From the worlds of nursing and academia, to founding the first carbon negative rum distillery – all whilst battling a pandemic, recessions, and settling into a life as a husband and wife business team! Take a break from what you are doing today to meet Gemma Wakeham, and learn from her experiences in business. You’ll be pleased you did!
“Born out of an idea whilst working in Vancouver, Canada and brought to reality in 2019. Two Drifters is a distillery founded by Russ and Gemma Wakeham a husband and wife team from Devon. From Gemma and Russ’s first date (rum tasting) through to their honeymoon (St. Lucia) rum has been at the heart of every major event (and most Friday nights). The name Two Drifters comes from Gemma walking up the aisle on their wedding day to Moon River and both knowing that it meant, ‘Two Drifters off to see the world.’ Chemistry took Russ and Gemma far and wide, but they both knew that Devon was home and where they wanted to be.”
Take 10 minutes out of your day and get to know more of their story as Gemma chats with Andi Davies, and about this amazing B Corp Certified (and delicious-drink-producing) Devon business!
What does it mean to be carbon negative?
Being carbon negative means that an entity or an activity removes more carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere than it emits. This is achieved by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through various methods, such as afforestation, reforestation, and carbon capture and storage.
Carbon negative activities go beyond carbon neutrality, which refers to the state in which an entity or an activity doesn’t emit any more greenhouse gases than it removes from the atmosphere. Being carbon negative can contribute to slowing down or reversing the impacts of climate change by reducing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Examples of carbon-negative activities include planting trees and restoring degraded land, building carbon capture and storage infrastructure, and developing technologies that remove carbon dioxide from the air, such as direct air capture.
Take a look at exactly how Two Drifters achieve this here.
Why would a company aim to achieve B Corp certification?
A company might aim to achieve B Corp status to demonstrate its commitment to social and environmental sustainability. B Corp certification is a third-party certification program that evaluates a company’s performance in areas such as social and environmental impact, transparency, and accountability.
B Corps are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. The certification process involves an assessment of a company’s impact on its workers, customers, community, and the environment. The B Corp certification process is rigorous, and companies must meet high standards to achieve certification.
B Corp status can provide a company with several benefits, including:
- Differentiation: B Corp certification can help a company differentiate itself from its competitors and stand out in the marketplace.
- Access to capital: B Corps may have an advantage in accessing capital from investors who prioritize sustainability and social impact.
- Talent attraction: B Corps are often attractive to employees who are passionate about social and environmental sustainability.
- Increased customer loyalty: Customers are increasingly interested in buying from companies that prioritize sustainability and social impact.
- Improved supplier relationships: B Corp certification can help a company build stronger relationships with suppliers who share the same values.
Overall, B Corp status can help a company align its values with its business practices and create a positive impact on society and the environment, just like Two Drifters do!
