About the Rising Kind

  • The Rising Kind exists for business leaders who feel the tension between the way things are and the way they could be.

    Leaders working to turn values into real, measurable action inside their companies. Leaders who believe business can be a force for good, and know it takes more than intention to make that real.

    Because no one builds a better business, or a better future, alone.

    This work can be complex. It can feel isolating. And for many, there isn’t a clear playbook.

    That’s why The Rising Kind is building a cohort experience.

    A space to learn, apply, and build alongside other leaders doing the same work. To share what’s working, ask better questions, and move forward with more clarity and support.

    Because when we move from isolation to shared learning, the work becomes more effective.

    And more sustainable.

  • Based out of Portland Maine where we have an actively working water front, we believe that a rising tide lifts all boats, and we are the kind that rise.

    Because resilience is quiet.

    Because systems do not change overnight. They change when people persist.

    Because even when knocked down, there is a kind of person who rises again. Not alone. Together.

    The word kind comes from kin. From belonging. From shared humanity.

    It speaks to the type of people we choose to be.
    It speaks to who we claim as ours.
    It speaks to the way we move through the world.

    In a moment when cruelty is loud and division is profitable, kindness can feel soft.

    It is not.

    Kindness is disciplined.
    Kindness is principled.
    Kindness defends dignity.
    Kindness builds systems where more people can thrive.

    To be the Rising Kind is not just to be hopeful.

    It is to be the kind of people who rise, again and again, for one another, for the planet, for a future rooted in human dignity.

    We are bound by shared values.
    We are strengthened by shared support.
    We are sustained by community.

    We are the Rising Kind.

    If you are building something that serves more than yourself, you belong here.

  • The beginings of this are from Benn Marine, to learn more about him and what he stands for, keep scrolling.

  • One of the prerequisites for becoming a Certified B Corp is that you have been in business for at least a year. And while Benn has been in this work for over two decades and been part of the B Corp movement since 2019, the Rising Kind is a new social enterprise venture launching in the spring of 2026. We are currently working to abide by all of the requirements of the B Impact Assessment V2.2 (the current standards) so that when we reach one complete year, we can submit our assessment, complete the verification process and officially become B Corp Certified.

  • While we develop and build the Rising Kind there will be multiple levels of support. Free resources and insights that will be available for free include articles on the site, podcast episodes, and templates/resources that will be sent to email subscribers. We will also offer a paid community membership which will give you access to learning journeys and courses as well as opportunities to connect with others in the work and benefit from shared resources. And last but not least we have professional services that are available now via 1:1 coaching, group trainings, impact consulting, and B Corp certification and recertification support.

Hi! I’m Benn!

My first attempt at organizing was in the wake of the Columbine shooting in 1999. I started a SAVE chapter, Students Against Violence Everywhere, at my high school because I didn’t know what else to do with the grief and urgency I felt.

I’ve been working to create change in my own way ever since.

Over the last two decades, that work has taken different forms. I’ve supported grassroots campaigns fighting for dignity and justice in every role from community organizer to Statewide Field Director and as a consultant to national organizations like the National LGBTQ Taskforce. I worked on Marriage Equality in Maine, Rhode Island, Oregon, New Jersey, and Indiana; Non-Discrimination campaigns in Florida, Utah, and Idaho; and Ranked Choice Voting in Maine and Minnesota.

I’ve also worked in the private sector supporting companies to measure and improve their impact on people and the planet through certifying and recertifying as B Corps including for Stonyfield Organic, True Botanicals, Allagash Brewing and more. I teach business and sustainability students how to affect change at the University of New Hampshire’s Sustainability Institute as an adjunct professor for their B impact Clinic. I’ve been an advisor and consultant to nonprofits to help them build capacity. And I continue to wear many hats in my own community supporting organizations and efforts that are important to me.

March 2024 Benn Shares his experience as a trans man with the B Corp community at Champions Retreat in Vancouver, BC. The video is 5:34 in length.

I’m also a trans man.

That experience has shaped how I understand power, belonging, and systems. It has taught me what it feels like to navigate institutions that were not built with you in mind, and how much stronger those systems become when they are designed with intention.

It is also what drives my work today.

I help business leaders turn their values into systems that actually work. Systems that attract and retain talented people. Systems that build trust with customers. Systems that make companies more resilient and better positioned to grow.

Because values on their own do not create change. How a business operates does.

Over the last two decades, I’ve worked across organizing, advocacy, and business, supporting leaders who are trying to build something better. Along the way, I’ve been honored with the Broderson’s Kevin Fahrman Award for Community Impact (2025), the B Keeper of the Year Award from Maine B Corps (2024), and the Outfront Leadership Award from EqualityMaine (2014).

June 2025 Benn receives the Inaugural Kevin Fahrman Award for Community Impact. Read more about that here.

What I’ve seen whether working for nonprofits or for profit organizations is that the context changes, but the throughline does not. The people doing this work are striving to build organizations where people feel valued, create in ways that contribute more than they extract, and strengthen the communities they are part of. When done well, these are not just ideals. They become a competitive advantage—stronger teams, deeper customer loyalty, and more durable, trusted brands.

And this work can feel isolating, especially for the people responsible for carrying it forward inside a business. The Rising Kind exists to change that. It is a place to build the skills, systems, and support needed to move from intention to impact, alongside others doing the same work.

We build better businesses. And a better future. We Are the Rising Kind.