SOCIAL EXPERIENCE & PARTNERS
For over a decade, I’ve worked to bridge businesses with impactful social initiatives, focusing on ethical production, women’s empowerment, and sustainable community growth. Below is a snapshot of the social programs and women-led business models I’ve helped develop and support through long-term partnerships rooted in purpose and service.
As part of my work in women’s economic empowerment in Nepal, I’ve facilitated hands-on workshops with women artisans focused on building foundational skills for independence and entrepreneurship. These trainings include learning to sign their own names, gaining basic math skills for measurements and design, and developing essential business and administrative knowledge. By equipping women with these tools, we help lay the groundwork for self-reliance, confidence, and long-term economic opportunity rooted in dignity and traditional craftsmanship.
I have had the opportunity to work with a group of 29 individuals from the handicap and developmentally disabled community in Nepal through a social business venture focused on handmade felt production. This initiative was designed to create meaningful, dignified employment while supporting the unique abilities of each participant. Together, we developed high-quality felt products through a supportive, inclusive workspace that values creativity, patience, and collaboration. This work not only fostered economic opportunity but also helped build confidence, connection, and purpose within the community.
I worked closely with extremely impoverished women in Kathmandu, helping them develop traditional handicraft skills in beading and jewelry making as a pathway to economic independence. Through hands-on training rooted in local techniques, these women learned to create beautiful, culturally inspired jewelry while gaining the confidence and tools to build their own small, self-sustaining livelihoods. This initiative not only preserved traditional craft knowledge but also empowered participants to transform their creativity into a dignified source of income.
To explore my deep passion for ecological preservation, I supported Earth Day awareness efforts in Kathmandu by organizing clean-up activities at historic temple sites and engaging the local community in environmental education. This initiative aimed to not only restore sacred spaces but also to raise awareness about the vital relationship each individual holds with the Earth. Through these efforts, we encouraged a collective sense of responsibility for keeping our shared environment clean, healthy, and sustainable for future generations.
In Nepal, creating safe, clean, and positive environments in manufacturing and artisan workspaces is essential to the economic empowerment of women. I have worked closely on developing models that prioritize not only physical safety and hygiene, but also emotional well-being and creative freedom within these settings. By fostering spaces where women feel respected, supported, and inspired, we enable them to explore their artistic talents and traditional preservation skills—turning craft into livelihood. These models have helped women build confidence, community, and sustainable income in environments that uplift rather than exploit.
To support women’s rights in Nepal, I collaborated closely with women business leaders and local female entrepreneurs to organize and promote March 8th International Women’s Day initiatives. These efforts served as a platform to unite and amplify the voices of women in business—both locally and globally, while drawing attention to the urgent need for gender equity. By building bridges between grassroots leadership and international networks, we worked to elevate the role of Nepali women in the economy and strengthen global support for women’s empowerment, leadership, and rights.
Recognizing the importance of strategic networking in advancing human services and women’s economic empowerment in Nepal, I actively engage with individuals in positions of influence and leadership. I regularly meet with government officials, community leaders, and business owners who are invested in uplifting Nepal and its women artisans. These conversations are vital for building collaborative support, creating policy awareness, and opening pathways for sustainable investment in women-led initiatives that preserve culture while promoting economic independence.
I am deeply moved by the power of cross-cultural sharing and celebration, and have found profound meaning in honoring this through acts of compassion and community connection. During the Christmas season in Kathmandu, I have organized giveaways for locally impoverished families, offering gifts that meet basic needs, such as warm clothing, food, and daily essentials—in the spirit of giving and goodwill. These efforts are not just about charity, but about recognizing shared humanity and bringing hope, dignity, and joy to those who need it most during a season of generosity.
