Kin + Carta Proves You Can Run A Business For Good

Just last week, digital transformation consultancy Kin + Carta became the first publicly-traded business on the London Stock Exchange to gain B Corp status. And for good reason. 

“It’s a really big deal.”

Kelly Manthey is Kin+Carta’s Group Chief Executive for the Americas. Kin + Carta, a London-based company, is all over the world. Manthey is responsible for North and South America. She could not be prouder of what the company has achieved in a short time. 

“[We said that] In 5 years we’re going to achieve [our goals]. 

“We have three of them: one is to be the first publicly traded BCorp on the London stock exchange. 

“Another is to be an internationally recognized “best place to work.” 

“The third is to be a billion-pound market share business.”

If you want to know where Kin + Carta is headed – just look upward. 

What Is A Digital Transformation Consultancy?

Before they became Kin + Carta, they were several companies working in consultancy and technology. It wasn’t until 2020 that they came together and became a digital transformation consultancy. 

“Everything today that companies are dealing with … there’s a technology component or a digital interface that’s usually at the core of solving the problem. 

“So, oftentimes we’ll start with what’s the problem to solve: What’s the business opportunity? What outcomes are our clients trying to drive? 

“Sometimes it’s around innovation and they want to be first to market … to innovate in their space … to be a leader in their space. 

“Sometimes it’s modernizing something they already have – a platform or an experience. 

“They need a partner that knows where things are headed. They need a partner to come in and help get them expertise, scale on something they’re already doing. 

“They’ll bring us in and we’ll help them drive the outcomes that they’re looking to drive for their business.”

Running A Business As A Force For Good

It’s reasonable for most of us to look at large companies with some major side-eye. Kin + Carta means it. 

“At the heart of what we do we do it all with the mind and eye towards the broader impact that we can make as a business. 

“We operate a triple bottom line business – Profit. People. Planet.

“We’ve made a commitment to be a B corporation – which means we aren’t just in business to drive profitability. 

“Profit is important, it’s the lifeblood of a business – but we owe a responsibility to our people and to our planet. 

“And, so, when you operate as a triple bottom line business it means that when you engage with us as a partner, we’re going to keep all of those things in mind. 

“We’re going to balance decision-making around all of those things. 

“So, our clients know that when they engage with us, they are all about supporting working with someone with a bigger ambition.” 

That ambition for something greater has attracted a large, diverse group of talent. Frankly, it’s impressive how many employees Kin + Carta has attracted. 

“Last year, our last fiscal year, we hired 449 new people in the business.

“I do office hours every week to meet with people coming into the business and learn more about them. A lot of why people come and choose to work for us is because of the ambition – being a socially responsible business.

“And, just last year we won awards around some of the best places to work – we won ten workplace awards. 

“Consulting Magazine listed us as one of the best places to work in consulting. Best place for innovators. 

“People can bring their whole selves to work. We’re at the center of what’s exciting in technology – I’m super proud of that.”

The Bright Future for Kin + Carta … And Our World

Considering that they reached their five-year goals in one year, it’s not hard to imagine the success Kin + Carta is potentially looking at. 

“I believe business is the greatest platform for change.

“The 449 people we brought into the company – we didn’t just bring 449 people. 

“We improved our gender diversity profile in the US by 23% – our ethnic minority representation by 27% – our total LGBTQ representation by 10%.

“With growth, with momentum, and the growth trajectory we’re on comes a huge opportunity to be the change we want to see. 

“The tech business is historically terrible when it comes to diversity. We had the opportunity to actually do something with all those jobs we had open. 

“We’re just getting started. We’ve got lots of work to still do.”

For Kelly Manthey, she’s optimistic not just about the future of Kin + Carta, but the future she’s creating for her own kids. 

“As a female in tech business leader group CEO who’s a mom who has two boys at home who are watching me – all they know is that moms are CEOs – that moms work in technology – that moms go to work every day and dads can do laundry and moms can get a hammer out too. 

“I’m really seeing the micro changes that my children are able to witness. 

“I feel that responsibility for changing the narrative that’s out there. We can do this. With great growth comes great responsibility and greater impact that we can drive and lots of work to do still. 

“We’re doing it.”

Keep an eye on Kin + Carta in the coming years. It’s endlessly refreshing to see a large corporation with its priorities focused on the larger picture.