Next Street is a legally recognized B Corporation – which stands for “Benefit Corporation.” It is in many ways an ideal example of a Benefit Corporation, for its basic business model is about creating social benefit through the operation of a profitable business. Next Street provides financing and financial advisory services to urban small businesses and nonprofits. These firms provide jobs for more than 4,000 people and bring in $600 million in annual revenue. More than half of the businesses served are located in low-to-moderate income communities and 75 percent are women- or minority-owned. B-Lab, a nonprofit which certifies B-corporations based on their social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency, awards Next Street, high marks for its treatment of its workers and its transparent policies —all employees receive a living wage, and its transparent policies. More than 60 percent of Next Street’s significant suppliers are local and independent.