Theme: Empowering the Nation-Local Stories, Global Implications

6 Influential Personalities, 6 Local Stories, 6 Global Implications

Hotel Royal Singi
Lal Durbar, Kamaladi, Kathmandu, Nepal
Kathmandu, Bagmati, 44600
Nepal

Anukool Bhatnagar

Managing Director and CEO

We feel proud to present our third speaker for the next edition of TEDxDurbarMarg-Anukool Bhatnagar Anukool Bhatnagar, has more than 33 years of working experience in Banking sector. He started his career from State Bank of India as a probationary Officer in October 1985 and has gained working experience in different sectors such as Banking Operations, Administration, Credit, Human Resource Management, International Banking and NRI Business. Before coming to Nepal, he was overseeing Banking and Operations in the capacity of Zonal Manager at SBI’s Administrative Office, Indore, India. He is a Certified Associate of Indian Institute of Bankers and an ACAMS. Currently, he is the Director of Nepal SBI Merchant Banking Limited (NSMBL). Currently, he is also the Vice President of Nepal Bankers’ Association and Executive Member of Nepal India Chamber of Commerce (NICCI) and currently heads its committee on Banking and Insurance. He has keen interest in travelling, culture, and sports.

Chandni Joshi

Gender Rights and Policy Specialist-United Nations

Mrs. Joshi brings in more than fifty two years of rich work experience in the government (Nepal) and the United Nations. As a Regional Director of United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) - South Asia, she provided overall leadership of the institution and promoted innovative programs and strategies to promote women’s human rights, political participation and economic security. She worked extensively and objectively lobbying with the governments in the region for gender auditing, linking women’s voices with policy-makers, promoting learning and sharing throughout the region and strengthening UNIFEM’s knowledge base on the subject. She was also responsible for setting the South Asian Regional Office of UNIFEM in Pakistan and India. Widely travelled, she has attended several prestigious global events in her area of engagement and has also been a distinguished speaker in such prestigious global platforms as the UN General Assembly, Earth Summit, ILO Convention etc.

Chandni Joshi

We feel gratified to have Chandni Joshi as our fifth speaker for the upcoming edition of TEDxDurbarMarg. Chandni Joshi is a Global Advisor to the UN Women and Ex-Regional Program Director of the UN Development Fund for Women and Gender Policy Specialist to the United Nations. Chandni Joshi is responsible for having set up the South Asian Regional Office of UNIFEM in Pakistan and India. Her work throughout South Asia involves lobbying with the governments for gender auditing, linking women’s voices with policy-makers, promoting learning and sharing among countries and adding to UNIFEM’s knowledge base. Chandni Joshi’s leadership has greatly contributed and facilitated UNIFEM’s mandate in building that environment and bringing various governments, gender advocates and researchers together in common platforms along with SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation). This has been one of her greatest achievements. UNIFEM has always been part and parcel of processes that have happened. She has also served as Chief of Women Development mission of Government of Nepal.

Deepak Rauniar

Managing Director and CEO

Deepak Rauniar is the Managing Director of Betan Karnali Sanchayakarta Hydropower Company Limited, which is developing the 688 Mega Watt Betan Karnali Hydroelectricity Project (HEP) in Nepal. It is one of the bigger HEP in the country that is moving ahead for construction. He is also the Chief Officer of Employees Provident Fund . He was the founding CEO of Hydroelectricity Investment and Development Company Limited (HIDCL) – the biggest public sector investment company established to finance middle to mega HEP in the country. He has also lead the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), which is the biggest retirement fund in the country, as its officiating Administrator (CEO) enhancing the overall effectiveness, innovation and financial sustainability of the fund. He also provided leadership and concluded: the World Bank and International Finance Corporation’s joint financing of a 36 MW HEP with HIDCL as the financial intermediary. He is also an elequant speaker and a Toastmaster.

Neil Pande

International Speaker and Dentist

Dr Neil Pande has been serving as a Dental Surgeon for the past 23 years in Kathmandu, Nepal. After his graduation from Manipal in 1996, he was instrumental in setting up Nepal’s first dental hospital. He completed his MFGDP and MFDS from Royal College of Surgeons of England in the year 2004 and 2006 respectively. He strongly believes that sharing knowledge and continuous education as the backbone of any profession. He also has served in Toastmaster Club as a President. He has been a rotarian since 1998 and has served Rotary Club of Kathmandu Midtown as a Community Director and Treasurer in the early 2000. Currently, he is the Founding President of Nepalese Society of Implant Dentistry and President of Academy of Dentist International - Nepal Chapter. He believes that dentistry is completely preventable and certain change in habits brought by misplaced sense of affluence and lack of awareness are the crux of problems in the diseases of the mouth and the body.

Seema Golchha

Ventriloquist

She’s a stand up comedian and a self-taught ventriloquist. Ventriloquism is a dying art and she has introduced this age-old art in Nepal, being the only ventriloquist in the country. She’s been performing regularly in India, some of the highlights being, Mood Indigo fest at IIT Mumbai, Reliance’s GCS Awards in Gujarat and regular shows at Canvas Laugh Club where she’s an in-house comic too. She has performed on international platforms like Thailand and the US. Her most recent one was at the most renowned Gotham Comedy Club in New York, where she shared the same stage as Jay Leno and Jerry Seinfeld, the legends of Comedy. She does kids shows too and have performed at Rato Bangala, Sanskriti and Lincoln schools in Kathmandu.

Sumana Shrestha

Executive Trainer and Life Coach

Sumana Shrestha is the founder and CEO of Kathmandu Consulting and Training, a management consultancy and corporate training firm. She has an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management. She chair the management sub-committee of Kasthamandap Reconstruction Samiti, which is rebuilding Kasthamandap - the largest monument that fell in 2015 earthquake from which the capital Kathmandu gets its name. She is a published mathematician in the field of Topology and Geometry. She is passionate about creating a new generation of leaders, and making sure women have a strong voice and position to shape the future.