A bit of Our Story
Azavea combines geography and the web to create software for good
Azavea’s projects range in technology and focus areas, but they all have five core themes running throughout: Grounded in geography and place, creating some sort of civic, environmental, and social impact, built with simple, elegant design, solving complex problems, and using, creating, or contributing to open source and open data.
I believe that place and geography are central to human experience, that communities of humans have been a key mechanism for human prosperity and advancement and that our communities are going to have to rapidly learn how to live more sustainably on this planet. I believe that technology is a key component of building better, more sustainable communities. And I deeply believe in the power of business to effect positive change in the world. Azavea’s mission is to apply geospatial technology to improve communities while advancing the state-of-the-art through research.
I hope you are here because you share some of these beliefs with me and you are seeking an organization where you can have a positive impact on the world and your communities. At Azavea, we are trying to create an organization that prizes hard work, creativity and public service, and we are also trying to create an environment in which everyone is learning and growing on an ongoing basis.
We have a lot of work to do, and we need kind, humble, and committed colleagues to join us as we grow. I am grateful that you have applied, or are considering applying for a job at Azavea, and I hope to meet you soon.
Warmly,
B Corporation
In 2010, Azavea became certified as a B Corporation, formalizing our commitment to create geospatial technology for good. Being a B Corp enables us to run a for-profit corporation with a nonprofit social mission. It certifies our calling as social entrepreneurs who are eager to work on things that have civic and social impact.
B Corporations go through a rigorous certification process to show they use profits and growth as a means to a greater end: positive impact for their employees, communities, and the environment. Some commitments we have made as a B Corporation include:
- Distributing and donating a share of our profits
- Generous employee benefits
- Improved environmental practices
- Being selective about the type of work we take on (see below)
Choosing our projects
Azavea’s mission is rooted in the idea that technology can have a positive impact on individuals, our society, and the planet. It’s rarely easy or simple to understand how a given project will impact the world. A few years ago, we created a set of guidelines to inform our project selection process and hold us accountable to choosing work that would have positive impact. Some of those guidelines include:
- We only have one planet
- Open knowledge systems are usually better than closed
- We do not work on weapons systems, warfighting, or activities that will violate privacy, human rights, or civil liberties
- We do not work to support expansion of fossil fuel extraction
- Above all, do no harm
You can read more about our Project Selection Guidelines in our blog.