Empower Change is launching as a brand new tech-enabled nonprofit geared toward serving to grieving households. It’s a startup that was born out of tragedy.
Roderick Alemania, founding father of Empower Change, has been interested by it for a very long time, as he misplaced his father after which 5 years later misplaced his mom as a younger grownup. Now he has greater than 30 years of expertise at Silicon Valley corporations, and he has based the nonprofit on ideas of innovation.
Empower Change navigates households by means of grief to allow them to begin dwelling a extra fulfilling life, mentioned Alemania, in an e-mail to VentureBeat/GamesBeat. Alemania prolonged type messages to me after I misplaced my very own mom three months in the past, after she handed from a protracted bout of dementia.
Sadly, Alemania famous how huge the issue is. Day-after-day, over 1,000+ youngsters lose a guardian. Six million will lose a guardian by age 18; 14.7 million will lose a guardian by age 25; one in 5 youngsters will expertise the demise of somebody near them by age 18.
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The nonprofit is poised to handle grief utilizing forward-thinking and success-driven metrics normally related to expertise startups. With a robust emphasis on product market match, buyer acquisition and retention, the nonprofit goals to maximise the variety of lives it positively impacts. Moreover, Empower Change is targeted on creating content material and companies that generate income with a imaginative and prescient of turning into a self-sustaining nonprofit not solely reliant on donations, Alemania mentioned.
“We are thrilled to announce Empower Change and innovate how nonprofits operate and serve those in need,” mentioned Roderick Alemania, Founder. “We are approaching this like a startup: identify then solve a problem and build a business around it–except the beneficiaries are the millions of families–especially children–affected by grief.”
Empower Change is creating and curating content material that evokes individuals to make constructive modifications of their lives. Its group can be constructing companies and packages like retreats and seminars that train life abilities. For example, the corporate will leverage expertise to carry peer-to-peer discussions the place mentors join with individuals on their grief journey around the globe.
The nonprofit’s strategy additionally is based on the premise that individuals who reside with grief be taught greatest from these forward of them on their journey; therefore, Empower Change is targeted on facilitating connections by means of present on-line and in actual life communities.
“Grief, unfortunately, touches everyone at some point in their life–and I am no exception,” mentioned Carter Lipscomb, former head of writer relations at Sony PlayStation and Empower Change board member, in a press release. “Empower Change takes the key quality you want in a nonprofit–passion for the cause–and combines it with the passion and rigors of a technology startup. I joined this board because I believe their approach is going to scale and help people throughout the world.”
Empower Change (IRS 501c3 Exempt) navigates households by means of grief to allow them to begin dwelling a extra fulfilling life. Leveraging greatest practices and working like a expertise startup, the nonprofit is a information that evokes change, builds life abilities and facilitates neighborhood connections.
So far as approaching potential company supporters, Alemania mentioned the objective is to assist these supporters attain their key efficiency indicators (KPIs) by way of their involvement with Empower Change.
A ardour venture
Households work together with Empower Change by means of content material, retreats, seminars and neighborhood interactions. Relating to his personal loss, Alemania mentioned, “When I was a young adult, I lost my dad; then, five years later, mom. It was profoundly challenging. The real struggle was forging ahead in the aftermath of loss, burdened by the weight of grief. I can’t even imagine what that’s like as a child or as a parent who has to
pickup the pieces of a family full of grief—while I too am grieving. This is what we’re tackling head-on.”
He added, “Empower Change navigates families through grief so they can start living a more fulfilling life. Acting as a guide, we inspire change and personal growth while cultivating essential life skills. Furthermore, we foster connections between those we assist and supportive communities who share similar experiences.”
Alemania’s personal profession has spanned media, leisure, gaming and sports activities. He’s leveraging his skilled community to assist these battling grief.
“Our mission extends beyond traditional nonprofit models; we infuse innovation and entrepreneurial spirit to scale our impact effectively. While we can’t erase grief, our aim is to inspire resilience and empower individuals to rebuild their lives constructively,” mentioned Alemania. “This passion project—now my life’s work—is my tribute to mom and dad: they sacrificed and sent my four older brothers and I to private schools then college so we could have a better life; regrettably, they passed away before they could witness the full realization of their efforts. I’m excited and honored to Empower Change—and hope you will join us on this journey.”
The corporate is elevating a $1 million seed spherical to employees, construct and scale Empower Change with a imaginative and prescient of turning into a self-sustaining nonprofit. The group has three individuals now. He mentioned the issue is the present assist system fails to assist individuals construct a life past grief.
Therapists and nonprofits normally concentrate on the traumatic occasion or the shrapnel of unresolved grief (ie.
dependancy); and, only a few work comprehensively on constructing a life past grief.
After a guardian dies, it normally takes six or extra years earlier than a toddler begins to maneuver ahead; nonetheless, 57%
reported that assist from household and pals waned throughout the first three months after their loss.
Unresolved grief results in a lifetime of problems, from issues in school, work and residential to issues like dependancy and divorce, he mentioned.
However he mentioned Empower Change navigates households by means of grief to allow them to begin dwelling a extra fulfilling life. Performing as a information, the corporate goals to encourage change and private progress whereas cultivating important life abilities.
“While we can’t erase grief, our aim is to inspire resilience and empower individuals to rebuild their lives constructively,” Alemania mentioned.