Will Etsy IPO affect its ethical principles?

Etsy is a popular online marketplace for homemade crafts and eclectic trinkets. The company impressed the world with its Wall Street debut when it went public. But some wonder if the culture of the company will suffer now that it's publicly traded. Etsy is known and loved for re-imagining its trade for hip consumers, but if the money-making values of its stockholders start to influence the company, that could all change.

CBS News business analyst Jill Schlesinger points out that Etsy is a "B corporation." This means that the company is certified to uphold specific values, including social, environmental, transparency and accountability with both the community and its employees. To maintain this status it will need to continue to uphold each of these values for its users and employees.

As companies go, Etsy is particularly socially conscious and even made a point during its offering to say it would not put profits above people. This is in stark contrast to the majority of other publicly traded companies that emphasize shareholder values above all else.

Etsy started in 2005 but took off during the recession when people discovered the outlet for selling and buying homemade goods and vintage items. Today they have 54 million members, 1.4 million active sellers, and 19.8 million active buyers around the world making an impressive $194 million in revenue during 2014.

If Etsy were to backtrack on their highly publicized core values it could turn off many members of their very large and loyal community. But, with increased pressure from investors, it's impossible to know which side will win.