The Law Office of Lara Pearson Ltd.

, PBC
PROTECTING THE BRANDS THAT ARE CHANGING THE WORLD
Lara@BrandGeek.net | 775.833.1600 | www.BrandGeek.Net
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2016 Nevada Benefit Corporation Report

Of the Law Office of Lara Pearson Ltd, PBC / Brand Geek
By its President & Chief Pontificator, Lara Pearson
Introduction & Mission
Brand Geek lovingly and creatively cultivates brand protection strategies for social
enterprises. Brand Geeks fun-loving leader, Lara Pearson, hopes to inspire others
through her passion for branding law and soulful, multiple-bottom-line business,
where enterprises measure and manage their environmental and social impact
alongside their profitability.
Brand Geek believes that its impact extends far beyond traditional expectations of
providing quality, timely professional services to its clients. Because companies are
managed by people, everything that an organizations people do effects that
enterprises impact on its stakeholders and communities. Brand Geek works to
leverage and increase the positive impact that it creates, directly through its
operations, as well as indirectly through the clients it represents and to mitigate the
negative impacts necessitated simply by being in business.
Benefit corporations are a type of legal entity that have committed to environmentally
and socially conscious values by codifying those values in their companys governing
documents, i.e., their charters or articles of incorporation. Brand Geek shares common
values with, and has adopted the same general benefit purpose as, many of the
worlds largest B Corps including Patagonia, King Arthur Flour, and Ben and Jerrys.
Brand Geeks policies reflect its core values and mission and govern each decision that
the company makes at a fundamental level.
In addition to providing the statutorily required information, this report also highlights
some of Brand Geeks socially and environmentally responsible practices and policies.

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The Law Office of Lara Pearson Ltd., PBC

PROTECTING THE BRANDS THAT ARE CHANGING THE WORLD
Lara@BrandGeek.net | 775.833.1600 | www.BrandGeek.Net
Laraslight |

Facebook.com/TheBrandGeek |

linkedin.com/in/brandgeek

Benefit Corporation Status

Brand Geek has been a Certified B Corp since February, 2008 and also holds the honor
of being Nevada's first benefit corporation. Lara was so excited for Brand Geek to
become Nevadas first benefit corporation, she faxed in her amended Articles of
Incorporation to the Nevada Secretary of States office at 12:00 am on January 2,
2014, the earliest possible moment at which to become a benefit corporation in the
state of Nevada.

How the benefit corporation pursued a general public benefit and the
extent to which general public benefit was created during 2015.
The Law Office of Lara Pearson Ltd, PBC d/b/a Brand Geek ("Brand Geek") pursued a
general public benefit by operating in an environmentally and socially conscious
manner.
Environmental Consciousness ~ Protecting the Natural Environment
Brand Geek is a member of 1% for the Planet. In 2015, Brand Geek made cash
donations in the amount of 3.5% of its gross revenue plus pro bono work equivalent
to 6.5% of its gross revenue to environmental NGOs, for a total of 10% of gross
revenue donated to environmental groups. The groups that Brand Geek supported in
2015 include Communitere, Green America, Mountain Area Preservation, Rock the
Earth, Social Venture Network (SVN), the Sustainable Apparel Coalition and the Tahoe
Water Suppliers Association.
Since March 2015, Lara has been on-the-move. She worked from anywhere she could
secure internet access, including co-working spaces at the Tahoe Mill Collective and
the Boulder Impact Hub, friends couches, coffee shops around the country and the
back of her Subaru Forester. Measuring office emissions for a roving office is
challenging, to say the least. To counterbalance Brand Geeks immeasurable,
presumably increased emissions and the environmental impact of Laras recently
nomadic lifestyle, Brand Geek purchased Green-e Certified Renewable Energy
Certificates (RECs) from BEF equivalent to 200% of its travel emissions, 210% of last
years (2014s) office emissions, and 200% of emissions from paper consumption,
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The Law Office of Lara Pearson Ltd., PBC

PROTECTING THE BRANDS THAT ARE CHANGING THE WORLD
Lara@BrandGeek.net | 775.833.1600 | www.BrandGeek.Net
Laraslight |

Facebook.com/TheBrandGeek |

linkedin.com/in/brandgeek

which was around two reams of Give Something Back brand FSC Certified acid-free
100% recycled paper (2 boxes purchased in 2013 have lasted forever!).
Social Consciousness ~ Caring for the People in our Communities
Brand Geek loves and cares about people and passionately enjoys supporting others.
Lara creates direct social impact by counseling clients who are saving the world and
by donating legal services to groups that protect and care for others and our planet.
Lara is gifted at connecting people who then create amazing things together and using
these skills, she has helped grow the SVN and B Corp Communities.
Lara always considers the impact of her business decisions on Brand Geek's
stakeholders, namely, Brand Geeks clients, contractors, vendors, peers, the local
communities of Lake Tahoe and Boulder and the membership organizations to which
she belongs, including 1% for the Planet, SVN and B Corp.

