Elise Thibault-Gondre shows a broad smile of a happy businessman. With Cindy Kargol Bauer And Martin Belorgeyis the 29 year old from Orleans the co-founder of the start-up Day Onewhose head office is located in the Johannine city.
Launched in June 2020, the online platformwhich facilitates employee engagement in solidarity actions, is growing rapidly.
How it works …
Day one done the link between the associative world and the business world. The platform lists the partner associations, indicating their needs.
Companies pay for the “turnkey” service offered by the start-up and encourage their employees to do so to commit during work days, while being paid. In a few clicks they make their choice based on the cause that interests them, their availability, location and skills.
Élise Thibault-Gondré presents the Day One platform. Photo Anne-Laure Le Jan
Activities can last from half a day to several months. “If the mission is longer than 24 hours, it is part of it sponsorship of skills“, Says Élise Thibault-Gondre.
The sponsorship of skills aims to offer employees days to carry out actions within the associations, on working hours and without loss of salary. And it entitles the company to tax relief.
The latter mentions some actions recently carried out by employees of USSR (Union for the collection of social security contributions and family allowances), one of Day One’s customers : “the creation of a presentation brochure for Sésame Autisme Loiret; participation in a distribution of fruit and vegetables for the association that helps the poor, Les Cœurs De Yolene, based in Tours, in Indre-et-Loire”.
In Loiretaine he creates Day One, the link between companies and associations, in a few clicks!
Its good growth …
At a time when many citizens, especially the younger ones, consider the social commitment of their company to be fundamental, The first day seems to have a bright future.
Right now, fifteen people work for the start-up : one third is for an indefinite period; a second alternately; the third in internship or freelance.
The average age of Day One employees is 30. Photo day one
With about twenty customers – structures ranging from fifteen to 3,000 employees – it has located in the Center-Val de Loire, Île-de-France and Hauts-de-Francewith the ambition to expand into France and Europe and double its portfolio by the end of 2022.
Since its launch, the start-up has 500 listed associations and 1,500 actions carried out.
“We aim for 2,000 associations within two years and more than 20,000 missions completed”.
A common fundraiser …
In order to accelerate the development of Day One and ensure its solidity, its leaders have done so a fundraising of 1.2 million euros. Part of the money comes from Go capital, a regional investment fund specializing in digital; the rest of the ten “business angels”, five women and five men.
“At the launch of the fundraiser, twenty-five investors expressed their interest in us, but they were all men. It is representative of a reality. In recent years, many men have held positions of responsibility, have earned a living and have the means to invest. There are fewer women. “
For the team, it wasn’t it is unthinkable that the Day One Board of Directors is 100% male. “It did not reflect our values: gender balance, diversity and inclusion. With our business we aim to shift the lines and this also involves the governance of our own company”, details Elise Thibault-Gondre.
Two months ago the start-up therefore launched a call on a professional social network, entitled “Where are the women?”, Collecting over 700,000 views. Following this publication, the company received 450 messages that brought out female profiles. “60% of these women are investing for the first time,” she says.
Business development, digital marketing, Web development, support for associations, companies and employees … To support this great growth, On the first day, he will hire ten new employees in the coming months, most with permanent contracts.
Cosmetic Park, CO’Met, Fleury Loiret Handball … AS Sécurité is full of contracts!
Anne-Laure Le Jan