My first meeting with Pushpa ji, the co-founder of Blackboard Nepal, started like any other BDS consultation, polite greetings, tea that’s 75% sugar, and a quiet hope that this wouldn’t end with a “we’ll think about it.”
Blackboard Nepal is a small ed-tech startup based in Dhangadhi, building digital school-management software for schools in rural Nepal. They’ve got a great product, a hardworking team, and a founder who cares deeply about education. What they didn’t have was… a social-media presence. Like, at all.
When I asked Pushpa ji how they got new clients, he smiled confidently and said,
“Mostly through mouth-to-mouth.”
For a second, I thought he was describing CPR. Then I realized he meant word-of-mouth, which, in its own charming way, summed up where the company was digitally: breathing, but barely.
“Swastik Bhai,” he said (which in Nepali can mean younger brother), “can you help us out in this?”
Challenge accepted. We started from scratch, brainstorming scripts, designing content calendars, writing copy that didn’t sound like it came from a government brochure, and even doing a proper shoot. There were moments when our camera batteries died faster than our enthusiasm, but somehow, it all came together.
Within a few weeks, Blackboard Nepal had its first proper marketing campaign, crisp visuals, relatable storytelling, and an actual brand voice. Parents started recognizing them online, schools began inquiring, and yes, Pushpa ji also learned the difference between hashtags and passwords.
Fast-forward a few months, the company has expanded to two more provinces, onboarded new schools, and built more confidence in its brand. Sure, it wasn’t all because of the campaign (credit where due, their team is incredible), but I like to think our digital nudge played a small role in that growth.
And as for me? I got a lifelong reminder that sometimes “digital transformation” starts not with a strategy document, but with a slightly mistranslated idiom and a founder who’s willing to try something new.
Key Takeaway
You don’t need to be in Silicon Valley to think digital, even a small team in Dhangadhi can go from mouth-to-mouth to click-to-client with the right push.
