Nepal Communitere officially turned 4 years old on December 30, 2019 and we have much to be proud of and loads more to look forward to. We’ve seen this special homegrown hub of ours grow into a dynamic inclusive space that is truly transforming Nepal in slow but meaningful ways. We started this journey in 2016 following the 2015 earthquakes under this premise that a disaster can by a catalyst for innovation. This has evolved into a vision to change the narrative of Nepal so that we see this as a place of possibility and opportunity. Our commitment to that vision means creating a holistic support system that puts our community of users at the center.
So what does that mean for 2020? It means continued growth through deep conversations, consultations, listening and recognizing both our assets and our challenges. We are exploring how to best expand our I-Cube Business Incubation Program to more communities and help strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems beyond Kathmandu. Communitere is transforming our hub to house the first Nepal Fab Lab in 2020 bringing in a wide range of digital fabrication software, tools and equipment. We’ll be bringing back American artist Jennifer Berry along with artist Tiare Ribeaux to host another arts incubator program in April 2020 focusing on Augmented Reality. This is a testament to how community-based hubs can be powerful spaces to bring in diverse, creative bold change-makers to facilitate dialogue on gender and power. An inclusive platform that fosters a safe space to challenge ourselves and one another is critically necessary to move us forward as a nation.
But are we ready to expand our work? How can we scale this work? Should we even scale this work? Or will it dilute or compromise the quality of our programs? These are questions we are constantly dappling with as we deliver on the ask of our stakeholders and partners, while honoring our own organizational values to deliver high quality, human-centered services.
In addition to growth of our space, programs and services, Nepal Communitere is expanding our leadership team to bring in a new Chief Growth Officer who will bring in a fresh perspective and approach to lead us into this exciting new chapter. Many of you know that we firmly believe in continuously iterating and adapting to changing needs. Therefore 2020 will be another year full of evolution and transformation. So we invite you to join our community of bold change-makers, bring your bold ideas and let’s collectively build them for success!
