Overview
FiftyEight was founded in 2014 by Quintin and Angela Lake, with the objective of promoting decent work and reducing exploitation in global supply chains. It combines rigorous research and technology to help organisations identify and tackle modern slavery, child labour and unsafe labour practices. Its philosophy centres on achieving “good work for everyone, free from exploitation.”
Mission and focus areas
FiftyEight aims to improve labour conditions worldwide by focusing on forced labour, child labour, safe migration and responsible recruitment. Its core activities include supply-chain research, data analysis, and developing technological solutions to increase transparency and traceability. These efforts help companies integrate human-rights due diligence and ethical sourcing into their operations — aligning with broader ESG and sustainability-driven value creation.
Structure and governance
The organisation is governed by a board of around five members and supported by a global team of about 23 staff. Its leadership includes co-founders and research directors, and operations span multiple continents. Partnerships span businesses, NGOs, academic institutions and civil society organisations. This structure enables collaboration across sectors and geographies to address labour exploitation effectively.
Programs and offerings
FiftyEight produces in-depth research reports on child labour, modern slavery and human-rights risks in supply chains. It offers consultancy, training, and governance briefings to help organisations comply with modern-slavery legislation and embed ethical sourcing practices. It also develops technology tools. For instance, the mobile app Just Good Work provides migrant workers with information about rights, recruitment and safe work abroad. Another platform, MeL (Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning), helps grassroots organisations and NGOs collect standardised data to assess and enhance the impact of anti-slavery interventions. This combination of research, consultancy, and technology gives sustainability practitioners and finance professionals practical tools to identify, manage and mitigate human-rights and labour risks across global supply chains.
