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Fostering equity and resilience for marginalised communities

Singapore

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Creating opportunities through education and training, advocacy, and eco-conscious practices.

 

Bettr is Southeast Asia's first certified B Corporation and one of the largest impact-driven coffee companies in Singapore. We have one simple goal: Bettr-ing our world. Whether it’s brewing at Bettr Coffee or training in Bettr Academy, we’re creating social impact with every cup and in every class. Our world can’t be 100% perfect, but our everyday eco-conscious practices and support for marginalised communities will make it 100% Bettr. We have two brands, comprising Bettr Academy and Bettr Coffee.

 

Bettr Academy is a registered training provider of SkillsFuture Singapore and a Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) Premier Campus for coffee professionals and newcomers alike. We are your training partner, whether you are looking to develop a deeper understanding of coffee or explore the world of specialty beverages like specialty tea and cocktails.

 

Our retail and experiences brand, Bettr Coffee provides sustainably sourced specialty coffee products for retail, wholesale and large-scale events services. We also operate coffee bars at in-workplace outlets, using our presence to positively impact the community.

 

Impact across the value chain

At Bettr, we aim to create an ecosystem that encourages all stakeholders to be better versions of themselves and champion a new breed of businesses that prioritises doing good in real places and having a real impact.

 

Figure 1: Representation of relationships with multiple stakeholders that operate within the Bettr Ecosystem
Figure 1: Representation of relationships with multiple stakeholders that operate within the Bettr Ecosystem

 

By creating equitable access to quality and holistic education for the public and marginalised communities through our social programmes, we empower these groups by improving their employability and work skills and upscaling emotional resiliency. Furthermore, we work with values-aligned food and beverage (F&B) businesses as employment partners, helping them fulfil their operational needs while creating impact for marginalised communities with employment opportunities.

 

Figure 2: Social programme in full action

 

Working with these values-aligned organisations, we are able to build retail coffee outlets that serve as both training grounds for new social programme students and aspirational job destinations for well-performing graduates for higher supervisory roles.

 

On top of that, we also make sure that our sourcing and production processes are sustainable and responsible, allowing both wholesale and retail customers to learn about sustainable production and adopt conscious consumption habits in their daily lives. As a return, this amplifies the overall impact and improvement of the livelihoods of coffee farmers.

 

Access to quality education

For over a decade, we have established ourselves as the leading provider of coffee education in the region, with the mission to foster the growth and development of aspiring coffee and beverage professionals. We continue to strive to create equity and access to quality education not only through our selection of professional courses but also through our social programmes.

 

Amongst the marginalised communities we work with, we have trained 111 inmates in Singapore Prison since 2018 (as of March 2023) and are on track to train an additional 305 inmates by mid-2024.

 

Furthermore, we’ve worked with six unique schools to train over 102 at-risk students, over 10 runs of our youth programme since 2019. Collectively, we have over 220 (as of March 2023) beneficiaries enrolled on our social programmes from over 100 community partners (such as the Ministry for Social and Family Development, Family Service Centres, and non-profit organisations) and work with over 40 F&B employment partners (such as Starbucks, Timbre Group and PS.Cafe) to provide internship and employment opportunities.

 

Working with many values-aligned organisations, we move beyond a transactional relationship and create long-lasting partnerships that prove to be mutually beneficial. We have provided over 1,200 corporate clients an avenue to contribute to real impact while meeting their internal requirements by engaging our services or buying our products.

 

Improving industry quality and adoption of Progressive Wage Model (PWM)

As one of SkillsFuture Singapore's Programme Partners in the Food Services framework, we champion quality education and equal opportunities. Our platform specialises in coffee and beverage education, promoting equity for learners.

 

We have trained more than 7,000 students from over 30 countries, with over 2,800 training places enjoying SkillsFuture Singapore's training support in the past four years, demonstrating our commitment to empowering learners. We've trained over 320 staff from 148 F&B/Hospitality companies since 2019, advocating lifelong learning and Progressive Wage Model (PWM).

 

Improving long-term employability, increasing emotional capacity and resilience

In Singapore, an estimated 164,000 individuals earn under SGD1,500 monthly, many who are unemployed. Our social programme empowers this group, improving employability and financial independence for graduates. 80% have secured jobs post-graduation, a significant shift considering 69% were previously unemployed. Our programmes also nurture emotional literacy and self-agency, with 70% of students expressing heightened awareness and articulation of emotions, while 90% feel empowered to lead purposeful lives and make impactful changes. Through emotional intelligence training, we empower individuals to navigate future challenges.

