Improving Transparency to address Supply Chain Power Dynamics in Mexico & beyond

The Social Innovation

Magnitude of the Problem, and its Root Causes

Many actors that traditionally hold corporations accountable in developed economies either have conflicts of interest or are ineffective in developing economies like Mexico, Latin America and beyond.

During his participation (twice!) in the Globalizer Program, Ben reflected on the key systemic factors contributing to the magnitude of the problem:

• Deep entanglement of political and business elites, resulting in weak enforcement of labor rights and regulatory capture, a phenom.
• Brands and consumers lacking reliable, actionable data about corporate practices, enabling “plausible deniability.”
• Official and “white” unions’ suppression of independent organizing; legal and administrative hurdles that block genuine unionization.

Based on the systems change analysis, he has made it his mission to democratize access to information to empower workers and civil society, and shift the balance of power towards transparency, accountability, and genuine worker representation in global supply chains.

“On the very last day of the 2014 Globalizer event, I had presented a slide... and that sliver of an idea ended up becoming a really big deal because it led me to co-found something that was the largest whistleblower platform in Latin America... It was kind of front-page news with hundreds of thousands of followers on social media and everyone was talking about it.

Strangely enough, the project that I started through the 2017 Globalizer never really went anywhere, at first. However, the idea, the system change analysis was huge in my learning.  It allowed me to lead my current organization, Empower, to do a whole lot with it. And that’s become actually kind of our main calling card globally.”  

Strategy to Catalyze a Network of Changemakers towards the Targeted Mission

Ben’s strategy involved creating mechanisms for more stakeholders to participate in bringing about the change.

Some of the tactics they deployed towards the mission as a part of the strategy include:

1) Creating an Open Database Documenting Corporate Liabilities to Involve Stakeholders across sectors in Improving Transparency to Influence Change 

Ben Cokelet’s journey with open data platforms and whistleblower tools began with a vision to democratize access to information about corporate behavior in Latin America. Through PODER, he spearheaded the creation of Quién es Quién Wiki, which became the region’s largest open database documenting corporate liabilities and human rights violations. This platform was not just a repository of facts; it was designed as a living tool for civil society, investigative journalists, workers, and even regulators to uncover patterns of abuse, trace ownership structures, and hold powerful actors accountable. The database’s success was evident in its widespread adoption—it became a go-to resource for those seeking to challenge impunity and demand transparency.

Building on this foundation, Ben and his team recognized the need for more direct, actionable channels for exposing wrongdoing. This led to the launch of a series of whistleblower platforms across Latin America, providing secure avenues for insiders—both from corporations and government—to report corruption and rights violations. These platforms catalyzed major exposés, generating front-page news and sparking public debate demanding accountability. The impact was profound: not only did these tools empower individuals to speak out, but they also shifted the balance of power, making it harder for entrenched interests to hide behind opaque systems.

However, the very effectiveness of these platforms also brought challenges. In countries where democracy was under threat or authoritarian tendencies were rising, including Mexico, whistleblowers and those supporting them faced significant repression. Journalists and activists associated with the platforms were targeted and, in some regions, the platforms themselves became unsustainable due to pushback. Despite these setbacks, Ben’s work demonstrated the transformative potential of open data and whistleblowing as levers for systemic change—showing that when information is made accessible and actionable, it can disrupt cycles of corruption and empower a new generation of changemakers.

2) Collaborating with and Training others to become Primary Agents of Change in their Respective Contexts 

Ben Cokelet’s trajectory reflects a significant shift in the role he plays—from being at the forefront of direct implementation with PODER to adopting a “second-tier” role through Empower.

In the early years, Ben was the public face of PODER, leading high-profile campaigns, building large teams of researchers, journalists, technologists, and organizers, and directly confronting corporate and governmental abuses. This approach yielded major wins, such as the creation of Latin America’s largest corporate accountability database, the launch of whistleblower platforms, and significant cases of people affected by extractive or infrastructure projects organizing to demand change that made headlines and empowered countless individuals. However, Ben recognized the personal and organizational risks of this model, especially in contexts where visibility could attract repression and where sustaining large, diverse teams became increasingly challenging.

Learning from these experiences, Ben repositioned his work to focus on enabling and equipping others—grassroots organizations, worker collectives, and civil society groups—to become the primary agents of change. Through Empower, he and his team now act as behind-the-scenes partners, providing actionable intelligence, research, and capacity-building rather than leading campaigns themselves. This “second-tier” strategy is rooted in the belief that sustainable systems change requires local ownership and distributed leadership. By training others in supply chain due diligence, investigative methods, and strategic advocacy, Empower helps build resilient ecosystems of accountability that are less dependent on any single organization or charismatic leader. 

"Sometimes the most strategic and lasting contribution is not to be the face of the movement, but to be the enabler who seeds and supports systemic change from behind the scenes.”

At the heart of this evolution is an understanding that real transformation happens when those most affected by injustice have the tools, data, and strategic insight to challenge entrenched power structures. Ben’s work now centers on exposing the mechanisms of the corporate capture of the State—where business interests subvert democratic institutions—and translating that knowledge into practical action for local actors. This approach not only mitigates the risks associated with high-profile activism but also multiplies impact by fostering a new generation of changemakers who can adapt, innovate, and sustain the fight for accountability in their own contexts.

Over the years, Empower has supported hundreds of clients and counterpart organizations in more than 20 countries to create transparency around problems and demand accountability in addressing them.