160 Companies. 300 leaders. One gathering.
Inside B Corp's Assembly 2025
The Windstorm of Purpose We Didn’t See Coming
“Don’t just lean in, hang on.”
The opening words from B Lab AANZ CEO Andrew Davies set the tone for Assembly 2025 and for three days, that’s exactly what unfolded.
More than 300 purpose-led leaders gathered on Darkinjung Country to unplug from the noise and lean into the real work of change. This wasn’t a conference for presentations or pitch decks. It was a gathering for reflection, courage, and the kind of conversations that don’t fit neatly on a slide.
Our Chief Purpose Officer, Jennifer McMahon, joined the experience, part learning, part reckoning and returned with stories that remind us what’s possible when leadership, humility, and imagination meet.
What We Witnessed
🎬 Hope in motion
A 16-year-old filmmaker and Futures Council member, Ruby Rodgers, gave every leader in the room a reason to believe in what’s next. Her voice carried a truth many of us needed to hear: the next generation isn’t waiting for permission to lead.
🐠 Leadership, redefined
In a powerful fishbowl session, Matthew Nation and Alison Michalk explored the shift from control to collective ownership — where purpose, shared value and humility reshape how organisations lead.
🕊️ Letting go
“To let go of self-sovereignty is to let go of all the trauma, because it’s not about me, it’s about what’s of value to us,” said Toi Iti. A reminder that courage often begins where certainty ends.
🏈 Purpose in new arenas
North Melbourne FC became the first AFL club to certify as a B Corp, proof that purpose can thrive anywhere, even under stadium lights.
What We’re Taking Forward
Assembly 2025 reminded us that purpose is not a destination but a discipline. It’s found in the questions we keep asking, the systems we choose to rebuild, and the people brave enough to keep showing up.
We came for purpose, and we left changed, minds expanded, hearts recharged, ready to carry this learning into the next chapter of Modern People Global.
