People
Annual impact report 2020
We care about people
Sure, our communication tends to focus on water and a certain uniquely designed bottle to drink it from. But if you ask us, caring about the state of our oceans goes hand in hand with caring about the people who are helping us save them. And so, celebrating people is a bit of a hobby of ours. Whether it’s our brilliant Dopper team, our waterful partners or our ever-growing community of changemakers.
Water & Waste Week: Dopper in Nepal
Did you know that over 4 million people in Nepal don't have direct access to safe water? It's the reason why last winter, the Dopper team took an educational trip to Nepal. To visit the safe drinking water projects Dopper users worldwide (that's you) are helping to support. And to better understand what it’s like when you can't just turn on the tap.
In Nepal, we got the chance to speak to the community about local challenges surrounding water and waste. Additionally, we supported the impactful work of our long-standing partner Simavi by undertaking a (literally) breathtaking 50km sponsored trek through the Himalayas.
Having seen how much clean water can transform lives, we came back ready to make even more impact.
Great service
If you’ve ever needed help with anything Dopper related, you’ve probably spoken to one of our customer service gurus at MEO. Based in Haarlem, a small team of people with a distance from the labour market answer any questions thrown at them via phone, email or social media. In 2020, they processed a grand total of 13,345 requests for help. Delivering service the Queen of England would be jealous of.
Tough decisions
"It’s been a year no one will ever forget", summarises Tessa Vellinga, People & Culture Manager. "A year in which we all needed to be flexible and had to adjust our plans due to unpredictable circumstances. In true Dopper style, we started the year with high ambitions and hired lots of talented people for realising international growth. As COVID-19 appeared, our turnover dropped dramatically, and we sadly had to say goodbye to many of our talented team members. It has been a year of tough decisions, to put it mildly.”
Working from home
“It’s also been a year that saw us working from home, coping with social distancing, and coping in general. We’re so proud of the team for keeping the positive vibes alive and staying connected. Virtual coffee moments, cooking together, surprising people at home, working in small groups together, taking walks outside and sharing recipes; our team did it all! Really, you rock!”
2020 was a year that shone a spotlight on social injustice and systemic racism. At Dopper we don't tolerate any form of racism and as a social enterprise, we strive for inclusivity and diversity. So looking at our team picture, we’ve asked ourselves the question staring us straight in the face: “Why is our team mainly made up of 30- to 40-year-old white women?” It's something we need to address.
Introducing the Dopper Culture Group is a first step towards that. We envision Dopper to be a representation of society. And we realise we have to take responsibility in contributing to positive change. So we'll be working towards relevant actions, big and small. As a team and as a brand.
Dopper is a great place to work. We would say that of course, but it’s actually been objectively proven. For the third year in a row we reached the top 10 of Great Places to Work in the Netherlands, this year making it to the 6th place. And while we may be a great place to work for our team, they’re also the ones that help make it great. So a big thanks to our ocean-saving team and congrats to Tessa and Isabel (People & Culture) and the leadership team.
In September 2020, we dropped our anchor at our new headquarters: Oceans. After nearly bursting out of the seams of our trusted old chocolate factory in Haarlem, we were excited to continue our ocean-saving work from this new sustainable hub just 10 minutes away.
In addition to Dopper, the new building offers a home to other sustainable companies that (want to) make a positive impact. The goal is to create an ecosystem within this zero waste office building which will allow its occupants and visitors to share knowledge and complement each other. Jealous yet?
“Here. We. Go. Dopper is moving to a Heavenly Workplace, an inspiring place for circular and healthy living and working. A place that energises you. Where ideas and people reinforce each other. The answer to Dopper’s internationalisation. Including a vegan restaurant and an impact hub focused on circular business models. Like I said, heavenly. And much more than just a place to work. It’s a place you’ll leave healthier than you entered it.”
- Virginia Yanquilevich, CEO
Company structure
We may have only recently moved in, but Oceans is already family. See, it isn't just our sustainable new workspace, it's also Dopper's sister company. Here's how things are set up.
BME Group B.V. (Holding)
• Mallen B.V. (Subsidiary)
• Dopper B.V. (Subsidiary)
• Oceans RE B.V. (Subsidiary)
Dopper Founder and BME Group owner Merijn Everaarts explains: “Oceans RE B.V. is the 'hemelse werkplek', a 'work space from heaven' as we like to call it. This entity is here to serve the employees of Dopper and other companies and freelancers that want to create waves of impact. Positive impact for Mother Earth. Oceans is a collaborative workspace that facilitates a hub where people can meet, eat (vegan) and work on their impact goals in life.”
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