service accessible and affordable to all sections of the society In this way, what started as a social initiative has become a highly successful business model, which is going the extra mile to ensure every life counts.
• Saved 2,76,70,269 number of lives.
• ZHL has a fleet of 3025 ambulances.
• 10,000 employees across the country.
• Served over 24 million people till date.

ZHL has been cited as a case study for its social impact in reputable educational institutions like Stanford, Columbia and Yale.

What is your company’s vision for the future?

Be the leading Pre-Hospital Service Provider of the developing world. To assist in saving human lives by providing a leading network of fully equipped Advanced & Basic Life Support Ambulances across the developing world.

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Ranking: 88

Industry: Personal Care

Mission: A provider of all-natural beauty and personal care products offered in sustainable packaging on a per-item or subscription basis. Their products come in aluminum bottles that can be sent back and refilled time after time, offering an alternative to single-use containers. Have so far kept over 100,000 plastic bottles out of landfills. 

What 3 words best describe your company culture?

Sustainable, Empowering, Collaborative

What quote best exemplifies your company?

“Progress, not perfection. We are constantly learning and working to improve our products, our packaging, our customer experience, and our company.”

How is your product or service having a positive social and/or environmental impact?

Plaine Products is on a mission to eliminate single-use plastic from the bathroom. Offering a line of toxin-free personal care products, Plaine Products come in aluminum bottles that can be sent back and refilled time after time. The first of its kind and founded in 2017, Plaine Products has already diverted more than 200,000 plastic bottles from landfills. Based in Cincinnati, OH, all of the products are vegan, non-GMO, cruelty-free, biodegradable, color-safe and free of parabens, sulfates and toxins, good for the body and the planet. Founded by two sisters, Plaine Products is proud to be reducing waste and helping stop the spread of single-use plastics.

What is your company’s vision for the future?

At Plaine Products we are leading the way towards a new circular economy where producers take responsibility for their packaging and the safety of their ingredients, where there is less waste and pollution, and the true cost of the products is not passed on to the next generation.

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Ranking: 108

Industry: Professional Training & Coaching

Mission: A global network and essential resource for professional women who create, inspire, and lead. They are committed to helping each other succeed, and aim to close the gender achievement gap in business by providing women with a community to lean on and learn from. Connecting over 150,000 women across the globe. 

What 3 words best describe your company culture?

Intersectional, Grateful, Authentic

What quote best exemplifies your company?

“Ellevate is the largest community for women+ at work. A powerful coalition of ambitious and supportive women+ who believe there is strength in numbers. We show up for each other, helping everyone — no matter their background or aspirations — build a career they love. And, more importantly, we mobilize our collective power to change the culture of business.”

How is your product or service having a positive social and/or environmental impact?

At Ellevate Network, we’re redefining networking. Although our community is the largest of its kind, we know that navigating a sea of faceless connections is a waste of time. That’s why, at Ellevate, we prioritize the real, authentic relationships that can change your situation, can make a difference in your future.

We help women build meaningful local and digital relationships that can offer insights and open doors. Our community has reach, power and influence, while still remaining warm, welcoming and supportive.

Through collective action, Ellevate is shaping business to be more inclusive. Our goal is full and equal access to power, for everyone. Ellevate is where change makers cultivate their voice, build bridges to understand and mobilize for impact. We work with leading companies to help them hire, retain and improve diversity, equity and inclusion within their organizations.

We also approach our work through a B Corp lens. We want to have a positive impact on our community, our environment, and our team, so we’re always looking to do business the right way, not the easy way. After the pandemic began, we introduced the EllevateHER Forward fellowship, a program for women financially impacted by the pandemic to help them get their careers stabilized and back on track. We launched several new online event series to keep our community connected during these challenging times, and delivered peer mentoring through a 12-week Squads program focused on leading through uncertainty.

What is your company’s vision for the future?

