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| London | Share Date: 6 November 2025 Location: Victoria and Albert Museum, London As part of EMpower’s 25 Events in 2025 celebrations, we gathered at the stunning Victoria and Albert Museum in London for our UK Annual Dinner in Support of Youth, an evening of celebration, reflection, and gratitude. This special evening brought together over 400 guests, including representatives from finance firms, donors, Board members, friends, and long-time supporters of EMpower.

When you think of yourself as a young girl — what kind of world did you imagine for yourself? And how does that early sense of self tie into what EMpower has tried to make possible for girls? I relate to Kierkegaard’s quote “Life can only be understood backwards but it must be lived forwards”. I didn’t have a grand plan as a girl but looking backward, I see the early seeds of my life’s work and purpose.

EMpower’s Shifting the Narrative series is grounded in a few key principles—two of which are highlighted in this short read: Philanthropy’s greatest impact lies in co-creating equitable systems with youth, not just for them. Creating inclusive spaces for young people often requires a collective impact approach, where multiple stakeholders align around shared values and outcomes, to drive meaningful change.

| Online Webinar | Share From Diagnosis to Solution: The Role of Intermediaries in Strengthening Local Ecosystems Co-hosted by: EMpower & The Marshall Institute, LSE Duration: 75 minutes Date: October 15, 2025 Time: 1900 hrs HKT, SGT | 1630 hrs IST | 1200 hrs UK TIME | 0700 hrs EST Format: Online Panel Discussion Moderator: Olivia Leland, Co-Impact Register Here Context: EMpower and the Marshall Institute at the London School of Economics are pleased to co-host a three-part series exploring...

Radhika, I'm interested in knowing more about what motivated your interest and involvement in uplifting adolescent girls. Our family has been involved in institution-building for over a century. They founded some of Delhi’s oldest educational and cultural institutions, like Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Shri Ram College of Commerce, and Bharatiya Kala Kendra. These institutions were envisioned to shape an independent India through education, culture, and values.

For more than two decades, Alex Barcinski has been a steadfast supporter and insightful partner to EMpower. A Brazilian with a global career in emerging markets finance, Alex was initially drawn to EMpower's roots in the financial services industry and its dedication to giving back to the economies where its founders were working.

| London | Share On 8th September 2025, EMpower and Ozan Korman Tarman hosted a special Turkey-themed salon dinner in London. Despite Monday evening tube strikes, friends, supporters, and peers came together in a spirit of true commitment and solidarity. The evening featured honest reflection, stories from the ground, and candid conversations about both the challenges and possibilities in Turkey.

Nicolette, I'm excited to have this interview with you. This is a tough time in the world with the erosion of rights and the many factors that are challenging philanthropy. I'm interested to know what you, and we at EMpower, are called on to do differently in this moment. I think the moment calls on philanthropy to firstly continue supporting the work. Now is not the time to retreat from supporting civil society.

Credit: Camille Pissarro, 1888, La Récolte des pommes, oil on canvas, 61 x 74 cm, Dallas Museum of Art Life is art. When I struggle to find the precise words to describe a feeling or impression, I often find meanings from various art forms. When I met with our partners in Jakarta last month, images of a few oil paintings from the Pointillist greats emerged while I listened to their struggles and achievements.

“Collaboration is the opposite of control.” After 20 years in the social sector, across programmes, partnerships, and strategy, one realisation stands out: meaningful collaboration doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built through showing up consistently. Real collaboration isn’t about power plays or polished optics. It’s about making space for others. It needs intention and structure. It needs care. Collaboration rooted in feminist values means leading with care, trust, equity, and shared power.