Meet our fellow B Corp, 87th Street Creative

At Agilité, one of our favourite things about being a B Corp is the community it connects us to — a network of businesses using their skills and influence to make a positive difference. In this edition of Meet the B, we speak to Sherene Strausberg, founder and creative director of 87th Street Creative, a women-owned animation and motion design studio. Sherene shares how the business is creating opportunities for women, turning environmental commitments into action and using animation to make complex health information easier to understand. 

For readers who might not know you yet, tell us — in a nutshell — who you are, what you do and what makes your business unique? 

87th Street Creative is an animation and motion design studio. What makes us unique is that we are entirely women-owned and operated. In an industry where more than 76% of the workforce is male, that is not always easy, but I believe an all-women team brings different perspectives to the creative process.

We are also a global, remote team, which allows us to work quickly and meet tight deadlines across different time zones. At the same time, our flexible model supports a healthy work–life balance — something that is particularly important as many of the women on our team have young or school-aged children. 

What inspired you to pursue B Corp certification, and what does being part of the community mean to your organisation? 

I wanted to make sure the values I talk about were reflected in how I actually run the business. As a small creative studio, it is easy to focus on the work and the bottom line, but I wanted to look more closely at our impact on people and the planet too.

The certification process helped me understand where we were doing well and where we could improve. Being part of the B Corp community means being surrounded by businesses that believe success is not measured by profit alone. It is a reminder that we are part of something bigger and can learn from one another along the way. 

Certification isn’t the end point — it’s the beginning of continuous improvement. How do you approach that in your day-to-day role and business operations? 

For me, it starts with being intentional about the choices we make, including the small ones. I work with a flexible, all-women network of independent illustrators, animators and sound designers. This allows us to build the right team for each project while respecting people’s different schedules and responsibilities.

I also consider the clients we partner with, how we operate and where we can make more responsible choices as we grow. Our B Impact Assessment gave us a framework for measuring progress and identifying areas for improvement. I do not think you ever reach a point where you have done enough. The aim is to keep asking better questions and making better decisions. 

What’s one initiative, project or policy you’re especially proud of that’s helping to create a more sustainable or equitable business? 

I am especially proud to have built a women-led creative studio in an industry that is still predominantly male. Working with a wider network of talented women across animation, illustration and sound design enables us to create the right team for each project while accommodating different schedules and responsibilities.

Our values also extend beyond the studio. Through Clean Creatives, we have committed not to work with fossil fuel companies, while our membership of 1% for the Planet supports environmental causes. These commitments turn our values into tangible business decisions rather than leaving them as words on a website. 

Have you faced any challenges on your sustainability journey, and how have you overcome them?  

One of the biggest challenges for a small business is limited time and resources. I am running the studio, creating the work, managing client relationships and trying to improve how we operate. It is not always easy to step back and work on the business when you are busy working in it.

The B Corp certification process pushed me to do exactly that. Taking part in the University of New Hampshire’s Spring Impact Clinic helped me work through the assessment and identify practical improvements. Our initial B Impact Assessment score was 45; through that process, we raised it to more than 87 before becoming certified in September 2025.

The experience taught me that you do not need to have everything worked out before you begin. You need to be willing to look honestly at where you are and put in the work to improve. 

Looking ahead, what’s one area of focus or innovation you’re excited about for the future of your business?  

I am excited about growing our work in women’s healthcare, particularly in areas such as fertility, menopause and gynaecological health, where important information can be difficult to understand or may still be surrounded by stigma.

Animation lets us go where cameras cannot. We can visualise processes inside the body, explain complicated medical information and tell stories that might otherwise be difficult to communicate. I want to keep using that creative freedom to help people move from confusion to clarity, understand their health and feel more confident asking questions and making informed decisions.

For me, that is where creativity and positive impact meet — making important information accessible to more people. 

Collaboration is key in driving change. Are there any partnerships, campaigns or communities that have been particularly valuable for you? 

The B Corp community has been valuable because it connects me with people asking similar questions about how to build better businesses. The University of New Hampshire’s Spring Impact Clinic was particularly helpful in turning the certification process into a practical learning experience.

I am also proud to be part of 1% for the Planet and Clean Creatives — two communities that help businesses turn environmental values into action. My work with healthcare organisations and non-profits has reinforced the value of collaboration too. When clients bring their expertise and we bring our storytelling and animation skills, we can make complex subjects more accessible and create work with an impact beyond the screen. 

Are there any other organisations or B Corps that you admire, and why? 

I admire businesses that demonstrate that purpose and commercial success do not have to compete with one another. Patagonia is an obvious example of a company that has made environmental responsibility central to its identity and business decisions rather than treating it as a separate initiative.

I also admire smaller businesses such as Virtue Ally, which focuses on ethical resourcing, and Ecodeo, a video production company that uses its work to raise awareness of important subjects.

More broadly, the B Corp community recognises that there is no single way to create positive impact. A small creative studio and a global company may have very different resources and challenges, but both can take responsibility for their decisions, be transparent about their progress and continue working to improve. 

If another company is considering becoming a B Corp, what advice would you give them before starting the process?   

Do not approach it as a marketing badge. See it as an opportunity to take an honest look at your business and identify where you can improve.

The process takes time, and some of the questions will challenge you to think differently about decisions you have always made in a certain way. That is part of its value. Start by understanding where you are, involve the people who help run your business and be open to discovering where you could do better.

You do not need to have everything worked out before you begin. You simply need to be willing to learn, make changes and keep improving. 

And finally, what does being a “better business” mean to you personally?  

To me, being a better business means being successful without losing sight of the people and the planet that make that success possible. It means treating people with respect, making thoughtful choices about who we work with and using our skills to contribute something positive to the world.

As a creative business, I believe we have a responsibility to think not only about what we make, but what it makes possible. If our work can help someone understand a health issue, feel less alone or have a more informed conversation with their doctor, then we are doing more than making animation. We are helping to make the invisible visible.

If I can build a sustainable business while creating opportunities for other women and contributing to a healthier, more equitable world, that is the kind of success I want to keep building. 

Thank you to Sherene for sharing the story behind 87th Street Creative and its approach to creativity, impact and responsible growth. Her belief that creative businesses should consider not only what they make, but what their work makes possible, is a powerful reminder of how specialist skills can contribute to wider change. Find out more about 87th Street Creative at 87thstreetcreative.com.