Ankshita Chaudhary
Director of Operations at Startup Discovery School- Claim this Profile
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English Full professional proficiency
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Nepali Native or bilingual proficiency
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Hindi Native or bilingual proficiency
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Marwari Native or bilingual proficiency
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Bio
Akash Shrestha
Ankshita and I worked together at Samriddhi Foundation – a Nepal-based economic policy think tank – for two and a half years starting in 2018. I was her supervisor. From the very beginning, she exhibited skill sets, acumen and promise as a prospective public policy analyst. In the first half of her engagement with us, she conducted a series on research assignments aimed at identifying legislative and practical challenges facing Nepali businesses and startups with respect to market entry, operation and exit. These assignments allowed her to build networks with a wide range of stakeholders that we work with, including policymakers, private sector leaders, start-ups, public officials and economic journalists. Samriddhi Foundation is also the national host of Global Entrepreneurs’ Network and in the latter half of her engagement, she focused on contributing to strengthening the start-up ecosystem in Nepal by working directly with the players of the ecosystem which involved mapping start-ups, incubators, business development service providers, impact funds, venture capitalists and angels, creating engagement platforms, formulating reform agendas, and continuing to advocate for the reforms with the policymakers’ circle. Some of the works that she did during this phase were instrumental for our organization in successfully advocating for setting up star-up committee and challenge funds in Nepal. A significant skill that Ankshita also came with is her ability to effectively multi-task which saw her contribute to our work in terms of conducting strategic communications with partners, supporting donor engagements, and creating educational materials designed for the general Nepalis aimed at securing their buy-ins on our reform agendas. Ankshita loves new challenges. She is proactive, resourceful and a true team player.
Akash Shrestha
Ankshita and I worked together at Samriddhi Foundation – a Nepal-based economic policy think tank – for two and a half years starting in 2018. I was her supervisor. From the very beginning, she exhibited skill sets, acumen and promise as a prospective public policy analyst. In the first half of her engagement with us, she conducted a series on research assignments aimed at identifying legislative and practical challenges facing Nepali businesses and startups with respect to market entry, operation and exit. These assignments allowed her to build networks with a wide range of stakeholders that we work with, including policymakers, private sector leaders, start-ups, public officials and economic journalists. Samriddhi Foundation is also the national host of Global Entrepreneurs’ Network and in the latter half of her engagement, she focused on contributing to strengthening the start-up ecosystem in Nepal by working directly with the players of the ecosystem which involved mapping start-ups, incubators, business development service providers, impact funds, venture capitalists and angels, creating engagement platforms, formulating reform agendas, and continuing to advocate for the reforms with the policymakers’ circle. Some of the works that she did during this phase were instrumental for our organization in successfully advocating for setting up star-up committee and challenge funds in Nepal. A significant skill that Ankshita also came with is her ability to effectively multi-task which saw her contribute to our work in terms of conducting strategic communications with partners, supporting donor engagements, and creating educational materials designed for the general Nepalis aimed at securing their buy-ins on our reform agendas. Ankshita loves new challenges. She is proactive, resourceful and a true team player.
Akash Shrestha
Ankshita and I worked together at Samriddhi Foundation – a Nepal-based economic policy think tank – for two and a half years starting in 2018. I was her supervisor. From the very beginning, she exhibited skill sets, acumen and promise as a prospective public policy analyst. In the first half of her engagement with us, she conducted a series on research assignments aimed at identifying legislative and practical challenges facing Nepali businesses and startups with respect to market entry, operation and exit. These assignments allowed her to build networks with a wide range of stakeholders that we work with, including policymakers, private sector leaders, start-ups, public officials and economic journalists. Samriddhi Foundation is also the national host of Global Entrepreneurs’ Network and in the latter half of her engagement, she focused on contributing to strengthening the start-up ecosystem in Nepal by working directly with the players of the ecosystem which involved mapping start-ups, incubators, business development service providers, impact funds, venture capitalists and angels, creating engagement platforms, formulating reform agendas, and continuing to advocate for the reforms with the policymakers’ circle. Some of the works that she did during this phase were instrumental for our organization in successfully advocating for setting up star-up committee and challenge funds in Nepal. A significant skill that Ankshita also came with is her ability to effectively multi-task which saw her contribute to our work in terms of conducting strategic communications with partners, supporting donor engagements, and creating educational materials designed for the general Nepalis aimed at securing their buy-ins on our reform agendas. Ankshita loves new challenges. She is proactive, resourceful and a true team player.
Akash Shrestha
Ankshita and I worked together at Samriddhi Foundation – a Nepal-based economic policy think tank – for two and a half years starting in 2018. I was her supervisor. From the very beginning, she exhibited skill sets, acumen and promise as a prospective public policy analyst. In the first half of her engagement with us, she conducted a series on research assignments aimed at identifying legislative and practical challenges facing Nepali businesses and startups with respect to market entry, operation and exit. These assignments allowed her to build networks with a wide range of stakeholders that we work with, including policymakers, private sector leaders, start-ups, public officials and economic journalists. Samriddhi Foundation is also the national host of Global Entrepreneurs’ Network and in the latter half of her engagement, she focused on contributing to strengthening the start-up ecosystem in Nepal by working directly with the players of the ecosystem which involved mapping start-ups, incubators, business development service providers, impact funds, venture capitalists and angels, creating engagement platforms, formulating reform agendas, and continuing to advocate for the reforms with the policymakers’ circle. Some of the works that she did during this phase were instrumental for our organization in successfully advocating for setting up star-up committee and challenge funds in Nepal. A significant skill that Ankshita also came with is her ability to effectively multi-task which saw her contribute to our work in terms of conducting strategic communications with partners, supporting donor engagements, and creating educational materials designed for the general Nepalis aimed at securing their buy-ins on our reform agendas. Ankshita loves new challenges. She is proactive, resourceful and a true team player.
