When Judy Wicks started the White Dog Café in Philadelphia in 1983, she was more interested in creating a fun place for people to gather than she was in demonstrating corporate social responsibility. "I didn't have any grand vision," Wicks says. "My business kind of taught me as I went along."

One of the things she learned early on was that buying local produce was a profitable business strategy. Having grown up in farm country, Wicks was used to living off her own and her neighbors' produce. "It didn't seem that unusual to me. The idea of cooking American food from local farms just seemed like common sense, but it soon became a fad. Buying from local farmers became our trademark."

The more she learned about food systems, the more aware she became of the plight of pigs and cattle in factory farms. "I was appalled by the conditions and the cruelty," says Wicks, who took those items off her menu until she could find a local farmer to supply her with a humane source of meat for a "cruelty-free" menu.

At first, Wicks thought she had found another niche, similar to that of buying local produce; then she had an epiphany that would change the course of her business: "There's no such thing as one sustainable business," says Wicks. "You can only be part of a sustainable system, and you have to work cooperatively with other businesses and even with competitors to build that system."

Wicks began to build a network connecting famers with businesses. She founded the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia and co-founded the nationwide Business Alliance for Local Living Economies. She was also instrumental in setting up a communal recycling center and composting center for the half dozen restaurants in her neighborhood.

When renewable energy became available, Wicks signed up to buy 100 percent of her energy from renewables vs. fossil fuels--she says the White Dog Café was the first business in Pennsylvania to do so--and, in the process, became a pioneer and a role model for other businesses to go 100 percent renewable as well. "It cost a little bit more money, and a businessperson might say that's stupid, but it fit with my long-term goals. If you serve nature, employees and customers, money will follow in terms of goodwill created."

In addition to environmental awareness, Wicks also made a commitment to pay her employees a living wage and included other benefits such as health care, paid holidays and employer-matched IRAs.

In 2007, Wicks joined forces with B Lab and became one of its founding B (for Benefit) corporations. B Lab is a nonprofit organization that certifies and supports B corporations, providing free online resources such as "How to conduct a life cycle analysis" and "How to calculate greenhouse gas emissions," as well as an independent point system against which companies can measure their positive impact on community, environment, employees, consumers and leadership/governance.

Companies interested in becoming B corporations--and even those who are merely curious to see how they rate--can go online and take the confidential B survey for free. There are 200 points possible, and a company must score at least 80 to become a certified B corporation. Benefits of becoming a B corporation include discounts on products and services offered by B partners as well as opportunities to attract mission-aligned capital. And the Philadelphia City Council recently voted to offer tax breaks to B corporations, a move the B Lab hopes other cities will follow.

Wicks, who sold the White Dog Café in 2009, is now focusing on her nonprofit work and says she will help B Lab develop an industry-specific standard for the restaurant business. "Just taking the B corporation survey is worthwhile," Wicks says. "No matter how advanced you are, you'll learn something. Sustainability is a path. You'll learn along the way." Ultimately, she insists, "It's not doing the right thing vs. good business. It's good business to do the right thing over time."