 

Creating a diverse workforce

We enable values-aligned F&B companies who are committed to creating a diverse workforce to join as employment partners in our social programme. Bridging the gap between marginalised communities and employers, we allow employers to work better with underemployed individuals and give opportunities to marginalised communities.

 

Contributing to economic and community development

The coffee value chain grapples with severe inequality. In 8 out of 10 coffee-exporting countries (about 89% of total coffee exports), coffee farmers live below the poverty line. This situation jeopardises the future of the coffee industry.

 

Our procurement framework attempts to address this issue by ensuring fair prices paid to coffee farmers. Through maintaining long-term supplier relationships, we offer consistent business to producers, providing the stability needed for reinvestment in their farms and communities.

 

Tailoring solutions for Southeast Asian countries

Looking ahead, we are committed to expanding our focus on holistic education, moving upstream to offer more preventative solutions. We are also scaling our business to provide more inclusive job opportunities for marginalised communities in Singapore. We aim to extend our reach across Southeast Asia, particularly in key coffee-producing nations, by tailoring our approach to each country's context and collaborating with local partners within the next five years.

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Bettr is one of the largest impact-driven coffee companies in Singapore, and the first B-Corporation in Southeast Asia. Bettr Academy is a professionally certified coffee and beverage academy, that empowers marginalised groups and nurtures aspiring professionals through a holistic approach to education. Bettr Coffee operates coffee bars and a roastery in Singapore. Committed to sustainability, they forge direct relationships with coffee partners, aiming to provide equitable access to opportunities and resources through their coffee value chain.

The SL25 partners - Stewardship Asia Centre, the INSEAD Hoffmann Global Institute for Business and Society, WTW and The Straits Times - are not responsible for the statements and opinions expressed by the organisations behind the SL25 projects. These organisations are responsible for the truthfulness, accuracy and completeness of their content in their applications as well as those presented on this site, which are not guaranteed by the SL25 partners. All information on this site reflects the submissions received as of 30 May 2024, the closing application date for SL25. Inclusion to the SL25 list is based on the particular project(s) described in the application form. SL25 is not intended as a blanket endorsement of the organisation as a whole.
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Fostering equity and resilience for marginalised communities

Singapore

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Creating opportunities through education and training, advocacy, and eco-conscious practices.
Creating opportunities through education and training, advocacy, and eco-conscious practices.

 

Bettr is Southeast Asia's first certified B Corporation and one of the largest impact-driven coffee companies in Singapore. We have one simple goal: Bettr-ing our world. Whether it’s brewing at Bettr Coffee or training in Bettr Academy, we’re creating social impact with every cup and in every class. Our world can’t be 100% perfect, but our everyday eco-conscious practices and support for marginalised communities will make it 100% Bettr. We have two brands, comprising Bettr Academy and Bettr Coffee.

 

Bettr Academy is a registered training provider of SkillsFuture Singapore and a Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) Premier Campus for coffee professionals and newcomers alike. We are your training partner, whether you are looking to develop a deeper understanding of coffee or explore the world of specialty beverages like specialty tea and cocktails.

 

Our retail and experiences brand, Bettr Coffee provides sustainably sourced specialty coffee products for retail, wholesale and large-scale events services. We also operate coffee bars at in-workplace outlets, using our presence to positively impact the community.

 

Impact across the value chain

At Bettr, we aim to create an ecosystem that encourages all stakeholders to be better versions of themselves and champion a new breed of businesses that prioritises doing good in real places and having a real impact.

 

Figure 1: Representation of relationships with multiple stakeholders that operate within the Bettr Ecosystem
Figure 1: Representation of relationships with multiple stakeholders that operate within the Bettr Ecosystem

 

By creating equitable access to quality and holistic education for the public and marginalised communities through our social programmes, we empower these groups by improving their employability and work skills and upscaling emotional resiliency. Furthermore, we work with values-aligned food and beverage (F&B) businesses as employment partners, helping them fulfil their operational needs while creating impact for marginalised communities with employment opportunities.

 

Figure 2: Social programme in full action

 

Working with these values-aligned organisations, we are able to build retail coffee outlets that serve as both training grounds for new social programme students and aspirational job destinations for well-performing graduates for higher supervisory roles.

 

On top of that, we also make sure that our sourcing and production processes are sustainable and responsible, allowing both wholesale and retail customers to learn about sustainable production and adopt conscious consumption habits in their daily lives. As a return, this amplifies the overall impact and improvement of the livelihoods of coffee farmers.

