Mentorship Spectrum – A Fellow’s Outlook

Blog by Abhinav Timsina

In a room full of educated individuals, it’s the most experienced person who stands out as the expert. I strongly believe in the value of mentorship sessions with experts because nothing beats experience, and the learning potential the sessions offer is limitless. 

When I joined KGS Inc., I least expected myself to facilitate mentorship meetings between entrepreneurs and Nepal’s industry leaders. Just three days into my role as a Start-up Fellow, I attended NbS Connect – a networking session under the Nature Based Solutions (NbS) Innovation Challenge program, wherein the participants were introduced to their mentors for the first time. I was stunned by the impressive list of mentors that were shared, and I consider myself extremely lucky to be a part of their mentorship journey.

As part of my fellowship program, I have been assigned five enterprises, each pioneering nature-based solution in their own unique way. Their journeys, filled with resilience, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to sustainability, is nothing sort of inspiring.  

One such enterprise is Deego Nepal, founded by Ms. Anjana Malla. A pioneering social venture, Deego Nepal is dedicated to combating plastic pollution and promoting sustainable living in Nepal. My first session was with her, alongside Mr. Anil Keshary Shah (mentor), a prominent banker, and currently the chairperson at Lead Nepal. Meeting Anil sir for the first time in person is an experience I won’t forget. As we were waiting at the lobby of Yak and Yeti, the atmosphere shifted the moment he entered the room. As we gathered around the coffee table, I couldn’t help but notice how all three of us, representing three different generations, were playing different roles yet bound by a shared vision and purpose – the belief that entrepreneurship can be a force for good and must be nurtured. 

During our conversation, the mentor reflected that there are many different paths in life one can choose to follow, but the mentee chose to chart her own path towards creating a positive impact at scale. This strongly resonated with me as I seek to create impact in everything I do. I consider it important that my work contributes to people’s lives as the satisfaction I derive from it fuels my motivation to keep going. I am very inspired by people whose actions drive change at scale, and Deego Nepal, which has been dedicated to combating plastic pollution by employing over 100 women across six districts and conducting planet awareness events involving over 1500 participants is a very inspirational journey. Running a typical business in Nepal is difficult in itself, and to have a niche group as your target customers is a bigger challenge. Connecting the dots from my perspective, it seems that her journey will get more difficult, but Ms. Anjana’s determination to get things done is the reason why Deego Nepal is thriving. This inspires me on a very deep level, where one woman, in a male dominated society, stood up and chose to act towards a global issue affecting millions of people. Plastic is more than a big city problem; it’s a national problem, and as a person who is deeply passionate about sustainability, my values strongly align with that of Deego Nepal. 

During the meeting, I gathered a lot of useful information, but most importantly, I gained principles and values that I will cherish forever. Being exposed to such bright ideas at this stage of my career and getting to work on them is a learning experience that goes beyond the classroom. 

Even though I am not the one being mentored, getting to attend these sessions allows me to gain knowledge from five different industry experts and leaders. This rich, cross-sector exposure to business management is the standout takeaway from my tenure.

Initiatives like the Nature-based Solutions Innovation Challenge which is currently being implemented by IEDI with support from ICIMOD under the HI-REAP program are pivotal opportunities for entrepreneurs at this stage. One of the key focus areas of HI-REAP is Nature-based Solutions (NbS), and Deego Nepal is leading the way of NbS through its focus on sustainability, which is nothing short of inspiring. 

As I continue my journey as a Start-up Fellow at KGS Inc., I look forward to the upcoming mentorship sessions, which will be pivotal for my future growth.

About the Writer: Abhinav is a Startup Fellow under the Nature Based Solutions (NbS) Innovation Challenge. He is currently pursuing his Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Kathmandu College of Management.