BLYDE WAKE-UP CALLS

The past years have laid bare many truths about our current model of capitalism — the severe income inequality and the belief that improving human lives and taking care of the environment are expendable for better profit margins. The changemakers in the growing Certified B Corporation community are demanding an end to the myth that profits must come at the expense of purpose, and environmental and social care. It’s time to wake up, it’s time for action.

At Blyde we believe in questioning the status quo. We believe in the power of the collective, in taking a stand and inspiring people by showing what can and must be changed. In our weekly Wake Up Calls, Blyde stirs up hunger for positive change. We listen to several B Corp voices who talk about their call to action for companies around the globe today. By letting people from different perspectives and businesses speak, we would like to underline the important role of business in this decade of action. ‘On stage’ today: changemaker Lianne Kappert, Head of People & Culture at Too Good To Go. The company was originally founded to save food that became waste at the end of buffets. Whilst developing the concept, the founders soon discovered that it could also be extended to all kinds of food services and providers. A serious wake-up call that led to saving 100 million meals already. 

From a personal perspective, what would you say was your wake-up call for contributing to a better world? 

I graduated on the topic of international development aid and organisational change. After graduating, I worked in Kenya to teach young people in entrepreneurship and micro credits. This was a valuable experience where I learned a lot about supporting people in making conscious choices. I strongly believe in empowering people to connect with each other and their environment to be able to make decisions that benefit all and contribute towards a better way of living and working together. This experience heavily affected my choice of work afterwards and also the type of employers I choose to commit to. 

In that sense, Too Good To Go seems to be a perfect match. Not all companies are as eager to contribute to a better world. What is your call to action for other companies around the globe?

Purpose and profit are two words that are not often associated with each other. But I am convinced that as a business you do not have to choose one over the other. Luckily, there is a rise in organisations embracing ‘business for good’, who are not afraid to combine purpose and profit. This next generation of businesses is setting a whole new standard. More and more strong business models, independent from government aid, make a positive impact on important issues. In all sectors, the status quo needs to be challenged by trying new models on scalability. This way we can show the market – the people – that a better business model does work. 

The Sustainable Development Goals are a useful tool in setting that ‘new standard’. Which of these goals calls you most and why?

I can be really short on this one: End hunger (#2). It is terrible to know that there is still so much hunger, while at the same time, in my daily work, I see how much good food is thrown away – 1/3 of all food is wasted! How is this still possible in the innovative and modern world we live in today? Of course, the Sustainable Development Goals are all interrelated, let’s not forget about that. So, #12 (responsible consumption and production) and #13 (climate action) are topics that I love to contribute to in my daily work at Too Good To Go as well.