Build-A-Bear Workshop - 1792 Exchange

Rating Overview

Build-A-Bear Workshop is Medium Risk.

Build-A-Bear is Medium Risk. The company often yields to political activism in shaping corporate governance, potentially alienating consumers, dividing employees, and harming shareholders. The company implements race and identity-based policies that replace merit, excellence, and integrity with preferential treatment and outcomes. Build-A-Bear occasionally embraces corporate initiatives that redirect its central focus from business goals to partisan policies and divisive issues at times. This approach fails to safeguard free exercise, free speech, and free enterprise.

Rating Criteria

Corporate Weaponization Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Cancellations	Lower Risk
Discriminatory Philanthropy	Lower Risk
Employment Protection	High Risk

Corporate Weaponization ⓘ

Corporate Governance and Public Policy Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Advocacy Bias	High Risk
Funding	Medium Risk
Political Actions	No Data

Corporate Governance and Public Policy ⓘ

Rating Criteria Detail

Criteria Risk Level Rationale

Corporate Weaponization

Criteria:

Has canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Build-A-Bear has not publicly canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (1).

Criteria:

Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Build-A-Bear does not appear to discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or beliefs (1)(2).

Criteria:

Employment policies fail to protect against viewpoint or other discrimination and/or are ideological in nature.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Build-A-Bear offers diversity training, microinequity training, and anti-racism trainings to its global diversity council members (1). The company appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its recruitment and leadership composition. From its 2023 ESG Report: “Increase the presence of diverse associates within management tiers throughout our business operations” (2). The company does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (3).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

Uses corporate reputation to support causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Build-A-Bear supports DEI within its business practices, hosting a Global Diversity Council (1). The company supports DEI within its business practices. From its 2023 ESG Report: “Commit the necessary resources to support DE&I initiatives through actions such as dedicated resources and celebrations of cultural holiday, remembrances, and recognitions” (2). The company supports ESG within its business practices. From its 2023 ESG Report: “This Corporate Responsibility Report presents Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc.’s (Build-A-Bear’s or the Company’s) environmental, social, and governance (ESG) approach, policies, practices, and performance” (3).

Criteria:

Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

Build-A-Bear is a Friend level partner of PFLAG, an LGBTQ+ activist group that promotes books for children with sexually explicit and gender fluid content and advocates against laws that inform parents of their child’s gender dysphoria or prevent unapproved transgender medical treatments for minors (1)(2)(3)(4). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of Build-A-Bear using corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (5).

Criteria:

Uses corporate political actions and/or financial contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.

Risk Level:

N/A

Rationale:

Build-A-Bear does not operate a PAC or engage in lobbying at this time (1)(2)(3).