Circumstances that hindered the benefit corporations creation of

general public benefit during 2015.
Brand Geek met its obligation to create public benefit during 2015, but it failed to
meet one other very significant obligation.
While this is Brand Geek's first benefit report, this is not Brand Geek's first benefit
reporting period. Under Nevada law, benefit corporations must publish a benefit report
120 days after the end of each fiscal calendar year that they are a benefit corporation.
Brand Geeks fiscal year ends on December 31 so its first benefit report was due to
be published by April 30, 2015.
While the United Supreme Court ruled corporations to be people, thats ridiculous.
Corporations are not people any more than people are apples. (Overturn Citizens
United!) Corporations are however, run by people. In fact, we all know that the real
magic behind most soulful, multiple-bottom-line, social enterprises is the people who
run them. People screw up sometimes. They face challenges that seem
insurmountable. They fail to write benefit reports.
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The Law Office of Lara Pearson Ltd., PBC

PROTECTING THE BRANDS THAT ARE CHANGING THE WORLD
Lara@BrandGeek.net | 775.833.1600 | www.BrandGeek.Net
Laraslight |

Facebook.com/TheBrandGeek |

linkedin.com/in/brandgeek

And so it was with Lara in 2015. Lara left Exemplar Law in early March, 2015. A couple
weeks later, Lara was fired from her marriage and forced to sell a house she purchased
eight months earlier. These significant life changes hindered Laras ability to focus on
getting some things done, including issuing Brand Geeks 2014 benefit report.
Overcoming the personal challenges Lara faced in 2015, led her to adopt a fairly
nomadic lifestyle. Since early 2015, Lara rarely spent more than a few weeks
consecutively in any one location and she worked from anywhere she could gain
internet access, including co-working spaces, friend's homes, coffee shops and the
back of her Subaru Forester. She then realized that measuring office emissions for a
nomad's roving office is near impossible. A nomadic lifestyle means increased travel,
which means increased carbon emissions from travel. In order to account for the
increased environmental harm from Laras current lifestyle, Brand Geek purchased
Green-e Certified Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) equivalent to 200% of its
travel emissions, plus 210% of 2014s office emissions, plus 200% of emissions from
paper consumption (nominal since Brand Geek used less than 2 reams of Give
Something Back brand FSC Certified, acid free, 100% recycled paper annually).

The process and rationale for selecting the third party standard used
to prepare this benefit report.
Brand Geek selected B Labs B Impact Assessment as the third party standard used
to prepare this benefit report because it is the most comprehensive evaluation tool of
an enterprises environmental and social performance.

Statement of connection between the organization that established

the third-party standard in this benefit report and the benefit
corporation.
B Lab is the non-profit that administers the B Impact Assessment Survey which Brand
Geek uses as its third-party standard. Businesses that score 80/200 on the BIA are
eligible to become Certified B Corps, which Brand Geek has been since February, 2008.
Brand Geek pays dues to B Lab for that certification in the amount of $500 annually.
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The Law Office of Lara Pearson Ltd., PBC

PROTECTING THE BRANDS THAT ARE CHANGING THE WORLD
Lara@BrandGeek.net | 775.833.1600 | www.BrandGeek.Net
Laraslight |

Facebook.com/TheBrandGeek |

linkedin.com/in/brandgeek

Whether assessment of the overall social and environmental

performance of the benefit corporation against a third-party standard
was applied consistently with application of that standard in prior
benefit reports.
This is Brand Geeks first (albeit late) benefit report, thus this Section does not apply.
Brand Geek has completed the BIA every two years (2008, 2010, 2012, 2014 and
2016) and has applied the standard consistently.

Whether the benefit corporation failed in any material respect to

pursue its general public benefit purpose during 2015.
Brand Geek may have failed to write a benefit report in 2015, but it did not fail to
meet its general purpose mission, which is to be a good, thoughtful and kind company.

Name of Benefit Director

Yup, you guessed it. Lara Pearson is Brand Geeks Benefit Director.

Benefit Director Statement whether the benefit corporation acted in

accordance with its general public benefit purpose and whether
directors complied with their duty to consider the impact of decisions
on stakeholders.
Brand Geek rocked its general public benefit purpose last year and Lara complied with
her duty to consider the impact of her decisions on Brand Geeks stakeholders.

Governance and Commitment to Sustainable Practices

Brand Geek considers its environmental and social impact a primary measure of
success, and prioritizes furthering these bottom lines even when it may impact
profitability. Brand Geek is committed to being a good and soulful company at all
levels of its business model. Working with other socially conscious enterprises, Brand
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The Law Office of Lara Pearson Ltd., PBC

PROTECTING THE BRANDS THAT ARE CHANGING THE WORLD
Lara@BrandGeek.net | 775.833.1600 | www.BrandGeek.Net
Laraslight |

Facebook.com/TheBrandGeek |

linkedin.com/in/brandgeek

Geek seeks to continually learn new best practices and to lead by example while
inspiring others through its passionate pursuit of sustainable practices.

Diversity & Inclusion

Lara Pearson, owner of Brand Geek, is a proud female business owner. Brand Geek
prioritizes working with suppliers that emphasize the role of women and other
underrepresented groups in their operations, and gives preference to suppliers owned
by women and other underrepresented groups. In 2015, 40% of Brand Geeks
Significant Suppliers were woman-owned. Go girls!

Improvements for the Future

Brand Geek is proud of what it has accomplished as part of the movement to
revolutionize business by using business as a catalyst for good. Brand Geek continues
to seek new ways to increase its positive social and environmental impact.

Summary
Brand Geek is dedicated to making a difference by operating mindfully and providing
thoughtful and creative brand protection strategies to other benefit corporations and
organizations that have a serious commitment to environmental sustainability and
social responsibility. To Brand Geek, business has a meaningful purpose in the world:
(a) to create financial abundance; (b) to protect and preserve the planet and (c) to
honor and support those in our communities. Brand Geek has proven that responsible
social and environmental values need not negatively impact economic viability. Always
focused on the future, Brand Geek continues to seek best practices in making the
world a better place while providing invaluable legal counsel to other soulful
enterprises.

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