Experience
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Startup Discovery School
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United Kingdom
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Venture Capital and Private Equity Principals
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1 - 100 Employee
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Director of Operations
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Sep 2023 - Present
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Programme Manager
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Jun 2022 - Sep 2023
• Designed, led, and managed startup programmes for clients including HSBC, Connected Places Catapult, KTN Global Alliance, Lambeth Council, and Samsung.• Proactively identified and addressed gaps in startup business models, securing funding and enabling scalable operations for sustainable growth.• Fostered cross-sector collaborations with industry partners to drive innovative solutions for societal challenges.
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Project Officer
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Nov 2021 - Jun 2022
• Scouted and conversed with potential startups for different innovation programmes; managed startup research and located over 120 high potential startups in the region• Supported the launch and delivery of innovation programmes for the Lambeth Council, HSBC UK and Connected Places Catapult to ensure startups meet objectives set with the corporate partner • Built a startup network, managing relationships and acting as a point of contact for founders, investors and mentors • Developed long-term relationships with corporate partners and their internal teams to support agile project delivery• Managed communication channels to ensure all stakeholders are updated on project process and routinely assessed for risks Show less
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Newton Venture Program
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United Kingdom
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Education
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1 - 100 Employee
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Newton Scholar
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Mar 2023 - Present
Newton Venture Program's mission is to level the playing field for people from typically overlooked backgrounds - ensuring that the next generation of venture investors represent the world we live in. Newton is a joint venture between London Business School and LocalGlobe VC. The Fundamentals program covers key areas such as the VC ecosystem, dealflow, valuations, chemistry and conviction, negotiations, legals, follow up financing, scaling up, and the future of VC. Newton Venture Program's mission is to level the playing field for people from typically overlooked backgrounds - ensuring that the next generation of venture investors represent the world we live in. Newton is a joint venture between London Business School and LocalGlobe VC. The Fundamentals program covers key areas such as the VC ecosystem, dealflow, valuations, chemistry and conviction, negotiations, legals, follow up financing, scaling up, and the future of VC.
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Samriddhi Foundation (समृद्धि फाउण्डेशन)
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Nepal
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Public Policy Offices
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1 - 100 Employee
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Research and Communications Officer
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Feb 2018 - Jun 2020
• Co-authored a study on Agricultural Income Tax in Federal Nepal that has sold 60+ physical copies and has been downloaded 190+ times. • Prepared policy briefs, white papers and commentaries on Company law, Industrial Enterprise law, Foreign Investment law, Contract enforcement and Exit legislations in Nepal • Liaised with Parliamentarians, bureaucrats, lawmakers, business leaders and civil society members to discuss and review proposed reforms, following which the Ministry of Industry initiated a major reform in the Company Bill • Published over a dozen op-eds on economic policies in The Himalayan Times – a leading national daily - and contributed to Eco-nity – Nepal’s award-winning economic blog • Monitored and evaluated the status of key donor projects, made field visits, studied strategic documents and drafted their assessment reports • Developed an Economic Monitor for internal economic monitoring of provincial governments in Nepal • Organized two iterations of the ‘Global Entrepreneurship Summit’ and worked closely with stakeholders across the start-up ecosystem • Moderated seven Liberty Discussion Sessions by engaging over 150 youths in Kathmandu; and replicated the program model in three major cities – Biratnagar, Surkhet and Chitwan – of Nepal • Produced monthly newsletter for the subscribers; and prepared communiqué for partner organizations and for media agencies • Designed communication strategies, implemented content calendar for the website and the social media platforms – Facebook, Twitter – that increased content engagement by 68% and followers by 43% in a span of three months Show less
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Kathmandu College of Management
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Nepal
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Education Management
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1 - 100 Employee
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Economics Teaching Assistant
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Aug 2017 - Jun 2018
• Introduced and piloted the ‘Flipped Classroom Learning’ that improved student learning outcomes prior to its full-scale implementation • Led weekly tutorial lessons to 85+ first year students which included case studies, quizzes, lesson exercises, course concepts in tandem with the professor’s lecture • Liaised with students, professor and school management to develop course strategies, and organized one-to-one sessions with students to assist them with challenges in the coursework • Prepared presentations, reviewed assignments and conducted examinations as scheduled in the course calendar Show less
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Three H Management
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Business Consulting and Services
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1 - 100 Employee
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Research and Consulting Associate
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Sep 2017 - Nov 2017
• Created a business plan for a recreational resort in the far-west region of Nepal • Client engagement included proposal writing & documentation, designing business models, industry analysis, and management advisory • Created a business plan for a recreational resort in the far-west region of Nepal • Client engagement included proposal writing & documentation, designing business models, industry analysis, and management advisory
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Room to Read
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Non-profit Organizations
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700 & Above Employee
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Intern, Girls’ Education Program (GEP)
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Mar 2017 - May 2017
• Facilitated in the review and contextualization of worldwide GEP content and professional learning materials for Nepal in collaboration with the Manager for GEP • Reviewed the case studies sent from the Field Office and find potential cases for different reporting • Edited and finalized selected case studies for the booklet (Version 5 of GEP stories) in coordination with Marketing and Communications • Co-ordinated logistics and note taking during any ongoing workshops/ trainings/ meetings related to GEP Show less
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Education
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2020 - 2021
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
MSc Local Economic Development, Distinction -
2018 - 2018
The University of Hong Kong
Summer School, Political Economy and Political Philosophy -
2013 - 2017
Kathmandu College of Management
Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.), Finance
Community
