Quizrr was founded 10 years ago. Together with co-founder Sofie Nordström, we take a look at the company's beginnings, challenges and achievements. We talk about the importance of scalable education and why human rights due diligence is no longer optional.

Congratulations on 10 years as a company! Looking back on Quizrr’s journey over the past decade, could you share some of the most significant milestones and achievements that have shaped the company’s identity and mission?
Let's go back in time to the company's inception. Ten years ago, Jens Helmersson and I founded Quizrr. We both had experience of working in global supply chains. Drawing on my background as a journalist, I had previously relocated abroad in 2004, working with global brands sourcing in Asia especially. My responsibilities included conducting case studies in factories, looking at risk issues within labor rights and safety, such as the absence of maternity leave in Bangladesh, a country with a legal right to 16 weeks fully paid maternity leave. And where about 90% of workers were young females at the time

When sourcing companies recognized the problem and actively worked with suppliers to re-inforce the right to maternity leave, I saw the positive results and experienced what a win-win situation it was. Workers were happier, suppliers were compliant, and their reputation as employer improved, and the brand could recognize the factory's compliance with the code of conduct.

This moment was pivotal because I realized that – when human rights requirements are effectively implemented, executed and monitored – companies are able to bring about positive change.

When did you realize that films make good training materials?
While being engaged by H&M’s CSR department in Bangladesh, the brand started to work with a theater group to perform theater on workers' rights in the factories that they were working with in Bangladesh. And it was immensely popular. In Bangladesh, people love seeing dancing, music, theater, and drama. I was fortunate to join these sessions and I loved it. But quickly realized that this wasn't scalable. That's when the concept of using films came to life.

I worked with the H&M team to create training material in Bangladesh on workers' rights, short films, like Bollywood dramas, to help workers understand their basic labor rights. This became widely embraced as both suppliers and workers found this form of knowledge-sharing to be engaging and entertaining.

What was the original idea behind Quizrr, and what makes scalability so important in this context?
You must remember this was over 10 years ago. The concept of gamification wasn't new, but it hadn't been used for this purpose and in this sector before. The whole idea was to put it into a digital format so that we could spread it. It also needed to be measurable and trackable to understand if it was reaching workers. The concept of relatable and scalable training and data collection developed into a key component of our unique selling proposition. It is a bottom-up approach, developed to provide workers with practical knowledge at their level - knowledge with concrete applications and that leads to real change.

Coming back to the initial question. What are the milestones and achievements that have shaped Quizrr's identity and mission?
After moving back to Sweden, the idea of films stayed in my head due to its effectiveness. This led me to think about how we could expand this approach and transfer it to a digital format? Fast-forwarding to the present, in response to your question about our journey, we've accomplished significant milestones. The key factors contributing to our success lie in the collaborations we've nurtured over the years. Recognizing that we can't achieve our goals in isolation, we've pursued a collaborative and transparent approach since day one. By working with the leaders in different industry segments and by sharing our learnings and working with various deep impact organizations, including BSR, ILO, Better Work, and IOM, we address salient risks and issues such as forced labor, gender equality, anti-harassment and basic human rights, emphasizing the importance of collective efforts in achieving meaningful change.These collaborations have ignited us to enhance our impact and work both up- and downstream into value chains - manufacturing, logistics and services for example.

The world of human rights due diligence is rapidly evolving. How has Quizrr adapted its content / trainings to align with the changing landscape of mandatory Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) frameworks?
Amid global unrest, companies are struggling with uncertainties that are leading to discussions about the way forward. In our conversations with clients, the changing landscape dominates every discussion. Making knowledge available for the most vulnerable groups, such as workers on factory floors is not only building a foundation for change but also a unique opportunity to engage with the rightsholders directly and at scale. This allows for companies to assess while addressing and work with mitigation at the same time. The data collected through these interventions can be used in the HRDD process.

