OUR STORY
EG grew from the passions of its co-founders.
Anya was looking to offer sustainable employment to women otherwise vulnerable to slavery while Bennett was thinking about how to enable the widespread adoption of clean energy in developing countries.
When Anya and Bennett met Sita in Nepal, together they identified a tremendous opportunity to create gender and energy paradigm shifts by empowering women to become clean energy entrepreneurs.

OUR GENERATION
want to get involved?
See our work opportunities including fellowships and internships → Or just send us an email →
annual reports
2016 Annual Report → 2016 Form 990 →
2015 Annual Report → 2015 Form 990 →
2014 Annual Report → 2014 Form 990 →
2013 Annual Report → 2013 Form 990 →
monitoring and evaluation report

Quirk: “I’m also known as the Bonz!”

Quirk: “I always thought a Holstein was a cross between a cow and a horse!”

Quirk: “I have an appetite for books especially mysteries and thrillers.”

Quirk: “My daughter complains I snore loud while sleeping. She avoids sleeping anywhere near me!”
Lisa Cagnolatti, VP Customer Service Operations, Southern California Edison
Dave Chen, CEO, Jade Sky Technologies
Eric M. Clare, Managing Partner, Digital Concepts 2.0
Nancy Y. Lin, Program Director, Impact Capital, Miller Center for Entrepreneurship
Nancy Schwartz Sternoff, Principal, G&S Consultants
Hogan Lovell Community Solar Innovation Award![]() | Ashden Award Winner 2017![]() | D-Prize Winner 2016![]() | Tory Burch Foundation, Fellows Competition Finalist 2016![]() |
Harvard Business School New Venture Competition, Northwest Regional Winner 2015![]() | SOCAP, Scholarship 2015![]() | Santa Clara University, Global Social Benefit Institute Fellowship 2015![]() | C3E, International Award for Women Advancing Clean Energy Winner 2015![]() |
TEDx Zurich, Speaker 2014![]() | C3E, International Award for Women Advancing Clean Energy Finalist 2014![]() | Katerva, Accelerating the Future Finalist 2013![]() | UN Women Singapore, Project Inspire Finalist 2013![]() |
EIT Climate KIC, Stage 1 Fellowship 2013![]() | Echoing Green, Semi-Finalist 2013![]() | Technical University of Delft, Sustainable Business Competition Winner 2012![]() | Technical University of Delft, Starting New Ventures Competition Winner 2012![]() |
ImpactAlpha, 2018, Pollinate Energy and Empower Generation merge to scale energy access
Impakter, 2018, The Sisterhood is Rising: A series of stories of women empowering other women
Energy Access Practioner Network, 2018, Spotlight Interview – Sita Adhikari
Medium, 2018, Women are leading the energy revolution in Nepal
Online Khabar, 2018, How a hyperlocal business is lighting up lives of thousands of women in Nepal
Green.it, 2018, Nepal has Light, Thanks to its Women
Impakter, 2017, Empowering Women to Power the World
WPOWER Partnership on Women’s Entrepreneurship in Renewables, 2017, Partner Spotlight: Empower Generation
Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment, 2017, Small Businesses: An Approach to Addressing Energy Access and Gender Inequality
Climate News Network, 2017, Women take control of solar revolution
Daily Mail UK, 2017, Village women transform into clean energy entrepreneurs in Nepal initiative
New Internationalist, 2017, Nepalese Women Defying Patriarchy
Sea Change, 2017, Anya Cherneff + Moira Hanes: Empowering A Generation
The Third Pole, 2017, Woman led company wins award for lighting up Nepal
Climate Change News, 2017, ‘Bad-ass business women’ bring solar empowerment to Nepal
CleanTechnica, 2017, Clean Energy Training & Solar Comes to Nepal UNESCO Heritage Site
Wild Lens, 2017, Empowering the Protectors of Chitwan National Park in Nepal
EcoWatch.com, 2017, Incredible Collaboration Empowers Villagers to Go Solar, Save Wildlife
The Revelator, 2017, Solar Power in Nepal: Protecting Wildlife, Empowering Women
The Green Economy, 2017, Bufferzone Movie
Josef Korbel School Newsletter, Spring 2017, Alumni Spotlight – Anya Cherneff
Conscious Company Magazine, 2016, CEOs Don’t Get Sex-Trafficked
Demand, ASME Global Development Review, 2016, Engendering Value in Clean Energy
The Huffington Post, 2016, One year after the Nepal earthquakes it’s still a dark reality for remote communities
Asia Environmental Governance Blog, 2016, Social Entrepreneurship In Nepal And The Use Of Alternatives To Empower Its Most Valuable Resources: Women
Santa Clara University Magazine, 2015, Light in Nepal
Business Standard, 2015, Faith in humanity restored: The socially-conscious start-ups of 2015
Devex Impact, 2015, How social entrepreneurs can bolster climate resilience
Youth4SDGs, 2015, Anya Highlighted in Campaign
Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship, 2015, Empower Generation helps turn the lights back on in Nepal
CNN, 2015, Help victims of the Nepal earthquake
The Huffington Post, 2015, The Best Way to Rebuild Nepal? Support Local Women
Fox 6, 2015, Two earthquakes in less than three weeks: Here’s how you can help those in Nepal
Chivas – The Venture, 2015, In Nepal’s darkest hour, these entrepreneurs are bringing light
Planson, 2015, Empower Generation: Supporting Nepal Today and Tomorrow with Solar Energy
Effect, 2015, Young leading innovators reshaping Europe’s future
Tech in Asia, 2015, Using clean energy, this organization is empowering women and poor alike in Nepal
My Jewish Learning, 2014, Can Daylight Savings Shed Light on Energy Poverty?
Shell – The Colours of Energy, Essays on the Future of Our Energy System, 2014, Empowering Women to Power the World
Tunza Eco Generation, 2013, Every step counts for change
Waka Waka, 2013, SMEs Focus Means a Bigger Impact for Empower Generation
Scientific American, 2013, Entrepreneurs are bringing light to Nepal – and you
Rocky Mountain Institute, 2013, Bringing Solar Light to the Energy Poor
The Huffington Post, 2013, An Enlightening Business Opportunity
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