Our Origin Story
Work Better Innovations came from the lows of the pandemic. Our community interest company, a social enterprise, is the brainchild of founders Dr. Bonny Ling and Ms. Anita David.
Bonny is a human rights researcher and practitioner, with years in environmental, social and governance (ESG) consulting. Anita is a community development worker based in Portsmouth, England, with years of experience of working and volunteering with the charity sector.
Because it was difficult to access vulnerable communities during lockdowns, a chance online meeting led Anita to ask Bonny if she could volunteer to host a weekly Zoom conversation club for migrant women. And so it began, a weekly chat during the ups and down of our COVID years.
Listening to the women’s stories made Bonny and Anita believe we can try a different way of working and engaging with the local community, of working on SDG 8 as a socially conscious business with proceeds going to community projects in support of migrant integration and sustainable development.
Our core business is to help the private sector, civil societies, governments and international institutions create tangible and sustainable solutions for a more responsible economy. At the same time, we work with local partners to identify and meet the needs of marginalised individuals, to help them be a part of an inclusive and sustainable economy.
Meet the Team
Dr. Bonny Ling is a practitioner and researcher working to contribute to positive social impact internationally and locally. With a background in international human rights and development, she has worked as a ESG analyst and consultant for international businesses driving change for corporate responsibility. Her professional background includes international public service with the UN in field assignments and civil society. In 2024, she received the international Fletcher Women’s Leadership Award for her work with the private sector to bring about decent work and economic growth.
A community educator, with over 25 years of teaching experience and years of experience of working and volunteering within the charity sector. She received Portsmouth’s Inspiring Volunteer Award in 2018, for her wide range of volunteer work in the community. These include volunteering as an ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) teacher for refugees and asylum seekers, as well as coordinator and interpreter for the British Red Cross, Portsmouth.
Human rights defender with a background in international relations, with a focus on migration and displacement. Between 2022 to 2022, she served as the Refugee Campaigner for the Taiwan Association for Human Rights and led campaigns to raise public awareness on refugee protection in Taiwan.
Taiwan Project for Business and Human Rights
Advisors
