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Empower Change is launching as a new tech-enabled nonprofit aimed at helping grieving families. It’s a startup that was born out of tragedy.
Roderick Alemania, founder of Empower Change, has been thinking about it for a long time, as he lost his father and then five years later lost his mother as a young adult. Now he has more than 30 years of experience at Silicon Valley companies, and he has founded the nonprofit on principles of innovation.
Empower Change navigates families through grief so they can start living a more fulfilling life, said Alemania, in an email to VentureBeat/GamesBeat. Alemania extended kind messages to me after I lost my own mother three months ago, after she passed from a long bout of dementia.
Sadly, Alemania noted how big the problem is. Every day, over 1,000+ children lose a parent. Six million will lose a parent by age 18; 14.7 million will lose a parent by age 25; one in five children will experience the death of someone close to them by age 18.
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The nonprofit is poised to address grief using forward-thinking and success-driven metrics usually associated with technology startups. With a strong emphasis on product market fit, customer acquisition and retention, the nonprofit aims to maximize the number of lives it positively impacts. Additionally, Empower Change is focused on creating content and services that generate revenue with a vision of becoming a self-sustaining nonprofit not solely reliant on donations, Alemania said.
“We are thrilled to announce Empower Change and innovate how nonprofits operate and serve those in need,” said 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 developing and curating content that inspires people to make positive changes in their lives. Its team is also building services and programs like retreats and seminars that teach life skills. As an example, the company will leverage technology to hold peer-to-peer discussions where mentors connect with people on their grief journey around the world.
The nonprofit’s approach also is predicated on the premise that people who live with grief learn best from those ahead of them on their journey; hence, Empower Change is focused on facilitating connections through existing online and in real life communities.
“Grief, unfortunately, touches everyone at some point in their life–and I am no exception,” said Carter Lipscomb, former head of publisher relations at Sony PlayStation and Empower Change board member, in a statement. “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 families through grief so they can start living a more fulfilling life. Leveraging best practices and operating like a technology startup, the nonprofit is a guide that inspires change, builds life skills and facilitates community connections.
As far as approaching potential corporate supporters, Alemania said the goal is to help those supporters reach their key performance indicators (KPIs) via their involvement with Empower Change.
A passion project
Families interact with Empower Change through content, retreats, seminars and community interactions. Regarding his own loss, Alemania said, “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 own career has spanned media, entertainment, gaming and sports. He is leveraging his professional network to aid those struggling with 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,” said 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 company is raising a $1 million seed round to staff, build and scale Empower Change with a vision of becoming a self-sustaining nonprofit. The team has three people now. He said the problem is the current support system fails to help people build a life beyond grief.
Therapists and nonprofits usually focus on the traumatic event or the shrapnel of unresolved grief (ie.
addiction); and, very few work comprehensively on building a life beyond grief.
After a parent dies, it usually takes six or more years before a child begins to move forward; however, 57%
reported that support from family and friends waned within the first three months after their loss.
Unresolved grief leads to a life of complications, from problems at school, work and home to things like addiction and divorce, he said.
But he said Empower Change navigates families through grief so they can start living a more fulfilling life. Acting as a guide, the company aims to inspire change and personal growth while cultivating essential life skills.
“While we can’t erase grief, our aim is to inspire resilience and empower individuals to rebuild their lives constructively,” Alemania said.
