We appreciate the willingness of our Advisory Board to support the Foundation as it embarks on a journey to keep Ujwal’s legacy alive and give continuity to his efforts in various fields.
ASHUTOSH TIWARI
Ashutosh Tiwari is the co-founder of Entrepreneurs for Nepal (E4N). He is also the Managing Director at SAFAL Partners, Nepal’s first business operations-focused investment firm, which works with small and medium manufacturing companies. Previously he was the CEO at Sherpa Adventure Gear-Nepal. Also, worked as Country Director at WaterAid Nepal, during which he was an elected Chairman of AIN, the Association of 114 International NGOs in Nepal.
BIDUSHI DHUNGEL
Bidushi Dhungel has worked extensively at the interface of public policy and politics. She has more than a decade of experience as a journalist and development practitioner in the democratic governance space, with a specialization in political processes and parliamentary affairs. She is also co-owner of Bodhi, a café-restaurant in Naxal, Kathmandu. She enjoys talking politics, traveling and cooking. She has lived across three continents and understands Nepal’s future to be placed within a framework of ‘global consciousness’.
RAJ MAHARJAN
Born and bred in Kathmandu, Raj Maharjan has been living with his family in Auckland, New Zealand since 2005. He is an Urban Planner by profession, and held various roles in the private and government sectors in New Zealand since 2007. Currently he is the owner and operator of an Urban Planning company iSolutions Consultants Ltd.
With his strong desire to professionally contribute in Nepal, in May 2025, Raj registered a sister company iSolutions Nepal. He believes that all is not yet lost to revive the already highly urbanised cities such as Kathmandu, or to manage the emerging cities. He thinks that the solution to the problems arising from the un-managed growth of Nepali cities lies in fixing the ’software’ i.e. the governance and service delivery. Governance meaning setting a long-term vision and making plans to execute that vision. Service delivery being offering direct and positive change in the lives of the inhabitants of the cities.
SOPHIA L. PANDÉ
Sophia L. Pandé is a film-maker by training with an M.F.A. from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She has been a long-running columnist on film and the arts for the Nepali Times, The Kathmandu Post, and more recently, occasionally, for The Record. She works with the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust and UNESCO Nepal on issues related to cultural heritage, informal education, art outreach, youth engagement, and the environment. She is on the board of Childreach Nepal, a grassroots NGO that works with education and child protection. An art lover, she also manages her family’s art collection and foundation.
SRIJANA CHETTRI
Srijana is an independent consultant who has worked on issues related to social justice, gender equality and social inclusion, local governance, and inclusive organizational culture, in Nepal and the US. She holds a master’s degree in International Development from the School of International Service, American University and a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Bryn Mawr College. In Nepal, she studied at Brihaspati Vidyasadan and Budhanilkantha School.
UMESH THAPA
Umesh Thapa is a qualified Chartered Accountant from ICAI, India and holds an MBA degree from Pondicherry University. Mr. Thapa works as Commercial Manager at Surya Nepal Pvt. Ltd., a top taxpayer company for the last five consecutive years in Nepal. He likes to go trekking as well as play badminton and swim.
YAM BAHADUR CHHETRI
Yam Bahadur Chhetri From starting his journey from a humble village of Parbat to almost joining indian army and then nearly going to Middle East for foreign employment and then to finally becoming a founding member of several well-established companies, he has embraced the journey of life as it courses through. He is a vivid contributor to WordPress community and a WordPress enthusiast with an experience of 10+ years in the relative field. He builds WordPress themes, plugins and custom WordPress development websites.
BIJAYA BABU SHIWAKOTI
Bijaya had worked with Ujwal for around 20 years on social and political campaigns and economic sector. He is a socio-political activist keen to improve the lives of the fellow countrymen. He works as a translator/interpreter and and a marketing specialist for the life insurance sector.
RAMJI RAM
Dr. Ramji Ram is the fourth doctor from Nepal’s 0.4 million-strong Chamar community, a historically marginalized Dalit group from Rautahat, Madhesh Province. His journey to becoming a doctor was marked by resilience in the face of systemic caste-based discrimination and financial hardship.
Despite these challenges, Dr. Ramji excelled academically and, after a Supreme Court battle against major institutions, secured a government scholarship to pursue MBBS at IOM, Tribhuvan University. He completed his degree in 2022, following years of advocacy, protests, and community support against unjust barriers. Beyond his medical career, Dr. Ramji is a committed social leader. He has led numerous free health camps, blood donation drives, and emergency rescues for flood, tornado, and COVID-19 victims. In 2016, he established a public library in a government school in Bara. A recipient of the Value of Madhesh Award in 2022, he has co-authored four medical research papers and completed a leadership fellowship in 2019. He now dedicates his efforts to improving educational opportunities for Dalit children across Nepal
Always in our Memory
You will always be a part of us — in our stories, in our dreams, and in our shared purpose.
Your contribution as our valued advisory board member will forever be honored and remembered.
KRISHNA CHHETRI
Krishna Chhetri is a Principal at Invictus Growth Partners and has over 18 years of technology and financial services investing and advisory experience. He has extensive experience in public and private equity financings, mergers & acquisitions, and business valuations. In the course of his career, Krishna has worked on the execution of over 60 transactions with over $55 billion in transaction value. Krishna has also worked closely with the Invictus team in various capacities for over 18 years.