Closing the Distance in Corporate Well-Being: OpenMat's Infrastructure Approach to ESG and Employee Experience

Global corporate investment in employee well-being is projected to reach over $90 billion by 2026. That figure reflects intent. Organizations are allocating resources toward supporting their people. Yet there's a gap between spend and outcome. Participation often varies, impact can be difficult to substantiate, and the connection between well-being programs and broader Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) or employer brand narratives isn't always easy to articulate.

This moment has opened space for new infrastructure models that help translate existing budgets into initiatives that feel tangible, local, and reputationally meaningful. OpenMat Pilates operates within this shift, designed to help organizations convert wellness investment into something employees can experience directly and stakeholders can clearly see.

OpenMat acknowledges that the current well-being landscape is shaped by overlapping pressures. "We're seeing conversations about burnout show up across many sectors, especially as expectations around flexibility and in-person work continue to evolve," says Victoria Shillingford, founder of OpenMat. "Even well-intentioned return-to-office plans can feel emotionally layered for people, and digital well-being tools don't always land the same way for everyone." She adds that ESG teams are being asked to show clearer links between their efforts and the social impact or cultural outcomes they're aiming for, ideally in ways that feel meaningful beyond internal reporting.

These dynamics, she notes, have created an environment where intention is high, but coherence is harder to achieve. OpenMat's insight is that many of these challenges share a common root: distance. Wellness initiatives can feel abstract, detached from place, and disconnected from daily life. ESG commitments may be global in language but remote in lived experience.

OpenMat was built around the idea that proximity matters. By anchoring corporate-funded well-being in underutilized spaces, such as studios, community centers, and local venues, it can reframe wellness as something visible and shared rather than theoretical. "When people can point to a space, a class, or a moment in their own neighborhood and say, 'Our company made that possible,' well-being is no longer just a mere concept and starts becoming part of the environment," Shillingford remarks.

This approach aims to address several internal pain points at once. For many employees, in‑person Pilates sessions can provide a form of well-being that feels more embodied, social, and rooted in routine, with engagement that's easier to notice in day-to-day settings. For employers, these sessions may also serve as a supportive element in return-to-office plans as experiences that naturally fit into the rhythm of the workday. Importantly, OpenMat's model recognizes that not every employee will attend every session, and it doesn't rely on universal uptake to justify its value. The corporation spends funds on a broader system whose benefits extend beyond individual attendance.

That system is what OpenMat explains as a closed-loop social impact model. Corporate Pilates sessions are paired with free community classes delivered by instructors. Each booking helps underwrite accessible movement opportunities in the same local areas where employees live and work. "This creates what many ESG leaders increasingly look for: a clear line of sight between investment and outcome," Shillingford states.

From a reputational standpoint, this kind of structure can offer a helpful sense of clarity. OpenMat has observed that many organizations are navigating increased attention on how well-being and ESG commitments show up in practice, and there's growing interest in initiatives that feel genuinely visible. OpenMat's presence in local neighborhoods, along with its regular class schedule and support for emerging instructors, creates moments that communications and employer brand teams can point to with more ease. Instead of developing new narratives, they can highlight what's already happening in real-time.

What also distinguishes this model is how it reframes Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) spending. Instead of one-off donations or distant partnerships, the investment becomes operational infrastructure. It supports employee well-being, contributes to community health, and helps develop early-career instructors through fair pay and consistent work. This layered return is what can make the model sustainable within corporate budgets. Shillingford notes, "We're not asking companies to add something extra. We're showing how what they already spend can work harder and more transparently."

OpenMat's plans point toward scale. The ambition to establish a presence across every London borough by the end of 2026 reflects confidence in a model designed to adapt locally while remaining structurally consistent. The planned addition of a café within the Stepney Green studio extends the same philosophy, creating a hub where movement, conversation, and community naturally intersect. These developments suggest a future where corporate well-being infrastructure isn't confined to offices or apps, but embedded into the fabric of cities.

Overall, OpenMat offers a practical proposition in a market defined by high spend and complex expectations. Shillingford says, "We're not asking organizations to rethink why well-being matters, only how their existing commitments can become more visible, more local, and easier to stand behind."