EMpower—The Emerging Markets Foundation

Cynthia Steele, EMpower President and CEO, recently spoke with Richard Johnston, Chairman of Asia at Albourne Partners and an EMpower Board Director (HK) since 2016, about the evolving financial landscape in Hong Kong, the impact of regional and global economic shifts, and his continued commitment to EMpower’s model of impact. Read the full interview: https://lnkd.in/gzNW8qjw

Why should International Women’s Day still matter? In this month’s blog, Dr. Ravinder Kaur, Professor Emeritus at Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and member of EMpower’s India Advisory Council, reflects on the progress made and the challenges that remain in ensuring girls and women are valued for who they are. From confronting deep-seated biases to celebrating hard-won victories, she highlights why the fight for gender equality is far from over. Read the full blog here: https://lnkd.in/gB58GFKB

The past two weeks have been nothing short of extraordinary as we celebrated EMpower’s 25th anniversary at our Annual Dinners in Hong Kong and Singapore! ?? These milestone gatherings were more than just events. They were powerful reminders of the impact we’ve created together and the boundless potential of young people in emerging markets. ? Hong Kong set the stage with an intimate evening of reflection and generosity. We welcomed over 60 guests and raised an incredible $628K in support of our mission. We were deeply moved by the words of Gede Sudarma and Wayan Doyok, alumni of the East Bali Poverty Project, who shared their journeys of resilience, growth, and hope. ? Just days later, Singapore carried the momentum forward, bringing together 80+ guests and raising $507K! We had the privilege of hearing from luchi flores, Country Director of Passerelles Numériques Philippines, and nanit katipunan, a PNP alumni, whose heartfelt stories underscored the transformative power of opportunity. ? As Wayan Doyok so beautifully put it: "My hope for the future is that EMpower will continue believing that we hold the potential to be something that we ourselves could not always see." ? These Dinners hold a special place in our hearts—not just because they marked 25 years of impact, but because they reminded us why we do this work: to stand alongside young people as they rewrite their futures. ? A heartfelt THANK YOU to our incredible speakers, dedicated EMpower staff and Board members, generous table hosts, and every supporter who made these unforgettable nights possible. Your belief in our mission fuels the change we strive for every day. ?? Aasha Pai, Aparna Uppaluri, Aleem Jivraj, Avon Neo, Madeline Foo, Nick Koh, Jessica Koh, Maryann, Susee Tang Gough, Jake Fox, Saab, Will Hunt, Danielle Plank, Richard Johnston, Stephen Chang, Rachel Andrews, Vivien Teu, Thomas Plank, Henna Hemnani, Pui-Chuen (Ricky) Hui, Cynthia Steele, Kundhavi Balachandran, Deborah Leaver, Deanna Tuttle. ? Swipe through for some incredible moments from the celebrations. ?

Join us at Vishwa Yuwak Kendra, New Delhi, tomorrow at 9:30 AM for our much-awaited Youth Ke Bol Conclave, a powerful conversation on advancing young people's active leadership and building youth-led pathways for a better future! ? This invite-only event will bring together a diverse group of young leaders, policymakers, funders, civil society organisations, and experts for meaningful dialogue and action towards youth leadership. Our very own?Nisha Dhawan, Vice President of Impact & Influence, and Aliya Bhaldar from our Girls’ Advisory Council will be there, bringing their insights and energy. Don’t miss out. We’ll be waiting for you! Register now: https://lnkd.in/gct_WpYS

25 years ago, EMpower set out on a mission: to invest in young people at the margins, equipping them with the opportunities and resources to build brighter futures. A quarter-century later, we’ve witnessed incredible transformations—not just in the lives of young people but in their communities and beyond. But change isn’t just about looking back. It’s about asking, What have we learned? What works? And how do we go even further? This Friday, March 21, at 1880 Singapore, we’ll dive into these questions with our very own?Cynthia Steele, EMpower President and CEO; Aleem Jivraj, EMpower Board Co-Chair and COO of Nomura Global Markets; Kundhavi Balachandran, EMpower Senior Programme Officer, ESEA; and luchi flores, Country Director at Passerelles Numériques. We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate this milestone than by sharing the stage with Passerelles Numériques, one of our grantee partners in the Philippines. Their work empowering marginalised youth with the skills to thrive in the digital industry is a powerful reminder of why we do what we do. A big thank you to 1880 Singapore for hosting this conversation. We hope you’ll join us as we reflect, learn, and envision the next chapter of impact. RSVP details are in the poster! ?? #EMpowerturns25 #25YearsofEMpower

