What is the Goodness Matrix?

At Good Bumblebee, we are creating a marketplace of “good goods from good people.” Our vision for this marketplace is to make it easy for consumers to find companies who are doing business differently; companies who are focused on positive outcomes and on people-, planet-, and animal-friendly business practices. We consider these companies, and the people who are a part of them, to be “sources of positive energy.” A foundational tool we have developed to qualify and promote partner companies that we believe to be sources of positive energy is called the “Goodness Matrix.”

The Goodness Matrix is made up of 4 foundational categories and these are:

• People
• Planet
• Animals
• Civic Responsibility

We also think “Made in the USA” is important and, although we don’t focus on that as a key criterion, we do award extra credit to any company that produces goods in the United States.

Each of our 4 foundational categories includes criteria that the Good Bumblebee team believes to be important and ultimately uses to develop a “Power Positive” index rating. For example, paying a $15/hour minimum wage (People), using recycled cardboard for product packaging (Planet), creating products that do not require animals for testing (Animals), or allowing employees paid time off for volunteer activities (Civic Responsibility).

A key awareness point for the Goodness Matrix and the Power Positive index rating is that whether a company has an index score of 3 or an index score of 10, partner companies featured on our website are all trying to conduct business differently and are striving to create positive outcomes. It just so happens that some partner companies are more progressive than others.

Each of our partner companies will have their Goodness Matrix and Power Positive index score included as part of their introduction biography so that you, the consumer, gain an understanding of exactly what they are doing to make a positive difference in the world.