The Great Nepali Diaspora Newsletter

Edition III - December, 2024

December 23, 2024

Vayu - Connecting Nepalis Across the Globe

Dear Members of TGND,

🎄 Happy Holidays and a Joyous New Year! 🎉

As 2024 comes to a close, we at TGND want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible milestones we've achieved together this year. From impactful events and workshops to inspiring stories and connections, our growing community has shown the strength and potential of the global Nepali diaspora.

This December edition is packed with highlights from recent events, including the TGND Summit, entrepreneurship workshops, and panel discussions, as well as a look ahead at what’s to come in 2025.

The holiday season is a time for celebration, gratitude, and hope for new beginnings. Whether you're with family, friends, or your extended TGND community, we hope you feel the joy and warmth of this season. Let’s continue to build, connect, and uplift one another in the year ahead.

Founder’s Note 🖋️

Hi everyone!

Happy Holidays.

As we come to the end of 2024, I am grateful for each and every one of you – our volunteers, members, mentors, supporters and champions. Thank you for being a part of TGND and for supporting our mission of connecting global Nepali professionals.

What we do at the Great Nepali Diaspora matters - immensely!

--> The #diaspora is the ONE critical element (not the only, of course) for Nepal - in terms of #investment, knowledge sharing, capacity building, mentorship & more. We are an important stakeholder for the government and EVERY sector.

Here are some facts I am proud of as a Founder and proud-er as an organization:

➡️ Through our #podcast TGND Beats, Diaspora ka Kurakani and our in-person & virtual events, we have showcased hundreds of Nepali achievers from every industry. Many of these were not known in our #community (despite their global fame) and their publicity has increased SIGNIFICANTLY thereafter.

➡️ We have mobilized hundreds of volunteers - incredible leaders from all age groups that channeled their love for Nepal into a tangible contribution to uplift the community.

➡️ Thousands of Nepalis all over the world have engaged with each other and Nepal through us. Whether it's interactions with folks based in Nepal or organizations working on the ground or with global entities, I dare say we have nurtured and strengthened the ties. Lots of positive things have come out of this: jobs, mentorship, funding, friendships & more!

➡️ We have reviewed and found meaningful opportunities for the diaspora to engage in Nepal. Whether it's #entrepreneurship, e-Governance, #women empowerment, Aviation Safety or other initiatives, we have leveraged the expertise and time of our community to augment the work being done in Nepal, while remaining completely NON-POLITICAL.

2025 looks bright and exciting and I am so ready for it! I hope you get to spend quality time with loved ones during the holiday season and recharge for the year ahead as well.

Best regards and love,

Preeti

Nov/Dec Events 🗓️

On Nov 21, TGND hosted a panel discussion and networking event in Nepal in collaboration with Nepal Tea Collective.  

The panelists included: 

🎈Sharad Rai - Founder/CEO, TAI Inc. (Japan) 
🎈Niran Shrestha - Co-Founder, Kwant (USA) 
🎈Samyem Tuladhar - Software Architect, PointClickCare (Canada) 

Our panelists spoke about their experiences working and building companies in different countries, the hype & opportunity with Artificial Intelligence, how Nepali startups can network outside for deals & investment and Nepali talent and gaps in terms of branding and other skills. The session was moderated by TGND Founder Preeti Adhikary.  

November 21, 2024 - Diaspora panel discussion and networking event with Nepal Tea Collective

On Nov 27, TGND Founder Preeti Adhikary appeared alongside Pukar C. Hamal from SecurityPal at the morning show on Himalaya TV in Nepal.  
 
The duo shared their diaspora stories - Pukar of moving to the US at age 7, building a world class company and now creating a thriving office in Nepal. Preeti talked about the emerging trends in The Great Nepali Diaspora, the learning over the last two years and the connection with Momo VC, an early-stage venture capital fund for underrepresented founders. 

November 27, 2024 - Himalayan TV Interview

The Great Nepali Diaspora was the panel partner for the Clock B Innovations Connect[IN] event in Kathmandu on Dec 6. The event was supported by USAID.

The panel titled “Unlocking international capital, diaspora engagement and angel investment” has Pukar C. Hamal from SecurityPal, Nabin Banskota from Niural along with Preeti Adhikary from TGND/Momo VC. The moderator was Anup Ghimire from the Doers podcast.

December 6, 2024 - Connect [IN] International Conclave

On Dec 8, TGND and the Empowered Women conducted a personal branding workshop titled "LinkedIn for Entrepreneurs: Personal Branding Workshop" for board members of Federation of Woman Entrepreneurs' Associations of Nepal (FWEAN) at Hotel Maya Manor in Kathmandu. The workshop run by TGND Founder Preeti Adhikary aimed to empower and enhance the professional branding skills of women entrepreneurs using LinkedIn. 

TGND and FWEAN have a MoU to support global market access and provide capacity building for female Nepali entrepreneurs.  

December 8, 2024 - Personal Branding Workshop for FWEAN

Entrepreneurship is a big focus at TGND and we aim to create a supportive & intentional community for global Nepali founders which will include #mentorship, workshops, pitching support/opportunities, connections & more. We have run virtual incubators, pitching events and AMA sessions with experienced entrepreneurs in the last 2.5 years.  

The relaunch event featured founders Liesel Vaidya from Imera and Kaushal Subedi (and Ashish Ghimire) from Echowin that shared their entrepreneurial journey. This initiative will be co-led by Sriya Gajurel and Pooja Lama. 

December 18, 2024 - TGND Startup Founders Forum Relaunch

You can browse our upcoming events (both virtual and in-person) on our event page. TGND has about 27 location-based chapters and 8 career-related professional hubs. We encourage you to explore and connect!

TGND Summit - Dec 15, 2024 📢

The TGND Summit 2024 was a resounding success, bringing together Nepali professionals, leaders, and innovators from around the world to celebrate excellence, share ideas, and inspire change.

Key Highlights:  

Inspiring Keynotes: Thought leaders shared their journeys and insights, emphasizing the impact of Nepali talent on a global scale.

Engaging Sessions: From discussions on technology, entrepreneurship, and public health to cultural showcases, the parallel sessions offered something for everyone.

Interactive Workshops: Attendees participated in hands-on workshops that provided actionable strategies for personal and professional growth.

Community Connections: The summit fostered meaningful networking opportunities, creating connections that will continue to grow beyond the event.

A heartfelt thank you to our incredible speakers, session leads, and volunteers who made this summit possible. To our attendees—your energy, engagement, and passion truly defined the success of this event.

Looking Ahead:

We’re excited to keep building on the momentum from this summit. Stay connected with TGND for upcoming initiatives and opportunities to celebrate Nepali excellence.

Let’s continue to empower our community and create a lasting global impact.

TGND Summit Organizing Team,
- Preeti, Sabin, Reeya, Sarina, Saisha

Giving Tuesday 🤝

If your employer has a matching program, do consider donating to the Great Nepali Diaspora. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit registered in the US and can be found on most relevant sites. Alternatively, you can always make a donation here.

Join TGND - Become a member! 👩🏻‍🏫🧑🏻‍🏫

We will be starting a new paid membership tier for startup founders shortly, so stay tuned. We have exciting events coming up in 2025: in-person as well as virtual! 

Thank you for being a part of The Great Nepali Diaspora community. Stay connected, stay engaged, and let's continue to celebrate our connections together. Here’s to a brighter 2025 filled with opportunities, growth, and a stronger global Nepali community! 🌟

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
The Great Nepali Diaspora