Happening Today! ?? Join us as Robin Barnes, EMpower's Director of Development, US, speaks at the #CSW69 Parallel Session on ‘Advancing Financial Inclusion, Economic Empowerment & Digital Access for Women’—hosted by our grantee partner, HACEY, in Nigeria. This expert session will explore innovative strategies to advance women’s financial inclusion, economic empowerment, and digital access. Speakers will discuss key challenges, share best practices, and propose actionable recommendations for strengthening gender-responsive policies. ?? Venue: 10th Floor, 777 United Nations Plaza, New York | Zoom (Hybrid) ? Time: 12:30 EST If you're in New York, be sure to register for an NGOCSW pass to attend in person. Register Now: https://lnkd.in/gJZbWhCD #FinancialInclusion #GenderEquality

#ThrowbackThursday In the early 2000s, emerging markets were booming, especially in the UK’s financial sector. Investment and banking opportunities were everywhere, but something was missing: a way to give back. Enter EMpower UK. ?? When Bradley Wickens returned to the UK after living in Brazil, he saw the need for a transparent, responsible, and high-impact way for finance professionals to support the very communities they worked in. EMpower US had already built this model—replicating it in the UK was the next natural step. As Brad, Former EMpower UK Board Chair, reflects: "The demand for such an organisation was clear…EMpower UK has grown beyond that initial idea, becoming a philanthropic powerhouse with the same mission but far greater reach." What started as an idea has since grown into a force for impact, harnessing the power of philanthropy to create real change for young people worldwide. Swipe through to read more about this milestone! #EMpowerTurns25 #25YearsOfImpact #25YearsofEMpower ?? In pictures: Jonathan Bayliss, Lucie Kucharova, Parvoleta Shtereva, Eric Dannheim, Angella Heath, Marta Cabrera, Jeremy Llewelyn, Ozan Korman Tarman, Marc Balston, Aditi Thorat, Maurice Nadjar, Vincenzo Zinni, Kayla Kohlenberg, Zaryna Lee, Estefania C., Shaala Bawa.

We are thrilled to announce that Soji Nora Adewumi has joined our U.S. Board of Directors! ? With over 20 years of experience driving transformational change, Soji is passionate about unlocking potential and optimising organisational performance. As the Chief Operating Officer at Center for Whole-Child Education | Arizona State University Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College (Turnaround for Children), she leads finance, HR, and technology, shaping strategy and scaling impact in education equity. Her career spans leadership roles in strategy, risk management, and organisational design across both nonprofit and corporate sectors. She began as a management consultant at Deloitte, helping financial organisations leverage technology and human capital for growth. Now based in Brooklyn, Soji brings her expertise and energy to EMpower’s mission. We’re excited to have her on board—join us in welcoming her! ??

Coming to #SWF2025? Join us on 2 April for Young People and Community-Led Change—a Skoll Foundation side event co-hosted by EMpower and Oxford Martin School’s Future of Development. Our expert panel will explore the why, what, and how of meaningful youth engagement, sharing data, best practices, and methodologies for fostering youth leadership in philanthropy. The discussion will feature Adam Heuman (EMpower), Christian Meyer (Oxford Martin School), Swatee Deepak (Shake the Table), Linda Weisert (Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF)), Christine Burkhart (Global Fund for Children), and Ramatu Bangura (Children's Rights Innovation Fund (CRIF)). ?? Jesus College, Oxford ?? Register now: https://lnkd.in/e3aaGUDk #SkollWeek

What happens when passionate change-makers come together? We witness bold ideas, and a shared commitment to putting girls at the centre! Continuing our anniversary-special series #25Eventsin2025, we bring you Event #2! Suna's Daughters (Suna'n?n K?zlar?)—an EMpower grantee partner in Turkey—and their Girl-Centred Programme Design (GCPD) Learning Community connected with EMpower’s Indian grantee partners (CHIP Mumbai, OSCAR Foundation, PUKAR ., Vacha Charitable Trust, and Unnati ISEC) and youth leaders—sparking deep conversations, valuable insights, and a renewed vision for empowering girls and young people. From Turkey to Mumbai, this exchange proved that cross-country learning and collaboration has the power to impact real change. At EMpower, our sense of purpose is strengthened by creating opportunities and spaces to make this happen! Stay tuned for more incredible moments! #GirlsAtTheCentre #Leadership #Collaboration Filiz Bikmen Heera . Jayanthi A Pushkaran Priyasha Banerjee Swarnlata Mahilkar