New Learning Space That Opens Ways For Positive And Developing Change

JAKARTA - In the midst of the stronger empowerment movement in various regions, inspiring news came from the Empower Academy. The program initiated by Bangun Bangsa won the prestigious Indonesia Corporate Sustainability Award (ICS) Awards 2025, with the title Silver in the category Best Education Development in Local Community.

Empower Academy has been known as a learning and mentoring room that opens opportunities for many people to develop. Not only in Malang City as an initial priority area, this program is now also present in Jakarta, Temanggung Regency, and Malang Regency, reaching various beneficiary groups, ranging from people with disabilities, pre-health families, rural communities, to the tobacco supply chain community.

Through an incubation process for 6 8 months, the participants received complete experience, ranging from business management training, business legality, branding, promotion, financial management, to the use of social media. It does not stop in theory, participants also obtain advanced production and mentoring facilities that are adapted to their respective business conditions.

Until 2025, the Empower Academy has accompanied 50 people with disabilities to micro business owners in Malang City, 25 MSMEs for pre-health families in Jakarta, strengthening BUMDes in Malang Regency, to developing community-based tourist areas in Temanggung Regency.

"We are grateful for the positive reception from the community for the initiatives we run. This award is not only a new spirit for us to expand the positive impact, but we also hope that it can become a more inclusive catalyst for economic development," said Aan Prastya, Senior Manager of Media and External Relations Bentoel Group by expressing his gratitude.

"We hope that the Empower Academy can continue to grow, bringing benefits to a wider and sustainable society, in accordance with our principles, no one should be left behind." he continued.

The ICS Awards themselves are a national award event that highlights organizations with the best sustainability practices, based on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) principles.

This year's award was given in Batang, Central Java, and was also attended by Emmy Suryandari, Head of BSKJI Ministry of Industry. Aan Prastya was present to receive the award immediately.

With this achievement, the Empower Academy further emphasized that it is not just a mentoring program, but a movement that provides space for everyone to grow and be empowered, without anyone being left behind.