Applications and mentor registrations open soon. Join our mailing list for updates →
About
Who We AreFounder's MessageLeadership TeamBoard of AdvisorsGovernance
Programs
All ProgramsOur ApproachImpactStories & ShowcaseNewsroom
Take Part
Apply for SupportGet Involved
Partnerships
Corporate & CSR PartnershipsFounding Patrons & Major DonorsOur SupportersWays to GiveFAQContact
Home / About
Who We Are

We believe potential deserves a pathway.

Empower2Succeed helps capable, hardworking young people close the distance between where they are today and where their abilities could take them.

Our Mission

To identify promising young people from rural and under-resourced communities and empower them with the education, preparation, mentorship, resources and opportunities needed to build successful, self-reliant lives.

Our Vision

A future in which a young person's birthplace, family income or lack of connections does not determine how far they can go.

Why We Exist

The young people we serve are not looking for sympathy. They are looking for a fair opportunity. Empower2Succeed was created for them.

Our Story

From rural roots to global opportunity.

Empower2Succeed grows out of the personal journey of its founder, Sanjeev Spolia. Sanjeev grew up in Bhaddu, a remote village in Kathua district, Jammu and Kashmir. His professional journey took him to Canada, where he founded an IT services business in Toronto in 1999 and went on to build technology companies and teams operating across Canada, the United States, India and other international markets.

During the COVID-19 travel restrictions of 2021, Sanjeev spent nearly six months in his native village while running his Canadian business remotely. The experience crystallized a simple realization: technology now makes sophisticated work possible from almost anywhere, yet opportunity remains concentrated in a handful of cities. It helped inspire the development of a major technology and business-services facility in Durung, near Billawar, launched in February 2024.

Building that facility revealed a second, deeper challenge. Creating jobs matters, but many young people need help long before a job is within reach: a better school, a computer, coaching for an examination, career guidance, or one credible mentor. Empower2Succeed is the next chapter of the same mission.

Read the Founder's Message →

Photograph
Bhaddu village & the Durung technology facility
Our Core Beliefs

What we hold to be true.

Talent is not an urban privilege

Intelligence, creativity, discipline and leadership exist in every community.

People are their possibilities

We never define participants by poverty, disadvantage or what their families cannot provide.

Money alone is not empowerment

A scholarship without guidance, training without mentorship, or education without exposure is rarely enough.

Success requires ownership

We provide pathways and support; participants bring effort, honesty, discipline and commitment.

Families are partners

Sustainable progress, especially for minors and young women, requires family trust and engagement.

Empowerment creates independence

The goal is confidence, capability, employment and self-reliance, and alumni who return to help others.

Our Values

The standards we hold ourselves to.

ValueWhat it means in practice
DignityEvery participant is treated with respect. Personal circumstances are never used to label or diminish anyone.
FairnessSelection and support decisions follow defined criteria and documented processes.
IntegrityWe expect honesty from our team, partners and participants, and hold ourselves to the same standard.
AccountabilitySupport is linked to effort, attendance, conduct and progress.
Individual attentionEvery person's circumstances and ambitions are different; so is every plan.
Long-term thinkingWe pursue sustainable outcomes, not short-term publicity.
CommunityIndividual success should strengthen families and inspire communities.
CollaborationWe work with schools, institutions, professionals, employers and government programs rather than duplicating what exists.
Clarity of Purpose

What we are not.

Clarity about our boundaries protects participants, donors and the organization. Empower2Succeed is not a general cash-distribution program, a one-time scholarship scheme, a placement agency promising employment, a coaching centre for every applicant, a channel for personal or political influence, a substitute for personal effort, or a platform that uses vulnerable individuals for publicity. Our focus is selective, personal and outcomes-oriented.

Meet the people behind the mission

Our leadership and advisors combine global business experience with deep local roots.

Leadership TeamBoard of Advisors