PICnet (www.picnet.net), a website development company with offices in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, recently received certification as a B Corporation. A B Corporation is recognized as a new kind of company which uses the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. This certification is reviewed and approved by B Lab, a nonprofit organization focused on establishing comprehensive and transparent standards of social and environmental performance and accountability.

PICnet's commitment to bringing affordable and open source technology to nonprofit organizations worldwide, as well as its socially responsible business practices, has enabled it to earn this distinction from B Lab. PICnet has provided Web technology solutions, such as their Non-Profit Soapbox service (www.nonprofitsoapbox.com) to more than 350 organizations, including the United Way, the United States Congress, and the American Cancer Society.

Ryan Ozimek, CEO and co-founder of PICnet, said, "we're proud of this terrific distinction, and excited to receive such certification of the efforts we provide on a daily basis to the nonprofit and public sectors. Using open source tools, like Joomla!, enables our organizations to more effectively leverage the power of the Internet while maintaining a strong focus on their missions."

In order to qualify as a B Corporation, PICnet had to pass several intense social and environmental standards which verify that the company understands and adheres to B Lab's mission and focus on people, profits, and planet.

"The metrics used by B Lab encourage us to continually raise the bar in our efforts to grow a profitable business while also building a socially responsible company," Ozimek said.

PICnet is proud to encourage all business leaders to learn more about B Corporation and determine how their companies can go beyond the bottom line and meet the high standards set by B Lab.

About PICnet
PICnet empowers socially responsible businesses and nonprofit organizations with Web technology that allows them to cut through the online chatter and connect with their customers and constituents. Building websites worthy of their clients' missions, PICnet focuses its efforts on rooting out inefficiencies and creating online communication mediums that multiply their clients' efforts to build a better world. PICnet harnesses the power of Web technology, enabling organizations to:

• tell their stories more persuasively;


• engage with individuals to transform them into active participants, funders, and advocates more efficiently; and


• integrate with the tools and services they use on the wider web more seamlessly.

For more information, please visit www.picnet.net.

About B Lab
B Lab is a nonprofit organization dedicated to using the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. B Lab drives systemic change through three interrelated initiatives: 1) building a community of Certified B Corporations to make it easier for all of us to tell the difference between "good companies" and just good marketing; 2) accelerating the growth of the impact investing asset class through use of B Lab's GIIRS impact rating system by institutional investors; and 3) promoting supportive public policies, including creation of a new corporate form and tax, procurement, and investment incentives for sustainable business.

PICnet

PICnet

PICnet empowers socially responsible businesses and non-profit organizations with Web technology that allows our clients to cut through the online chatter and connect with their customers and constituents. We build websites worthy of our clients' missions, sites that multiply their efforts to build a better world. Call it added efficiency. Call it increased effectiveness.

It's not Web 2.0 - it's Web squared.

We harness the power of Web technology that allows our clients to:

• tell their stories more persuasively;
• engage with people to transform them into active participants, funders, and advocates more efficiently; and
• integrate with the tools and services they use on the wider web more seamlessly.

So whether it's our custom Web development services, or our affordable and powerful Non-Profit Soapbox services, we're leveraging the power of the Internet to bring socially responsible businesses and non-profit organizations' stories to the world.

We believe we have a responsibility to ensure the long-term success of our clients and services. Rather than the industry norm of churn-and-burn, we remain deeply connected with our clients after the launch of their site, providing a helping hand throughout the lifecycle of their website. This long-term and sustainable business goal means that we needed to build business practices that bucked the trend of the typical Web development firm.

All PICnetters are empowered to follow the PICnet Salon Experience, where organizations and socially responsible businesses are treated respectfully for the great work they provide to society. We believe that relationships are more powerful than the tools. Successful Web development starts with powerful and respectful relationships, not technology.

We seek out smaller non-profits and socially responsible businesses to deliver considerable discounts, enabling them to more easily afford the Web communication tools that can enable them to more effectively reach their goals. In 2009, we kicked off our Soapbox Launchpad Grant, assisting a number of small non-profit organizations reach out to their communities.

We're heavily involved in open source technology communities, because we believe that there are strong opportunities for collaboration and sharing technology solutions that lower barriers to entry for organizations to connect with their communities. Our CEO is President of Joomla's Board of Directors, one of the world's largest open source projects, and our team consistently seeks out open source solutions that are both sustainable and effective for our clients.

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