Equality. We believe that when ambitious professional women get more opportunity, it ultimately benefits everyone, and leads to a more equal world. We’re committed to giving these ambitious professional women the community they need to take the next step in their careers — whatever that means to each of them.

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Ranking: 69

Industry: Financial Services

Mission: A financial services company that connects money with values, empowering people with the possibility of their finances. They help clients pursue sustainable investing and shift capital towards the most environmentally responsible corporations. Additionally strive to support micro-entrepreneurs by helping millions of people fund businesses that help alleviate poverty.

What 3 words best describe your company culture?

Innovative, Collaborative, Quirky

What quote best exemplifies your company?

“Expanding what’s possible with money.”

How is your product or service having a positive social and/or environmental impact?

Values-aligned investing is not an “opt-in” at Abacus. We believe that every investment has an impact and that it’s a violation of fiduciary duty to not consider impact risks and opportunities. As a B-Corp, Abacus is committed to using business as a force for good. We strive to be a positive force in the world, and are committed to continual social and environmental justice work.

What is your company’s vision for the future?

At Abacus, we expand what’s possible with money. To fully realize what’s possible with money, we connect money with values. We serve people from diverse backgrounds and with differing financial means. Our culture of humanity and caring creates truly impactful connections. By empowering people with the possibilities for their money, we enhance our client’s experience in the here and now, not just in the future.

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Ranking: 38

Industry: Environmental Services

Mission: An environmental charity focused on reforestation with the model one dollar plants one tree. They are dedicated to helping individuals and businesses give back to the environment, create a healthier climate, and protect biodiversity. To date have planted 11 million trees, which will mature to sequester 528 million pounds of carbon each year.

What 3 words best describe your company culture?

Innovative, Passionate, Hardworking

What quote best exemplifies your company?

“Get your hands in the dirt!”

How is your product or service having a positive social and/or environmental impact?

One Tree Planted is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit on a mission to make it simple for anyone to help the environment by planting trees. Our projects span the globe and are done in partnership with local communities and knowledgeable experts to create an impact for nature, people, and wildlife. Reforestation helps to rebuild forests after fires and floods, provides jobs for social impact, and restores biodiversity. Many projects have overlapping objectives, creating a combination of benefits that contribute to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. At the end of the day, it’s all about restoring nature to give us all a healthy and thriving future.

What is your company’s vision for the future?

We aim to create a sustainable world full of healthy and biodiverse forests.

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Ranking: 96

Industry: Food Production

Mission: An organic and gluten free pasta manufacturer making it easier for people to lead healthier lives and support sustainable farming practices. Their plant-based products are reducing emissions and conserving biodiversity, and their donations are helping to make healthy food accessible to all. Products are available in over 3,500 stores across North America. 

What 3 words best describe your company culture?

Supportive, Aligned, Enthusiastic

What quote best exemplifies your company?

“Good with every bite.”

It’s a sound business practice to be sure; however, for us, it’s more than that. It helps to cement our commitment that with every move we make navigating the ups and downs of business, we remain true to our core values.

Chickapea was created to provide not just a better version of the food we love, but a GOOD one. And we take this very seriously. Our goal is to use our powers for good… good taste, good ingredients, and good care of our team, our community and our planet!

We want our customers to always trust that with every single bite they take of our delicious pastas they are doing themselves, their community, and their home good!

How is your product or service having a positive social and/or environmental impact?

Chickapea’s social responsibility efforts are growing right alongside our company’s growth. At our core, Chickapea is a force for good. Chickapea is not just benefiting those that consume our products, but those in the greatest need around the world, including our farmers, suppliers and employees.

WE CHARITY: Chickapea donates 3 cents from every box of pasta sold to WE Charity’s School Nutrition Program. We’re currently supporting a program in Los Rios, Ecuador that provides students with nutritious meals each day and education on proper nutrition. Our donations also fund a school garden and the construction of a kitchen and dining hall for the students and the wider community to come together to learn about agriculture and nutrition.

FOOD BANKS: Chickapea believes that everyone should have access to healthy food. Food banks across Canada and the US are feeding our most vulnerable populations, which are often in great need of nourishment, and unfortunately, the majority of food being donated to food banks is not very nutritious and doesn’t consider dietary restrictions. Chickapea provides a nutrient-dense, allergen-free option that’s familiar and simple to prepare. Each year, Chickapea donates several hundred pounds of pasta to food banks across North America.

CERTIFIED B CORPORATION: In 2019, Chickapea was recognized as a Best for the World B Corporation — ranking in the top 10% of all B Corps worldwide. This prestigious designation is given to organizations that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, legal accountability, and aspire to use the power of business to build a more inclusive and sustainable economy. Chickapea is proud of this certification and always strives to do better.

CHOOSING ORGANIC & PLANT-BASED: All Chickapea products are, and will continue to be, organic. By only choosing organic we are helping to eliminate soil and water contamination, preserve local wildlife — including honeybees — and conserve biodiversity. It also means keeping artificial food additives, irradiation, GMOs, synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers out of our bodies.

OUR PLANET: We’re proud to offer our products in recyclable boxes using recycled materials.

PLANT-BASED PROTEIN: By focusing on plant-based proteins we are minimizing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing freshwater consumption and using less landmass for more crop yield. In comparison, the emissions of beef are 250 times higher than chickpeas and lentils.

What is your company’s vision for the future?

A world where the foods we love most, love our bodies and our planet back.

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Ranking: 53

Industry: Financial Services

Mission: Creating partnerships to invest in community transformation projects. They bring high-quality grocery stores, affordable housing, schools, and health centers to areas that need better access, making health, wellbeing, and financial security accessible to families, regardless of income or zip code. Partnerships with 830 investors have positively impacted over 2 million lives. 

What 3 words best describe your company culture?

Data-driven, Entrepreneurial, Collaborative

What quote best exemplifies your company?

“Great impact and meaningful social change are possible when organized data and capital is put into the hands of organized people and capacity. That belief has been fundamental to Reinvestment Fund’s work to build equitable communities.”

How is your product or service having a positive social and/or environmental impact?

Reinvestment Fund is a mission-driven financial institution committed to making communities work for all people. We are dedicated to ensuring that people in all communities have the opportunities they strive for: affordable places to live, access to nutritious food, schools where their children can succeed, and strong, local businesses that support quality jobs. Together with our partners and investors, we spark and sustain local, equitable, and green economic growth in communities across the United States.

What is your company’s vision for the future?

A nation where all people are healthy, safe, and joyful; where all neighborhoods are strong, vibrant and inclusive, with expanded opportunities for all people who live there.

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Ranking: 106

Industry: Food Production

Mission: A manufacturer of certified organic, additive free, and allergen friendly snacks for kids. They support small farmers and encourage more sustainable food systems, producing nourishing food while helping to make the world a healthier and happier place for kids. Expanding their influence globally by working towards the goal that no child skips breakfast. 

What 3 words best describe your company culture?

Caring. Friendly. Conscious.

What quote best exemplifies your company?

“Healthy Products. Healthy People. Healthy Planet.”

How is your product or service having a positive social and/or environmental impact?

All our products are developed using only Certified Organic ingredients and meet strict nutritional criteria that is set by our in-house nutritionist in conjunction with Parents and Kids to ensure that we are meeting not only the immediate needs of our customers, but importantly, the taste of their children.

We source certified organic produce from Australia and New Zealand where possible and work with a range of Australian, New Zealand, and global manufacturers to ensure we are producing the highest quality products with as minimal processing as possible.

