In April 2023, WAKE brought a delegation of 22 volunteer Advisors from top technology companies to Kathmandu for a week of consultancy, mentoring activities, tech and leadership workshops for university women, and cultural and networking events. This was WAKE’s first program in Nepal and was made successful through meaningful partnership with UKAID, The Asia Foundation and Data for Development. We also acknowledge and appreciate our local partners, especially Impact Hub Kathmandu, for providing invaluable local context and connections.
The Impact Challenge was a collaborative, three-day event in Kathmandu, Nepal, supplemented by 6 weeks of subsequent virtual collaboration. Nepali women-led social enterprises designed projects to increase the reach and impact of their social initiatives and WAKE matched them with skilled Advisors. Program participants demonstrated incredible teamwork towards their project goals, while simultaneously fostering deep connections. Building community is a key element of what makes Tech2Empower programs special. Tech2Empower emphasizes cultural humility, mutual learning, and centers the voices and intentions of our partners.
"My experience working with the WAKE team and advisors was truly phenomenal and the most special one. We shared a beautiful, kind and fun memories during our three days' stay in Kathmandu that we shall always cherish. It was great knowing and thinking things from a different perspective and we look forward to achieving the target goals together."
- Shilpa Lamichhane, Visible Impact
Smart Cheli’s team created pitch decks for their key stakeholders; one for local schools, and one for funders, allowing them to promote their workshops and mentorship programs to bridge the gap in STEAM fields as well as acquire sustainable funding to scale their programs.
Visible Impact’s team developed digital communication tools and resources to generate an effective online presence and communications plan. This included formulating a concise and compelling elevator pitch, establishing comprehensive brand guidelines, conducting an analysis of social media platforms and developing an effective social media strategy, donor mapping and researching fundraising best practices.
Women Empowerment Centre’s team streamlined operational processes by creating an online system to collect beneficiary data and reduce staff time spent managing paperwork. The team also developed a curriculum for women entrepreneurs to learn about email literacy in service to the Centre’s mission to bring economic empowerment to Dalit and other traditionally marginalized women.
Women Leaders in Technology (WLiT)’s team developed a master pitch deck for all of their programs with multiple templates for easy adjustment to their pitching needs. They also created a donor portal to diversify their income streams to sustainably fund their mission to empower women as innovators and leaders in tech.
Shequal Foundation’s team collaborated on optimizing tech tools to create a more efficient workflow by upscaling their data management systems and reporting practices. They worked on database management, stakeholder mapping, and created templates of important documents to improve and streamline team productivity.
Youth Led Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights Advocacy Nepal (YoSHAN)’s team developed an organizational digital strategy and branding guidelines and implemented strategic changes to their website to effectively guide online and digital engagement with different stakeholders.
WAKE organized Tech2Empower Day for University Women in partnership with our hosts, Kathmandu University Computer Club (KUCC), at the University’s Dhulikhel Campus. The day of dynamic, cross-cultural learning provided university women studying in STEAM fields the opportunity to attend innovative and creative workshops led by Tech2Empower Advisors. Topics Included artificial intelligence, leadership, overcoming imposter syndrome, as well as personal branding and marketing.
"As a staunch advocate for empowering women in STEM, Tech2Empower's "Day for University Women" - an all-female tech event was a dream come true. The opportunity to be surrounded by esteemed women in technology and young girls eager to pursue careers in STEM was a privilege beyond measure. As both an organizer and participant of the event, I felt a profound sense of pride in our collective success...These are the women I admire and aspire to emulate.”
- Priyanshu Sharma, Computer Engineering at Kathmandu University and Executive at KUCC
"I went to Nepal thinking I would have a unique opportunity to learn about the Nepali people and culture while providing a little bit of value in return; but I came back with endless self reflections, valuable lessons in my field of work, and exposure to opportunities where I can continue to make an impact. Tech2Empower empowered me while enabling me to empower others - I am out of words for how meaningful this program has been for me!"
- Krishna Morari, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
