How a collaboration with London Business School opened doors to bigger possibilities.
It began like most things do, unexpectedly.
One regular afternoon in March, I got an email from my supervisor. It was about a project with the London Business School. Something about sourcing companies. Honestly? I skimmed it at first. Just another task. Another form. Another logistical thing to sort out.
But then I took a deeper look.
And what I found was something… different.
The LBS Global Experience wasn’t just a project. It was a chance , a rare, beautiful one , for local companies in Nepal to work with a team of brilliant Masters students. To gain fresh eyes on old problems. To pause, reflect, and grow.
And I thought of my companies.
The ones I’d been working with for months. The ones I’d sat beside during long calls, chaotic meetings, and coffee-fueled brainstorms. These weren’t just clients. They were people. Builders. Dreamers.
So I chose three, carefully.
The first was an IoT-enabled farm trying to transform how agriculture works in Nepal. They’re working on digitizing the entire value chain, turning manual labor into data and insight. Not just to increase efficiency, but to give farmers power and predictability.
The second was a coffee company and café, rooted in values of sustainability and fairness. From fair wages to carbon-friendly operations to full traceability, they were trying to build something that’s as ethical as it is ambitious.
The third was a 24/7 cloud kitchen. A lifeline for night-shift workers, nurses, doctors, security guards. People who keep our cities running while the rest of us sleep. This kitchen was about more than food — it was about comfort, dignity, and a feeling of home.
I wrote their stories. Polished their briefs. Coordinated schedules. Hoped it would be worth it.
And all the while, I worked closely with Ms. Gemma Fowles from LBS, someone whose calm clarity and warm professionalism left a real impression on me. (Gemma, if you’re reading this, you made it easy for all of us. Thank you.)
Then came the day the students arrived.
I was nervous. Hopeful. Cautiously optimistic.
After all, it was just seven days.
But from the very first interaction, I felt something shift.
These weren’t students just ticking boxes. They were listeners. Observers. Explorers. They walked into every meeting with open minds, sharp questions, and real respect for the work that was already being done.
And suddenly, I started seeing things differently too.
Where I had been tangled in daily operations, they saw strategy.
Where I was focused on “what’s not working”, they asked why it mattered in the first place.
Where I was fixing problems, they were reimagining systems.
Fast forward – Three months
It’s been over three months now.
And their ideas? They’re still here.
Two of the companies have completely shifted direction, leaning into new strategies, new possibilities, new clarity. I see them making braver decisions. I see myself doing the same.
What I’ve realized is this:
I’ve always worked in Nepal. I know our problems. I know our patterns.
But sometimes, that familiarity turns into a kind of tunnel vision.
What the LBS students brought wasn’t just knowledge, it was perspective.
Global, nuanced, generous perspective.
And that, I think, is what makes the biggest difference.
To the LBS Global Experience Program, thank you for bridging worlds.
To the students, thank you for your brains, your hearts, your laughter, and your curiosity.
To the companies, thank you for letting us all in.
And to myself, thank you for saying yes to that one random email in March.
All it takes is a week.
Sometimes, that’s enough to fall in love with your work all over again.
