Theme: Local Stories, Global Implications

The theme of the third edition of TEDxDurbarMarg emphasizes the need of bringing organic Local success as well as failure stories that have immense potential to create implications not only with reference to Nepal but also to the wider global audience.

Kathmandu Marriott Hotel
Nagpokhari, Naxal
Kathmandu, Bagmati, 44600
Nepal

Aruna Uprety

Nutritionist, Advocate, Writer

Mrs. Uprety is working as a Team Leader for Public Health and Nutrition Promotion under Rural Health Education Service Trust, Nepal. She received her Master’s degree in Arts from Women and Development Institute of Social Studies, The Netherlands. She did her M.D from Kharkov State Medical Institute Ukraine (Former Soviet Union). She worked in government hospitals for about 8 years which includes several renowned maternity hospitals of the country. Her commitment and efforts towards improvement of menstrual hygiene of women and child health inspired her desire to advocate for women’s rights regarding abortion in the international diaspora. She was involved with different non-governmental organizations and worked in several states of the country as well as outside Nepal as a public health specialist which provided her the momentum in this journey. She gained insights about various problems associated with maternal and child health care while working in different parts of the country.

Karna Shakya

Environmentalist , Philanthropist Conervationist,

Karna Shakya is a Nepalese environmentalist, conservationist, hotel entrepreneur, writer and philanthropist. Shakya is a forester by academic qualification..He served as a wildlife officer and pioneered in establishing the first National Park in Nepal. He holds AIFC postgraduate in Forestry from the Indian Forest College, Dehradun, India in 1967. He resigned from his government job, entered the tourism business in 1970, and now owns a chain of eco-friendly hotels in major touristic cities like Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan and Lumbini. He is the founding chairman of KGH Group of Hotels. He has been credited as a pioneer who opened Thamel as a world tourist destination where many renowned writers, actors, musicians, researchers and artists come and stay. In 1998, he started the first ever tourism project "Visit Nepal Year 1998" as the National Coordinator which helped to bring awareness about the country.

Niranjan Dev Bharadwaj

International Author, Speaker, Environmentalist

Mr. Niranjan Dev Bharadwaj is an Environmentalist, Researcher, Environmental Chemist and an Indian Author of the book “Environmental Ethics and Indiaʼs Perspective on Environment” which was published by National Book Trust, India (NBT), Ministry of Human Resource Development , Government of India. Mr. Bharadwaj, who holds a bachelor's degree in Honors and Distinction in Chemical Engineering from Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya (India), is also a Blogger who writes for UNICEF'S online portal , Voices of Youth and Urunji Child Care Trust. In addition, he is also an online volunteer for the United Nations. Recently he won “Outstanding Young Person Award for Environmental Leadership 2019” by Junior Chamber International (JCI) Gwalior. Furthermore, he had also given a talk in “Sahitya Academy”, which is regarded to be the biggest and the most prestigious literary stage of India.

Nirvana Chaudhary

Philantrophist

Despite his family’s achievements, Nirvana Chaudhary has been no stranger to the Nepalese and global industry. He founded his own company within the CG Corp Global conglomerate, CG Finco, when he was only 19-years-old and became the managing director of the Chaudhary Group before reaching 30. In 2010, Nirvana began leading CG’s philanthropic organization, Chaudhary Foundation, as one of its driving forces . Through the foundation, he is dedicated to creating socially responsible businesses and sustainably developing Nepal. He has helped to open Nepal's largest spiritual institute, Shashwat Dham, and partner with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to improve health and sanitation in Nepal. Furthermore, he runs his own private philanthropy initiative in the name of his parents, Binod & Sarika Chaudhary Foundation. He was a former national squash player and an avid trekker who has summited some of the tallest mountains in the world.

Raj Gyawali

Entrepreneur, Advocate, Sustainable Tourism

Raj Gyawali has over two decades of experience working specifically on responsible tourism in practice – on the ground developing his company Social Tours as the first tour company in Asia to be sustainability certified. As a consultant, he helps governments and communities develop more sustainable practices, and inserts sustainability strategies in government plans. Raj’s work ranges from training guides in more sustainable practices, to educating customers on the practice of responsibility in tourism as travelers, developing more sustainable tourism offerings, as well as guiding governments and stakeholders in putting sustainable procedures into action.

Ranjit Acharya

Founder, Thinker, Policist

Ranjit Acharya is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Nepal’s most aggressively growing creative advertising agency “Prisma Advertising”. He has been successful in making the agency win many national advertising awards including “Best Agency of the Year” title for four consecutive years. Under ADB’s project, he envisioned the 5-year marketing plan for Greater LUMBINI and Siddhartha Gautam International Airport in Bhairahwa. He is in the program implementation sub-committee of Visit Nepal 2020, overseeing marketing and promotional activities. He has also ventured into social sector by launching an innovative concept in Emergency Medicine sector. He is also a founder member of Himalayan Climate Initiative (HCI). He is also board member of “Samriddhi Foundation”, an initiative working and advocating for economic freedom in the Country. He is elected Executive member of FNCCI (Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce & Industries) since 2015.

Sristi KC

Social Activist, Advocate, Dancer

Change from within is what Sristi KC stands for. She is the founder of Blind Rocks! At the age of 16, her life changed when she lost her sight due to Glaucoma. But that did not become a barrier to her dreams. She is a gold medalist in both the Intermediate and Bachelor level. In 2012 she undertook a leadership course for social visionaries in Kanthari International, Kerala India where she still is working as a visiting catalyst. She has traveled to 20+ countries as a motivational speaker, dancer, and trainer advocating for social change. She completed her Master’s in Dance Practice, Knowledge, and Heritage under the Choreomundus program, studying in Norway, France, Hungary, and the UK. Her awards include WOW - Women. Achievers in Social activism 2018; Youth Ministry of Nepal National Youth 2016 and Youth Excellence 2013 (Kerala, India). A biopic named Blind Rocks based on her life was also released worldwide in 2018.

Suraj Vaidya

Diplomat, Leader, Thinker, Entrepreneur

Mr. Suraj Vaidya is the President of Vaidya's Organization of Industries and Trading Houses (VOITH), and the National Coordinator appointed by the Government of Nepal for Visit Nepal Year 2020 campaign. He is also the Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Philippines and the Advisor to the Prime Minister’s Economic Council. He is an entrepreneur, graduate of an MBA from George Mason University, a business leader and a passionate advocate for economic growth and reform in Nepal. Besides being an active member of the business community and leading change by setting examples of growth, Mr. Vaidya has been a promoter of economic growth and an avid advocate for dealing with Nepal’s most critical development constraints. According to him, "Economy should speak louder than politics.” He is the Immediate Past President of the SAARC Chamber of Commerce & Industry (March 2016 - March 2018) as well as the Former President of the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce.