Today we’re excited to share the news that LunarLab is now officially a Public Benefit Corporation. Our customers, partners, and mentees can expect to continue seeing us offer the same high quality UX Design and Product Strategy services that we’re known for. What’s changing is that in addition to that best-in-class service, we’re focused on making a positive social and economic impact within our community.

Good design and social impact are a natural fit. The best design work is always the work that puts people at the heart of the design. And when design is truly centered around people, it must include all people regardless of their race, age, ability or disability, socioeconomic background, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender expression, marital status, religion, sexual orientation, neurodiversity, physical appearance, color, veteran status, or any other lived experiences. When we really consider the needs of all those people using tech products, it becomes clear that we should do what’s right and use tech to make the world a better place for them.

What is a Benefit Corporation?

Simply put, a benefit corporation is a for-profit company focused on making the world a better place. This means that public benefit is part of the legal structure of the company, and must be considered when making decisions for the company. Public benefit means that the company considers a positive effect (or a reduction in negative effects) in society or in the environment.

Benefit corporations are a relatively new company structure in the state of Alabama. Trailblazers like CAVU and Sachai Tea Co. led the way in our state as some of the earliest companies to become benefit corporations. However, LunarLab and other Alabama Benefit Corporations are joining the ranks of well-known and beloved national brands like Patagonia, Plum Organics, Ben & Jerry’s, and Toms.

How did LunarLab become a Public Benefit Corporation?

When Kelli and I first dreamed up the idea of LunarLab, we knew right away that our company wasn’t just about us. We had worked in the tech industry for the majority of our careers and knew that many tech products caused social, economic, and environmental harm. A lot of these products were simply never designed to be inclusive, human-centered, or ethical. We’ve always believed that we are responsible for the products we create, so since Day 1 (and before!) LunarLab has focused on designing apps with an eye towards social good.

Additionally, we know that women and people of color who found startups are the least likely to receive funding, resources, and support. So many amazing companies are not afforded the same opportunities as others simply because their founders are from a historically excluded demographic group. This just doesn’t sit well with us. Even though we’re a small business, we wanted to do everything we could to help these founders succeed. Early on in our company, we started mentoring new startups and absolutely loved being able to provide support and guidance to overlooked, underestimated founders.

Since the inception of LunarLab, we have:

• Designed products to prevent unethical use as much as possible
• Mentored new founders, opened our networks to them, and provided as much support as possible
• Worked to create more inclusive software solutions
• Baked DEI into our core values from day 1
• Provided free training to others in the tech community to help them make more inclusive products
• Provided guidance to our clients on creating more ethical and inclusive tech
• Delivered a public annual report to create transparency and accountability
• … And even turned down work that did not meet our standards for ethics and inclusion!

With all of that in place already, it just made sense to codify it into the legal structure of our company.

What’s changing at LunarLab?

To officially become a benefit corporation, the only thing we had to change was our name.  Instead of “LunarLab, LLC”, we’re now “LunarLab Benefit LLC”.  We were already meeting the legal requirements, and since the very beginning of our company we have always worked to provide social benefit.

We’re still providing the same high quality services you’ve come to expect from us. The biggest change for us is that going forward, we will set actionable goals around the social impact work we’ve always done. Our primary goals will be to:

• Provide pro-bono mentoring for founders from historically excluded groups
• Donate a larger portion of profits to ethical, sustainable causes
• Volunteer on projects aimed at creating a more inclusive, ethical, and sustainable tech industry

What’s next for LunarLab?

If you know us, you know we’re shooting for the moon! Our next goal will be to become B Lab Certified. This will be a big undertaking, but we also know it will hold us accountable to our goals. In the meantime, you’ll be able to read about our progress in next year’s annual report, which will be publicly available on our website. As our company grows, we hope to expand our social impact goals so that we can do more good in the world.