A Word With

Cynthia Steele, EMpower’s President and CEO, spoke with Eric Baurmeister, Managing Director at Morgan Stanley and Chair of our US Board of Directors. They had an interesting conversation about ESG (environmental, social, and governance) criteria—a set of standards for a company’s operations that socially conscious investors use to screen potential investments—and how the landscape has changed.

Recently Cynthia Steele, EMpower’s President and CEO, spoke with Pontso Mafethe, who has over 25 years of experience working in social justice, particularly women’s and girls’ rights in Africa, and is currently the Director of Programmes at the African Women’s Development Fund and Chair of EMpower UK's Programme Committee.

Jonathan Bayliss of Citadel was a founding member of EMpower UK, subsequent Board Chair, and is currently Board Director. Jonathan recently spoke with Cynthia Steele, EMpower’s President and CEO, about witnessing the impact of EMpower’s work firsthand.

This month, we are excited to share a conversation between EMpower President & CEO Cynthia Steele and Ben Hall, EMpower Hong Kong Board Director (former Chair) and Managing Director of KKR & Co. Inc. They talk about his experiences visiting EMpower grantee partners and why he’s such a staunch supporter and champion of the organisation.

Swatee Deepak, expert in girl-centred programming and progressive philanthropic approaches, and EMpower UK Director, has helped to guide our girl-focused work. This month, Cynthia and Swatee discuss gender, philanthropy, and envisioning an inclusive future.

Longtime EMpower supporter, Maddy Foo, was a Portfolio Manager at BTG Pactual and the founding board member and underwriter of EMpower in Hong Kong, which she established in 2010. This month, Maddy and Cynthia discuss philanthropy in Hong Kong and past visits to grantee partners prioritising girls.