B Corp Spotlight: Portable

From creating a digital mental health toolkit for young people to developing a self-help tool for the Victorian Legal Aid website, Portable’s work can be seen across various applications. Portable is a design and tech agency that aims to create impact through developing digital services, tools, and prototypes to solve issues in the legal, mental health, and education sectors. An impressive start-up in the tech world, Portable embodies the B Corp values, focusing their efforts on initiatives that benefit the community. They work in unison with organisations to develop their projects, applying user-based input to define existing problems, and design solutions using innovative technologies. 

We had the opportunity to chat with Simon Goodrich, one of Portable’s co-founders, to find out more about how they got to where they are today. We learned more about what drives the team in their B Corp efforts, their sustainability strategy, and tips they’d give to businesses who are starting out on their own B Corp journey.

Portable became a B Corp early in 2016, which was way ahead of the curve. Why did you decide to apply to become certified?

B Corp was the first ‘club’ that I felt like we needed to be part of at Portable, both for ourselves and for the greater community. For us, business needs to have more meaning than just making a profit; it should be beneficial to people too, on a bigger and more meaningful scale than money-making. We asked ourselves “how do you get people behind a movement for change?”. And that’s where B Corp came in; B Corps can help you to achieve that.

We recently saw that you launched your Sustainability Strategy, which you developed with The Business Pickle. Were there any challenges that you faced when implementing this?

Our Sustainability Strategy has always been less formed than I think it could have been. When we put it together this time, we wanted to do it right; co-design with our staff, and commit to it. We wanted to apply this both internally and publicly, showcasing our process of really putting in the work to get better. The opportunity in front of us now is how we implement it. As we've designed it together with our people, I'm excited to see and share publicly how we've committed to it.

The Workers and Community aspect of the B Corp score can sometimes be forgotten as organisations focus on governance, sustainability and customers. What are some tips you’d give to businesses trying to improve their Workers and Community scores?

For your Worker Score, focus on your people and what motivates them to come to work for your organisation. People commit to organisations, so make those commitments back to them. Staff who feel listened to and part of a broader vision, in my experience, are happier, work harder, and stay longer; it’s a win-win. 

On the Community Score, we've always been of the view that any business has the power to make a positive impact. It's a big world out there, and you have the power to be more assertive in who you work with and how you choose your clients. Be bolder, braver, and commit to what matters to you, creating and maintaining meaningful professional connections.

For businesses looking to give back and improve their sustainability efforts, where is the best place to start? Could you recommend any resources or case studies to help inspire positive action? 

For sustainability, I'd recommend working with people like Bec, Simon, and the team at The Business Pickle. It’s always great to have someone else there to encourage you to be more accountable. Feel free to read our Sustainability Strategy, reach out for questions, and ask the B Corp community.

Learn more about Portable

You can learn more about Portable, what they do, and their impact areas on their website: https://portable.com.au/ 

To learn more about Optimising’s environmental efforts, please visit our 1% for the Planet and B Corporation pages. You can also keep an eye on our blog and social media to see more updates about our sustainability initiatives!