I specialize in developing circular leadership and sustainable business models that integrate directly into social impact projects, creating long-term, self-sustaining change. One example of this work is coordinating the production and distribution of backpacks filled with educational supplies for impoverished children in India and Nepal. These backpacks are ethically made by local artisans using locally sourced, upcycled materials, creating a closed-loop model that supports both community education and artisan livelihoods. By linking economic empowerment with social need, this approach ensures that every step—from design to delivery—reinforces sustainability, dignity, and grassroots impact.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the local economy in Kathmandu—largely dependent on tourism—was devastated, leaving many families in extreme poverty without access to even the most basic necessities. As businesses shut down and income disappeared, the impact on daily wage workers and artisan communities was severe. I was on the front lines of emergency response, helping to deliver essential human services in the form of food relief and support to those most affected by the economic fallout. This effort was a direct act of solidarity with vulnerable communities, ensuring that dignity and care reached those who needed it most during an unprecedented crisis.
During the pandemic, I was inspired to address both the economic hardship faced by women artisans in Nepal and the growing environmental crisis of disposable face masks. In response, I helped create a circular business model that empowered women to produce reusable, washable cloth masks as part of a Million Mask Initiative. This effort not only provided immediate income and dignified work for local artisans but also significantly reduced waste by offering a sustainable alternative to single-use masks. It was a holistic solution—uplifting women, protecting public health, and reducing environmental impact all at once.
I worked directly with Rural Reconstruction Nepal (RRN) to support the upliftment of rural and royal communities across Nepal, focusing on both economic empowerment and peacebuilding initiatives. Through this collaboration, we aimed to strengthen community resilience by promoting local development, cultural preservation, and inclusive leadership. Our efforts also emphasized the importance of peaceful dialogue and cooperation as essential tools for long-term stability and unity in historically marginalized or conflict-affected regions. This work reflects a shared vision of empowering communities to rebuild with dignity, sustainability, and hope.
To serve women’s economic empowerment in Nepal, I developed and led financial literacy programs tailored specifically for women artisans. These teaching sessions focused on practical skills such as understanding banking systems, opening and managing personal bank accounts, and learning how to balance checkbooks, track payments, and budget effectively. The goal was to equip women with the foundational financial knowledge needed to grow their artisan preservation businesses, make informed decisions, and gain long-term independence through economic self-reliance.
I have also worked within women’s prisons in Nepal, leading workshops to teach basic craft skills, such as traditional felt-making, to incarcerated women. These programs were designed not only to offer a creative and therapeutic outlet, but to equip the women with practical, culturally rooted skills they could use to support themselves upon release. By introducing them to local artisan techniques, the goal was to foster economic independence, self-worth, and new possibilities through the preservation of traditional crafts and the development of livelihood pathways.
I have worked closely with healthcare providers in Nepal to address the deeply rooted stigma surrounding menstruation and women’s health. Through this collaboration, we developed education programs and care packages aimed at empowering women and girls with accurate information, hygienic products, and the confidence to advocate for their own well-being. These initiatives were designed not only to improve menstrual health management, but also to challenge harmful cultural taboos, promote dignity, and foster open conversations around women’s health and bodily autonomy.
To educate visiting student groups from around the world, I have organized a conscious purchasing program in Kathmandu focused on teaching the importance of fair exchange and ethical consumerism. Through guided sessions, students learn how to identify vendors that uphold fair trade principles and how to recognize red flags that may indicate involvement in modern slavery or exploitative labor practices. As part of the program, I also provide referrals to local vendors and artisans who prioritize ethical production and women’s empowerment, helping students make informed choices that support dignity, transparency, and sustainability in the local economy.
I have also developed cultural exchange programs for visiting student groups, creating meaningful opportunities for participants to share their own traditional handicrafts while learning about the rich artisan heritage of Nepal. These programs foster hands-on connection and mutual respect through the exchange of skills, stories, and creative traditions, allowing students to engage deeply with local women artisans. One such initiative included collaboration with exchange students from Japan, who explored Nepali craft techniques while sharing elements of their own cultural artistry—building bridges of understanding, creativity, and global solidarity through craft.
To support women’s economic empowerment in Nepal, I have hosted hundreds of wholesale buyers over the past decade—ranging from small business owners to representatives of boutique corporations, who travel to Kathmandu seeking to design, source, or import locally made artisan goods. Through personalized guidance and direct connections to women-led cooperatives and traditional craft producers, I’ve helped buyers navigate ethical production, co-create custom designs, and build long-term partnerships that uplift Nepali artisans while supporting sustainable and socially responsible trade.