A certification is a moment. What you do after that moment is the measure of who you are.
Boldr became a Certified B Corp in November 2021. Nearly five years later, in an outsourcing industry that has historically competed on who could deliver the lowest cost at the highest margin, here is what choosing a fundamentally different path has taught me.
The proof is in the lives you change.
What has the B Corp logo meant for a team member in Tacloban earning a living wage? Or for 30 learners in rural Mpumalanga, South Africa, who completed our academy with the Good Work Foundation, 75 percent of whom went on to gain employment? Or for one of our clients’ customers, who experienced a 74 percent reduction in first response time from a team with zero attrition?
A certification tells the world what you aspire to. Impact, measured in the real conditions of people's lives, tells the world what you have actually done. We track both. We publish both. And both matter because they hold us to account.
Doing business well is the best case for doing business right
A 98 percent annualized retention rate. A 150 percent average salary velocity for our team members. Over 100 client partners across five countries. Three consecutive years on the Inc. 5000 list.
These results come from the same source as our impact. Our Theory of Change, "Boldr Economics," works because the investment flows in one direction: into people. When you invest in the welfare of your people, the quality of work improves, clients succeed, the business grows, and you can deepen the investment again. The business case for ethical outsourcing is the business itself.
Show your work. Especially the parts that are still in progress
When we implemented a living wage in the Philippines, the rollout happened before our teams had full context on the change. It caused confusion. We learned from that. When we extended the commitment to South Africa and Mexico, we led with communication, involved our clients, and built in the change management the initiative deserved.
We publish an annual Impact Report because transparency is how trust is built. In 2024, our initiatives benefitted over 103,000 individuals across the Philippines, Mexico, South Africa, and Canada, mobilizing more than USD 240,000 in resources and over 6,800 volunteer hours. The B Corp framework demands continuous improvement, and so do we.
Build careers that survive the present and future of work
The commitment to dignified work does not end at wages. AI is transforming the outsourcing industry, and the people most exposed to displacement are often in the very communities we exist to serve. This is why we published our Ethical AI Manifesto: seven operational principles that govern how we adopt AI across our delivery model.
In practice, this means every AI-related role change triggers a team impact assessment. Where displacement risks exist, we invest in reskilling and internal pathways. Where AI creates efficiency gains, a portion of the value goes back into wages, career development, and new roles. Technology should expand human potential. The next chapter of our impact work is about making sure the careers we build can endure what is coming.
This is an invitation.
Five years in, the "B" on our logo means more to us than it did the day we received it. We have been shaped by the lessons, the missteps, and the people who held us accountable.
If you outsource, ask what your partner is doing for the people behind your service. Ask for the impact report. Ask about the wages. Ask where the efficiency gains go.
If you are considering B Corp certification or want a thought partner on living wages, AI readiness, or building a Theory of Change within your business, reach out at gguevarra@boldrimpact.com.
Glo Guevarra is the Global Head of Impact and Content at Boldr and she holds a postgraduate degree in Labor, Activism, and Development from SOAS University of London.
