In 2013, we founded Empower to strengthen civil society and improve corporate accountability by eliminating the strategic information gap between civil society and the private sector.

Since then, we have produced hundreds of strategic research products and other deliverables for over 60 clients in 30 countries. We have worked in most Latin American countries, as well as in North America, Europe, Australia, the MENA region, East Africa, South Africa, and East Asia. We have also contributed to projects in many other countries, from Serbia to India. Our clients and partners range from human rights and environmental organizations to trade unions, university social science departments, independent media outlets, and philanthropic foundations. For local organizations in the Global South, Empower provides pro bono services or helps groups secure funding for their activities.

OUR DEFINITIONS

Our principles:

• We eliminate the information gap through strategic research, business intelligence, data analysis, and accountability campaigns. We empower civil society to understand and challenge capital.
• We share the profits. We offer our services only to civil society clients who share our Social Commitment. We do not compete with the sector for resources or recognition.
• We are worker-owners. We operate as a cooperative, not an extractive model.

OUR TEAM

We are a diverse team of human rights defenders, researchers, community organizers, trade unionists, lawyers, journalists, and specialists in data, technology, and communications. We have expertise in business, finance, public policy, and content production, among other sectors. Our personal, linguistic, and professional experiences span Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, Africa, and Europe.

What unites us is one commitment: we believe that justice begins with knowing who is funding the problem.

Founder and Executive Director, Benjamin Cokelet

Benjamin Cokelet is our founder, executive director, and president. Previously, he was the founding executive director (2010-19) of PODER (www.projectpoder.org), a Latin American NGO recognized worldwide as a pioneer in the fields of corporate accountability and business and human rights.

Since 1993, he has worked with non-profit organizations and trade unions primarily in the U.S., Mexico, and Latin America, and taught public administration at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University. He also serves on the boards of civil society, educational, philanthropic, social entrepreneurship, and media organizations.

He holds a BA in political science and African and African-American studies from Washington University in St. Louis and an MA in international business and politics from NYU. As a graduate student, Benjamin was awarded the Catherine B. Reynolds Fellowship for Social Entrepreneurship and wrote his thesis on business politics and the corporate capture of the State in Mexico.

Benjamin is also a fellow of the foundations Ashoka and Echoing Green.