We gather data that helps assess the employees and the company's understanding of concepts, uncover risks, and validate demographics at facilities, industries or markets. Companies that are using a risk-based approach can delve into this data, for more profound insights and address issues in a more comprehensive manner.

We're also refining our program portfolio to be more adaptive to new requirements and reporting needs. While our foundation has always been a risk-based program, upon request, we are now also adding trainings for professionals on HRDD, and are refining our programs on grievance mechanisms, fair wage and social dialogue.

In your experience with brands and companies, do you notice specific areas where they seek more clarification or training, such as Gender, Due Diligence, or Purchasing Practices? Have you observed any patterns?
There is a clear trend to use a risk-based approach, and tailoring it to different risks and markets. For instance, in Bangladesh, there's a unique focus on gender equality due to new legislation. While in markets with high numbers of migrant workers, the focus is on ethical recruitment, addressing for example forced labor and debt bonded labor. We are in constant expansion, adding new topics and languages as we speak. Currently we are present in some 25 countries and available in more than 35 languages.

Quizrr aims to empower 100 million workers with awareness and knowledge of their human rights by 2030. Can you shed light on the strategies you plan to employ to achieve this ambitious goal?
I agree. Our goal is ambitious but not impossible. This year, we reflected on where we envision ourselves in 2030. Our focus is not only on working directly with sourcing companies in global supply chains but also enhance our direct connections with suppliers. As they already use our platform. We aim to be more relevant to suppliers, addressing their challenges and going beyond the confines of the brands' structures.

We want to provide more trainings based on suppliers' needs. A bottom-up approach but taking it one step higher. We're always going to have the worker at the core but now, we're extending our focus to include the supplier. We work diligently to be an appealing platform for suppliers, allowing them to contribute relevant content. For instance, if suppliers express the need for more content on health and safety or address personal aspects like psychological well-being, leadership skills, and empowering women in leadership roles, we incorporate these elements. This not only increases our training efforts and reaches more people but also extends beyond direct relationships with global supply chains.

We’ve initiated collaborations with communities and governments, particularly addressing the issue of forced labor for migrant workers worldwide. To reach our goal of impacting 100 million people, we recognize the need to expand beyond traditional channels, especially considering the growing challenges in the migrant labor situation.

Education is often hailed as a catalyst for change. How does Quizrr utilize digital technology and engaging educational content to drive behavioral change and empower workers?
You are so right. Education is the great equalizer and by using digital technology and making it accessible and simple to use we can reach people at scale. But technology is nothing without its content and we need to recognize the importance of having relatable and engaging messages, that highlights the why, and motivates people to learn, knowledge on the right level of the end-user, whether it is a worker representative in Cambodia, a young female worker in India or a Nepali guest worker in Jordan. It is also a matter of creating that common ground, with shared knowledge and understanding. This is when we change the way we think and act, no matter who we are.

Looking ahead, what plans, and initiatives are in the pipeline for Quizrr?
Being a small company addressing the large issues in the world, we will continue our path to grow and nurture our partnerships, focus on increasing our relevance and reach. To do that we are expanding our portfolio to include additional topics and address the needs of “white collar” workers. We are investing in our platform to cater for mass deployment at all levels. We are also investing in more programs, the tech and not the least our data. We now have 10 years of data from our direct interventions with workers across the globe, and we will utilize the data to connect the dots. That’s how we hope to change the world.

Sofie Nordström is the Co-founder and Deputy CEO of Quizrr, an ed-tech company focused on human rights and social sustainability. Since establishing Quizrr in 2013, Sofie has been dedicated to making learning inclusive and engaging globally, while helping businesses address human rights due diligence in their supply chains. With over 20 years of experience in corporate responsibility and human rights, she has collaborated with global corporations and organizations across diverse supply chains. Sofie's background as a journalist, coupled with her extensive international experience, has enabled her to approach social innovation with a user-centric mindset. Driven by a passion for making a positive impact, Sofie has become a recognizable voice in developing innovative pathways for positive change, garnering several global nominations and recognitions along the way.