“This was the first time I spoke about my journey in front of so many people. It felt empowering and emotional. I felt seen and heard.” These heartfelt words from incubatee Rita Singh beautifully capture the essence of a community event like What’s Hub.
On June 18, 2025, Impact Hub Kathmandu (IH KTM) hosted a What’s Hub event titled “Stories in Conversation” under the Building Entrepreneurial Access Models (BEAM) Incubator Program. The event was designed to create a space for storytelling, networking, and marketplace engagement, where the 11 women entrepreneurs with disabilities from BEAM could share their journeys and connect with the wider community. Through the BEAM project, IH KTM strives to create a wheelchair accessible space, which is why the What’s Hub: Stories in Conversation event took place at the IH KTM premises itself. The message that IH KTM wishes to convey is that, we need to start taking inclusivity seriously, and start from our very own organisation.
During the storytelling session, all 11 women entrepreneurs stepped forward, some for the very first time, to share their journeys, their impact-driven stories. They spoke with honesty and courage, reflecting on the barriers they’ve faced, from physical inaccessibility and financial hardship to the weight of social stigma. Each story carried moments of struggle, hardships, and perseverance. Some had started their businesses from their kitchens or bedrooms, turning small beginnings into ventures powered by purpose. As they spoke, everybody tuned in, laughing with them, pausing in silent admiration, and celebrating every word shared (some even shed a few tears, but we are all in for happy tears!).
Then, the audience engaged in the next segment: The Gallery walk. The gallery walk was a showcase of the stories that the entrepreneurs had shared, but in Canvas. The purpose was to create an archive for their stories, and also to engage the audience who would make a visit in the later half of the day.
The energy continued into the marketplace session, where the women proudly displayed their products and services, each table a story in itself. Guests from diverse sectors, activists working for persons with disabilities, organisations for persons with disabilities, women entrepreneurs, community members, and development partners, wandered through the space, not just browsing but engaging in meaningful conversations. This wasn’t just about buying and selling, it was about connecting human to human, dream to dream.
Many attendees later shared how deeply the stories had moved them. “I came thinking I’d learn about businesses,” one visitor reflected, “but I’m leaving with a deeper understanding of the women behind them.” Others expressed interest in supporting or collaborating, inspired by the passion and perseverance on display.
For the entrepreneurs, the experience was just as powerful. “The support we received today has given me more confidence to move forward with my business,” said Anukala Rai, one of the incubatees.
Stories in Conversation was more than a gathering, it was a shared moment of visibility, celebration, and hope. Through honest storytelling, gallery walk, and marketplace, it reminded everyone present of the power of being seen, heard, and supported. It was a powerful chapter in the journey of the BEAM Incubator Program, and a promise of many more stories to come. Keep an eye out for the next BEAM feature:)
