OVERVIEW
Backstreet Academy is an award-winning technology social enterprise building a peer-to-peer impact travel platform. Our mission is to alleviate poverty through impact travel. Our unique differentiating factor is our ability to connect the unconnected at the Bottom of the Pyramid via our local call/SMS technology allowing people to host unique experiences with tourists even if they canât speak english or access smartphones. We offer over 1,200 unique experiences in 10 countries and 40 cities throughout Southeast Asia, India and Nepal.
Find out more about our company through a 3min-Documentary by Our Better World -
MISSION
Our main areas of impact are:
1) Empowerment through micro-entrepreneurship
We enable thousands of people in underprivileged communities around the world to become micro-entrepreneurs in tourism by providing the technology, platform and market access to the tourism industry, even if they are unable to speak English or access smartphones. Not only does this alleviate poverty directly for the microentrepreneur, their mindset and business will also help in moving his community out of poverty.
2) Conservation of traditional heritage and culture
Thousands of traditional heritage, culture and crafts are slowly being forgotten with mass migrations to big cities and a lack of economic opportunities for people who hold on to them. With an avenue to monetize their skills and generate interest in these traditional heritage, we are able to keep it alive and provide a livelihood for these artisans. Youth are more inclined to learn about their heritage as well, making it a lucrative profession compared to before.
3) A virtuous cycle to end poverty
With this empowerment approach, we enable communities to move out of poverty with dignity. By helping to train them as micro-entrepreneurs, not only do we do away with the hand-outs mindset, we also enable the self-starters in each community to become a champion who can subsequently inspire and assist his/her own community out of poverty, setting into motion a virtuous cycle to put poverty in a museum.
For travellers we provide a simple way to experience authentic life and intangible heritage wherever they go. Our vision is to bring this concept of impact travel global, making tourism a significant force for good in making poverty history
We are headquartered in Singapore with offices in Nepal, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines and Indonesia.
CULTURE
At Backstreet Academy we combine the best traits of a start-up with the resources of a highly dedicated and experienced team. We are working towards creating the ultimate travel experience, building and improving great products for both travelers and the communities that we work with all across Asia. We are not afraid to experiment, think big or aim high! You will be working in a company that is not only poised for strong growth in the coming years but also be able to work towards new and innovative product that will make a difference to the industry as well as the communties we serve.