Real Stories, Bold Action, and a Call to Collective Courage
- Cecilia Hough
- Sep 25
- 4 min read
B Lab Singapore at Impact Week 2025
Impact Week 2025, the Well-being Economic Conference & Festival, brought together a powerful community of purpose-led leaders and system builders, all working towards shaping a future rooted in well-being, equity, and regeneration. Convened by Tsao Pao Chee (TPC) and the No. 17 Foundation, the event pulsed with bold ideas and heartfelt storytelling across panels, workshops, and community gatherings.
B Lab Singapore was honoured to curate and moderate a panel discussion on 17 September titled: Real Stories, Bold Action, A Call to Collective Courage. The session invited attendees to move beyond frameworks and data, and into the heart of what drives change: human courage. Moderated by Cecilia Hough, Impact Management and Community Engagement Lead at B Lab Singapore, the conversation brought together an exceptional lineup of panellists:
Simeon Cheng, Group Director – Sustainability, Vitasoy International Holdings Ltd.
Guillemette Forato, Project Manager South-East Asia, BlueYou
Munas van Boonstra, Managing Director, Southeast Asia, Monks
Together, they explored the power of conviction, vulnerability, and community in building a regenerative and inclusive future.
Event Highlights & Key Themes
Courage or Credentials?
The panel opened with a critical reflection: Why does courage matter more than credentials when leading for impact?
The panellists shared a unanimous belief: it’s not the letters after your name, but the risks you take and the stands you make that move systems. Whether persuading teams, winning over boards, or championing first-movers like farmers in the supply chain, change leadership requires courage far more than credentials.
From Idea to Action: A Bold Experiment
Shaping a regenerative future begins with bold, sometimes messy, experimentation.
Guillemette Forato shared a story of planting a single mangrove to kick off BlueYou’s regenerative aquaculture program in Kalimantan. That first reforestation project became the blueprint for a larger-scale restoration effort. This is a tangible reminder that even ambitious transformations start with humble first steps.
Collaboration as Collective Courage
Simeon Cheng emphasized the importance of collaboration across companies to support small-scale farmers. By sharing sustainability audits across multiple manufacturers and buyers, the burden on individual farmers is reduced, costs are lowered, and assurance improves across the supply chain. Courage becomes collective when systems are redesigned to include the most vulnerable, and when large companies (and even competitors) collaborate.
Living B Corp Values Beyond Certification
Munas van Boonstra offered a candid view into the ongoing courage it takes to live out B Corp values. Saying "no" to misaligned clients, even at the cost of losing large contracts, or cutting back on international travel to reduce environmental impact, requires daily conviction. Being a B Corp is not a one-time act, but a continuous test of values.
Simeon agreed that certification is just the beginning and shared the ongoing commitment it takes to expand B Corp practices across global operations. He highlighted the importance of prioritising areas of improvement identified, while managing daily business demands.
The Barriers to Courage
Fear, whether it is fear of failure, uncertainty, or letting people down, was named as one of the most common inhibitors to courageous action. The panel stressed the importance of agility and the willingness to pivot when things don't go as planned. Leaders often have to act before they have all the information or complete data. Guillemette shared that a lot of time can be wasted waiting for full buy-in or perfect data. Courage isn’t fearlessness, it’s action in spite of fear.
Can Courage Be Measured?
An intriguing question arose: Can we measure courage in a world that prefers data to anecdotes? The panel agreed: B Corp certification itself is a demonstration of courage, as it is a public commitment to transparency and progress.
Simeon spoke about the importance of being honest with investors about where you are today, setting clear intentions, and demonstrating progress over time. While it may not always be possible to present a perfect set of data, it’s essential to communicate a commitment to improvement and accountability.
Munas added that storytelling remains an underutilised but powerful tool for making values visible. Companies need to be authentic and bold in telling their stories. This in itself requires courage, especially in a landscape where concerns about impact-washing may make organisations hesitant to step into the spotlight. The solution? Ground storytelling in data, authenticity, and purpose.
Acknowledgements and Reflections
B Lab Singapore would like to thank the speakers for sharing their stories, their courage, and their calls to action. We would also like to thank TPC, the No. 17 Foundation, and the event partners, for providing this platform for important discussions, and for bringing together thought leaders and impact architects to co-create the future we want to live in.
B Lab Singapore is honoured to have contributed to this year’s Impact Week by curating a conversation that went beyond certification frameworks and strategy, and into soul. As we continue to build a community of businesses acting as a force for good, we invite all changemakers to keep asking bold questions, telling real stories, and taking brave action.
This panel was a powerful reminder that courage is contagious—and when shared, it becomes a movement.
In a world on fire, your story matters! What will you risk, what will you heal, and what will you stand for?
Learn more about the B Corps featured in this post, including their unique approaches to sustainability and social impact.
Vitasoy: Explore their two-pronged Sustainability Framework - Making the Right Products and Making Products the Right Way.
BlueYou: Discover their Blueprint for restorative mangrove aquaculture at scale, implemented through the Selva Shrimp program in Kalimantan.
Monks: See how this service company developed a robust ESG strategy and achieved measurable progress on environmental and sustainability goals.
We are always expanding our movement. If the above spoke to you, and you are part of a business that places impact at the heart of what you do, get in touch with us to be part of the B Corp community! Connect with us, subscribe to our newsletter, and attend our upcoming events.
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