Our core purpose at Whole Kids is to help parents create happy, healthy lives for their kids. While we are a food manufacturing business, we exist to make an impact beyond the food we make and it is the programs we have put in place to support our core purpose that underpins everything we do at Whole Kids. These programs include:

• Committing 1% of gross revenue regardless of profitability to support kids health and environmental projects both nationally and internationally
• Partnering with an environmental company to fully recycle and upcycle all out packaging waste
• Working with NGOs to distribute food to families in need
• Advocating for tighter regulations around junk food marketing to kids
• Lobbying for a ban of harmful food additives to kids
• Launching Whole Kids UNJUNKIT campaign, to bring awareness to issues that are junking up kids’ lives and creating avenues for parents to advocate for change

We believe passionately in healthy kids and a healthy world and that the actions we take can make a real and significant difference to the future of our children. Demonstrating our commitment to using business as a force for good, Whole Kids is also founding member and the first food company in Australia to have been certified as a B Corporation — an international certification recognizing companies that are using business to effect positive social and environmental change.

What is your company’s vision for the future?

In the future we see Whole Kids firmly positioned as a thought leader in kids’ health, nutrition, and education. We continue to see ourselves as agents for change within our industry and will continue to lobby for greater regulation around issues we care about such as the use of food additives in children’s food and junk food marketing to children. We see ourselves entering new categories and new markets.

Key strategies for future growth include increasing our market penetration locally and internationally, continuing to grow our brand awareness and engagement with our customers, continuing to innovate in product development and to expand our share of the existing category as well as disrupt other children’s categories to help achieve our mission of creating a happier, healthier world for kids.

Alongside this, we will continue to advocate for kids and to strengthen and grow our community partnerships to show that there is a better way to do business that is based on principles of strong values, conscious leadership, ethics and transparency in business and that considers all stakeholders and the future of the environment and our impact on future generations.

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Ranking: 15

Industry: Finance

Mission: An infrastructure investor that builds, owns, and operates assets in sustainable energy, mobility, and water, waste, and agriculture sectors. They are working to bring about an Infrastructure Revolution that is democratized, digitized, decentralized, and decarbonized. Serving more than 400 companies, universities, school districts, cities, and nonprofits across North America.

What 3 words best describe your company culture?

Values & Vision Alignment

What quote best exemplifies your company?

“Let’s rebuild the world together.”

How is your product or service having a positive social and/or environmental impact?

Generate Capital is an investment and operating platform leading the Infrastructure Transition. We partner with best-in-class project developers and technology companies to deliver reliable, affordable and sustainable resources to customers. Generate is built from the ground up to help our partners succeed and scale by providing them different types of capital and services to grow markets and rebuild the world together. We own, operate and finance community and enterprise solar, microgrids, battery storage, energy efficiency, waste-to-value and clean transportation projects. In our short history, our growing and diversified fleet of sustainable infrastructure assets has replaced nearly 3 billion metric tons of CO2 equivalent greenhouse gas emissions, diverted over 630,000 metric tons of organic waste from landfills, and supported thousands of jobs. We are just getting started.

What is your company’s vision for the future?

Generate Capital is partnering with companies, cities, technology pioneers and developers to drive the Infrastructure Transition toward what we call the 4Ds of modern infrastructure:

DECENTRALIZED: from big/monolithic/inflexible to small/distributed/modular/flexible/resilient

DECARBONIZED: from dirty to clean

DIGITIZED: from analog to digital

DEMOCRATIZED: from regulated monopolies to multiple-choice for customers

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Ranking: 19

Industry: Commercial Real Estate

Mission: A commercial real estate advisor that aims to improve the industry for all stakeholders through cooperation and organized competition. They achieve maximum value for clients through geographical coverage and simplified outreach. Their unique Shared Value Network® consists of more than 1,600 advisors and staff across 200 global offices.

What quote best exemplifies your company?

“Creating amazing values with our clients, colleagues and communities.”

How is your product or service having a positive social and/or environmental impact?

Our company has been leading the industry in seeking more diversity and creating a platform that is inclusive for all. As a result, we are seeing between 20-30% of our new advisors are women or people of color. While those numbers may not seem impressive, it is nearly double that of the industry average.

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