Work in office companies, especially when there is unmanaged stress or daily frustrations, carries a risk for some people: falling into the monotony of losing meaning in getting up, bathing, looking for transportation, going to a building and returning home, with the Tired mind and body. Unfortunately, in this spiral of exhaustion of millions of citizens around the worldfree time is reduced and health pays the consequences for the absence of exercises and leisure activities that release.
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Aware of this phenomenon, and thanks to technology, a man made a transforming idea a reality and today companies with thousands of collaborators such as Rappi, Jokr or Chubb have confirmed that mobilizing their employees to carry out common activities such as walking, climbing stairs, meditating and going to the gym can not only help burn calories, but can also convert said effort, who believes it, into concrete financial aid for those most in need in different parts of the world.
This bold premise became even more visible in 2022, when social unicorn Betterly launched the global Bettercup, In which several Latin American companies competed with the goal of getting their employees to do as much exercise as possible to transform the calories they burned into donations for a foundation.
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The winning country was Chile and with all the energy consumption ‘collected’ they can help the Red de Alimentos foundation. “Thanks to the fact that Chile won this global Bettercup, Red de Alimentos will receive your donation tripled by Betterfly. With this we will be able to continue helping more than 30,000 people”, comments Viktorya Özbicakci, the foundation’s communications manager for the company.
What is Betterfly?
The plan was very simple, we wanted to burn 30 million calories and that was enough to give nutrition packages to 400 children in Haiti.
Betterfly, which was born as a ‘startup’, is today the first social unicorn in Latin Americaby surprising with its application not only creating economic value, but also helping others through donations to different foundations that multiply thanks to the efforts of workers from different companies who decide to adopt healthy habits.
This idea was born in 2018 when Eduardo Della Maggiora came up with the idea that he could change the calories he burned during the day into aid for foundations. In this way, he created the ‘Burn To Give’ challenge, in which people registered on a platform and each calorie burned became a donation for the Chilean NGO Milk for Haiti.
“The plan was very simple, we wanted to burn 30 million calories and that was enough to give nutrition packages to 400 children in Haiti,” Cristobal Della Maggiora, president and co-founder of Betterfly, told EL TIEMPO from New York in Betterday, event where the company announced its new challenges.
Seeing the great impact, Della Maggiora launched into the creation of a ‘startup’ called ‘Burn To Give’, which would have a social purpose, beyond economic purposes. In 2020, decide to change your name to Betterfly and build the first digital benefits platform that combines wellness, financial protection and social sense.
Currently, this Latin unicorn It has links to more than four thousand companies in the markets of countries where it is present: Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Spain. In addition, it supports local and international foundations such as Milk for Haiti, On Tree Planted, and Water is Life.
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How does the app work?
Betterfly is a platform that is hired by other companies to improve the quality of life of their employees. In this sense, the users of the application will be able to find different tools such as medical attention, psychological consultations, nutrition, training and meditation, among others.
The aspect that makes this digital development special is that people, while taking care of themselves, can earn ‘Bettercoins’, a currency created by the founders of Betterfly that Its objective is for users to make their donations to different foundations.
Betterfly and its commitment to generate a real impact
In the application, it is the users who can say which foundation they are going to make their donations to. Currently, Betterfly has agreements with three global NGOs: Water is Life, Milk for Haiti and On Tree Planted. However, in each country where they have a presence they also support other charitable causes: for example, in Colombia they help Enseña por Colombia, Fundación Soy DOY and Fundación Manos Pintadas de Azul.
The supports that this social unicorn makes have tangible effects. For example, in 2022, thanks to all the Bettercoins that Water Is Life received, 15 million liters of clean water were brought to different communities around the world.
In addition, thanks to this contribution, drinking water missions will continue to be developed in countries such as: Brazil, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Kenya and other places in Africa. Also, they will add more places that need their help such as El Salvador and Mexico, where thousands of people will benefit, according to the company.
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Betterfly on the New York Stock Exchange: a commitment to have a positive impact on the world
He is Eduardo Della Maggiora founder of Betterfly.
Courtesy Betterfly
On March 15, the social unicorn announced from the ‘capital of the world’ the arrival of the Betterfly Legacy, an even bolder initiative that will allow the foundations that Betterfly supports to now have a portion of the company’s property. This bet, according to the creators of Betterfly, represents a leap in the creation of social value of the ‘startup’, since these organizations will be able to receive the company’s profits in the event of an opening on the New York Exchange or at a sale event.
Now, the beneficiary foundations will have access to the so-called Social Impact Stock Units (SISU), an instrument created by this company so that they can participate in the ownership of Betterfly.
“Today we begin this new way of doing business, of inspiring the business world from a place as iconic as the New York Stock Exchange, and we reinforce our commitment to social impact. The Foundations that receive contributions through the use of our platform will continue to receive them as they do until today, but with the Betterfly Legacy we will also be providing them with a solution that will allow them greater financial peace of mind in the long term, participating in the profits of a future opening on the stock market or exit (going on the stock market) of the company”, explained Eduardo Della Maggiora.
“Profitability has to be a consequence, not what guides decisions”: Eduardo Della Maggiora
EL TIEMPO spoke with Eduardo Della Maggiora, who assures that they hope that this SISU (Impact Stock Units) model can be an example for other companies that want to help improve the world.
“The Betterfly Legacy is a step beyond our mission as a company, to create a company where, truly, the main engine is to leave a better world, a better society”, he claimed.
He also added that “what the Betterfly Legacy does is that, as we grow on the planet, the foundations are going to become an increasingly larger shareholder, who is going to have the same rights that I am going to have.” as founder.”
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“We are convinced that the social purpose is the main thing and that profitability has to be a consequence, not what guides the decisions and Betterfly Legacy aligns us even more with that goal, ”said Della Maggiora.
Asked about the long-term expectations for Betterfly, such as an eventual arrival in continents like Asia, the man behind this innovative platform highlighted that by 2030 they expect to positively impact the lives of 300 million people.
Betterfly in Colombia
In Colombia, Betterfly has only been operating for ten months and since then it has linked more than 100 companies and thousands of users. Despite the short time, more than 25,000 donations have been made in the country, according to Helga Wobst, country manager for our country.
Likewise, Wobst commented that one of the main challenges it has is “to position itself and generate credibility as a new benefits company in the country, gaining the trust of the companies that subscribe its collaborators.”
Wobst assured EL TIEMPO that the well-being of employees in the region means being part of a work team in which the work environment is positive and where you can be happy. This shows that workers want to belong to companies where they feel cared for and where an organizational culture that fosters an environment of continuous collaboration is encouraged.
“The challenge going forward will be to position ourselves as the first social unicorn in Latin America, whose goal is to improve and protect the lives of Colombians, through a sequence of healthy, sustainable and inclusive actions,” he said.
DANIELA LARRARTE ASAAD
DIGITAL SCOPE WRITING
SPECIAL ENVOY FROM EL TIEMPO
NEW YORK, USA)
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