A longtime opponent of human trafficking, Anya Cherneff found a new way to literally empower women in Nepal by founding Empower Generation to teach women and girls to become clean energy entrepreneurs. Cherneff earned a degree in anthropology from Columbia in 2005 and a master’s in international human rights from the University of Denver in 2010. During this time she also worked for the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women and served as founder and associate director of the Human Trafficking Clinic. It was through this work that Cherneff began considering ways to help women find stable, value-adding employment opportunities to reduce their vulnerability to being exploited by traffickers. In 2011 she co-founded Empower Generation, which enables women and girls to distribute solar light and power to improve the quality of life in their rural communities. In 2018, Empower Generation merged with Pollinate Energy to form the Pollinate Group. Though Cherneff has stepped back somewhat, she is still involved as a co-founder and a member of the board of directors. As of 2024, she is serving as the executive director for the SPM Disability Justice fund, a sponsor for initiatives led by disabled BIPOC. 

Anya Cherneff is a grantee of the Jewish Women’s Fund of New York (JWFNY), and is featured as part of a partnership between JWA and JWFNY spotlighting Jewish women social entrepreneurs.