 

Access to quality education

For over a decade, we have established ourselves as the leading provider of coffee education in the region, with the mission to foster the growth and development of aspiring coffee and beverage professionals. We continue to strive to create equity and access to quality education not only through our selection of professional courses but also through our social programmes.

 

Amongst the marginalised communities we work with, we have trained 111 inmates in Singapore Prison since 2018 (as of March 2023) and are on track to train an additional 305 inmates by mid-2024.

 

Furthermore, we’ve worked with six unique schools to train over 102 at-risk students, over 10 runs of our youth programme since 2019. Collectively, we have over 220 (as of March 2023) beneficiaries enrolled on our social programmes from over 100 community partners (such as the Ministry for Social and Family Development, Family Service Centres, and non-profit organisations) and work with over 40 F&B employment partners (such as Starbucks, Timbre Group and PS.Cafe) to provide internship and employment opportunities.

 

Working with many values-aligned organisations, we move beyond a transactional relationship and create long-lasting partnerships that prove to be mutually beneficial. We have provided over 1,200 corporate clients an avenue to contribute to real impact while meeting their internal requirements by engaging our services or buying our products.

 

Improving industry quality and adoption of Progressive Wage Model (PWM)

As one of SkillsFuture Singapore's Programme Partners in the Food Services framework, we champion quality education and equal opportunities. Our platform specialises in coffee and beverage education, promoting equity for learners.

 

We have trained more than 7,000 students from over 30 countries, with over 2,800 training places enjoying SkillsFuture Singapore's training support in the past four years, demonstrating our commitment to empowering learners. We've trained over 320 staff from 148 F&B/Hospitality companies since 2019, advocating lifelong learning and Progressive Wage Model (PWM).

 

Improving long-term employability, increasing emotional capacity and resilience

In Singapore, an estimated 164,000 individuals earn under SGD1,500 monthly, many who are unemployed. Our social programme empowers this group, improving employability and financial independence for graduates. 80% have secured jobs post-graduation, a significant shift considering 69% were previously unemployed. Our programmes also nurture emotional literacy and self-agency, with 70% of students expressing heightened awareness and articulation of emotions, while 90% feel empowered to lead purposeful lives and make impactful changes. Through emotional intelligence training, we empower individuals to navigate future challenges.

 

Creating a diverse workforce

We enable values-aligned F&B companies who are committed to creating a diverse workforce to join as employment partners in our social programme. Bridging the gap between marginalised communities and employers, we allow employers to work better with underemployed individuals and give opportunities to marginalised communities.

 

Contributing to economic and community development

The coffee value chain grapples with severe inequality. In 8 out of 10 coffee-exporting countries (about 89% of total coffee exports), coffee farmers live below the poverty line. This situation jeopardises the future of the coffee industry.

 

Our procurement framework attempts to address this issue by ensuring fair prices paid to coffee farmers. Through maintaining long-term supplier relationships, we offer consistent business to producers, providing the stability needed for reinvestment in their farms and communities.

 

Tailoring solutions for Southeast Asian countries

Looking ahead, we are committed to expanding our focus on holistic education, moving upstream to offer more preventative solutions. We are also scaling our business to provide more inclusive job opportunities for marginalised communities in Singapore. We aim to extend our reach across Southeast Asia, particularly in key coffee-producing nations, by tailoring our approach to each country's context and collaborating with local partners within the next five years.

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Bettr is one of the largest impact-driven coffee companies in Singapore, and the first B-Corporation in Southeast Asia. Bettr Academy is a professionally certified coffee and beverage academy, that empowers marginalised groups and nurtures aspiring professionals through a holistic approach to education. Bettr Coffee operates coffee bars and a roastery in Singapore. Committed to sustainability, they forge direct relationships with coffee partners, aiming to provide equitable access to opportunities and resources through their coffee value chain.

The SL25 partners – Stewardship Asia Centre, the INSEAD Hoffmann Global Institute for Business and Society, WTW and The Straits Times – are not responsible for the statements and opinions expressed by the organisations behind the SL25 projects. These organisations are responsible for the truthfulness, accuracy and completeness of their content in their nominations as well as those presented on this site, which are not guaranteed by the SL25 partners. All information on this site reflects the submissions received as of 30 June 2023, the closing nomination date for SL25. Inclusion to the SL25 list is based on the particular project(s) described in the nomination form. SL25 is not intended as a blanket endorsement of the organisation as a whole.
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