Solve Education!

Empowering Marginalized Learners with AI-Powered Education

When Saphira Suwanto describes Solve Education!’s mission, she makes one thing clear: “We don’t want to just give one-time help. We want to empower people to stand up for themselves through education.”

Founded in Singapore in 2015, Solve Education! was born from a late-night conversation between its co-founders — busy professionals asking themselves if there wasn’t something more meaningful they could do with their lives. Nearly a decade later, the nonprofit has grown into a global learning platform with a team spread across Singapore, Indonesia, and beyond.

At its heart is an AI-powered web platform that provides interactive learning modules, designed to reach marginalized learners who often lack access to quality education. But Solve Education! quickly learned that technology alone isn’t enough. “If you just give people a platform, usually not much happens. Learners need human touchpoints — mentorship, check-ins, workshops. That’s where the real progress happens,” Saphira explains.

Originally built as a mobile app, the program has since evolved into a web-based platform to better serve students with limited storage and outdated devices. This willingness to adapt has been key to its growth: “We’ve had to test, iterate, and sometimes go back to the drawing board. But now, we’re seeing real traction.”

While impact has been strong, sustainability remains the next challenge. Currently, about 90% of Solve Education’s budget comes from grants. The team is now transitioning toward a social enterprise model, creating business units that can support its mission long-term. “We don’t want to rely completely on donors,” Saphira says. “Sustainability is the only way we can keep reaching more learners.”

The Catapult program has come at the right time, offering both reflection and direction. “Even simple milestone questions made us look back at our SOPs, at our alignment as a team. We hadn’t done that in years. It forced us to pause and think,” Saphira notes. The mentorship sessions, too, have sparked fresh ideas for how to deepen impact while building sustainable revenue streams.

Through it all, what keeps her motivated is the vision of education as empowerment. “So many people in the world still need quality education. If we can make learning accessible and joyful, and help people build a future for themselves, then all the challenges are worth it.”