Food Service That Serves the People

Allison Gibson of Paintbox Catering and Bistro Combines an Employee-First Approach with Green Living Principles to Create Impact Through the Food Industry

Allison Gibson is part owner and operational director of Paintbox Catering and Bistro, a Certified B Corporation in Toronto dedicated to creating healthy and delicious food that supports a sustainable food economy.

Gibson and the Paintbox team provide creative food offerings while striving to fight poverty, promote environmental sustainability, and build a better future. Paintbox uses its bistro to provide employment to those who need it most and is committed to reducing its environmental footprint with every dish served. With impact at the heart of everything it stands for, Paintbox hopes to become a model of social justice, profitability and sustainability for others in the food industry.

This episode of the Grow Ensemble Podcast highlights Paintbox’s dedication to change and Gibson’s story. She provides insight into her thoughts on culture and leadership and how those thoughts influence the company’s core values, practices and success. She also shares how she has been able to achieve and maintain a successful work/life balance and explains how B Corp certification was an early reason why companies and customers chose to work with Paintbox over others.

Paintbox Catering and Bistro is part of the community of businesses that have used a third-party verification of their impact. Use the free B Impact Assessment to evaluate your company’s impact on all stakeholders, including the environment, your workers, your community and your customers.

Tune in to our chat with Gibson for these key takeaways:

• Learn more about her and her current role at Paintbox, as well as what drew her to the social enterprise style of work in the first place.
• How Paintbox uses an open-door management and leadership style and operates to serve the community.
• Gibson’s method for bridging the gap between Paintbox employees and their social needs.
• Paintbox’s growth story and how the B Corp has adjusted to the ever-changing market.

B the Change gathers and shares the voices from within the movement of people using business as a force for good and the community of Certified B Corporations. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the nonprofit B Lab.

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Food Service That Serves the People was originally published in B the Change on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Source: B the Change