Connecting Silicon Valley to Kathmandu Valley

Coffee Pasal, Durbar Marg (KingsWay) Kathmandu had been my favorite spot connecting awesome people personally and professionally while I was in Nepal.

Over past two months, I was fortunate and honored to meet many inspiring people from Nepal who actually represent a de facto the critical mass — The change maker of the nation.

1. Promoting grassroots initiative

A week long (July 17th -23rd) ICT training for Youth and Women through GNPN/NI-LAB and Microsoft Innovation Center-Nepal collaboration was a huge success.

2. Inspiring Youth

Connecting with WiSTEM (Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) team has been very inspiring, what a bond WiSTEM team has been creating across multi disciplinary young girls in technology and engineering fields.

3. Guest Lecturing

Guest lecturing at engineering/business schools (Sagarmatha Engineering College, Kathmandu University School of Management (KUSOM), Ace Institute of Management, CGeducation and Kings College) were truly great experience connecting with the future creators, innovators, business leaders and incubates who are building the innovative products and creating new enterprises. This trend of offering guest lectures (building an informational highway) at academic institutions need to continue and be followed by other professionals, scholars, academic researchers, Phds/postdocs from around the world when visiting Nepal.

4. Connecting Silicon Valley to Kathmandu Valley

Sharing industry, venture and startup experiences with senior leadership at leading technology companies and entrepreneurs were very engaging and thought provoking.There is need to continue strengthen the bridge of this cross sharing industry experience and building relationship from the professionals standpoint in the days to come to close the some of the current identified gaps.

Many thanks and pleasure visiting King’s College Incubator and ran pitch session with current incubates who are building a cutting edge technology in IoT and AgTech. Very impressed to see a world class infrastructure incubator built by Idea Studio Nepal (सोचदेखि उद्योगसम्म) at KUSOM with the vested interested to transform dreamer’s ideas into a reality. I was super glad to build a strategic relationship with local business schools and entrepreneurs group to bring Silicon Valley content to Kathmandu Valley on a disruptive technology.

Incubators, accelerators, mentors and possible investments are now gradually popping up across Kathmandu valley and this organic growth eventually leads to a bigger collaboration to have a success story in the global community. And the significant touching point is not that far away from now.

5. Educational Disruption

Bloom Nepal School (BNS) is establishing a true disruptive education system through value based and passion based learning education. It was great connecting and chatting over with a founding team, I loved the idea behind the BNS team is recruiting the most talented pool of students from different districts of the nation. Good luck in pursuit of building the best citizens of nation.

6. After all health does matter

Best Pani was the best to connect with Sajal Pradhan, director at BP and recent TEDx Patan speaker. BP specializes in environmentally, socially and economically sustainable water systems. Best Pani was founded with the objective of providing easy reliable access to safe clean water with excellent quality services and maintenance techniques.

7. Preserving Culture and Heritage

Another best day was to get toured in and around Kathmandu Durbar Square. A day trip has given me valuable and interesting facts about our ancient history and legends that I have ever been missed out for last 30 years from now.

Getting more insights about Kumari ghar (house), Kasthamandap, Kal Vairabh, Etumbahal, Rajamati ghar (house) and more interesting stuffs about it’s song, story behind Taleju temple and finally getting to see more amazing historical sites regarding Malla period legendary and ever unseen stuffs. Lot to do to preserve Nepali culture and heritage, the true uniqueness of the nation. Thanks Sumana and Alok Dai for the tour.

8. Building a Knowledge Sharing Center

GNPN has funded to establish a GNPN Knowledge Sharing Center at CAN Federation office headquartered in Kathmandu. The infrastructure building work has been in progress now. This center tends to play a pivotal role and platform to connect global Nepali professionals.