Meet the Mentors

Part of three interconnected U.S. Embassy–supported initiatives—Seeding & Scaling Innovation, Code for Impact Hackathon Series, and the U.S.–Nepal Commercial Diplomacy Discussion Series—this mentorship network – these individuals and the team they represent - is designed to connect emerging Nepali entrepreneurs with global expertise, capital, and opportunity. Together, these programs form a collective movement to strengthen Nepal’s innovation ecosystem, deepen U.S.–Nepal collaboration, and help turn ideas into scalable, AI-powered ventures.

These mentors represent the beating heart of Nepal’s growing innovation ecosystem—leaders who have built, led, and learned across continents. They bring not only expertise, but also the empathy, networks, and lived experience needed to help emerging entrepreneurs turn ideas into investable, world-ready ventures.

From finance and operational excellence to AI, product design, storytelling, and investment readiness, they offer guidance that bridges Nepal’s local ingenuity with global opportunities. Their collective strength lies in what they’ve achieved—and what they and their teams are ready to help you achieve next.

How the mentorship process will work

Shortlisted participants will be matched with at least one mentor and/or their teams from this roster, with pairings based on alignment of sector, skill needs, and stage of growth. Mentorship will take place in hybrid or in-person formats and be coordinated by our team between February–March 2026 and May–August 2026.

Each mentor will dedicate 2–4 hours during these windows to provide practical guidance, honest feedback, and connections that can accelerate your entrepreneurial journey.

This roster will continue to expand in the coming months, reflecting our commitment to build a sustained, diverse mentor community that connects Nepal’s emerging ventures with U.S., diaspora, and regional innovation networks.

Karvika Thapa is a leading ICT expert and entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in enterprise technology, education, and digital transformation. As Co-Chair of the CNI IT Council, she has been instrumental in shaping Nepal’s digital policy landscape—advancing IT Park development, organizing global tech roadshows such as Tech Peak Nepal: Orlando, and driving policy reforms that influence national budgets and investment incentives. She is the Founder and CEO of Kimbu Tech, which delivers offshore software solutions for clients in Israel and the U.S., bridging global standards with Nepal’s growing tech talent. Karvika also chairs Simjung Company and serves as Executive Director at V.S. International College, where she champions technology integration in education and women’s leadership in STEM.
A certified Agile Scrum Master with an MBA from Saginaw Valley State University and a Bachelor’s in Business Information Systems from Kathmandu College of Management, she has led large-scale IT projects in both Nepal and the United States across healthcare, education, and retail—and continues to be a strong advocate for inclusive, future-ready digital ecosystems in Nepal.

Sameer Maskey is the Founder and CEO of Fusemachines, an AI company democratizing access to artificial intelligence education and talent globally, and an Adjunct Associate Professor at Columbia University. A Nepali-born entrepreneur, technologist, and researcher, he has over two decades of experience spanning academia and industry, with more than 30 patents and publications in AI and machine learning. Through Fusemachines, he has trained thousands of emerging data scientists across developing economies while building enterprise AI solutions for global clients. Sameer is widely recognized for his leadership in advancing ethical, inclusive AI and for bridging the gap between frontier innovation and opportunities in markets like Nepal. Under his leadership, Fusemachines became a publicly listed company on NASDAQ with a valuation of $200 million, marking the beginning of its next phase.

Ajit Bikram Shah is a trade and digital economy specialist with over 18 years of experience in ICT policy, e-commerce, and public–private partnerships across South and Southeast Asia. As Managing Director of Lotus Holdings, former Chairperson of CNI’s IT Council, Executive Member of FNCCI’s ICT Development Committee, and Founding President of American Chamber of Commerce Nepal, he has led cross-border investment facilitation, digital trade policy reviews, and innovation ecosystem development supported by ADB, DFAT, and the World Bank.

Pukar C. Hamal is a Nepali-American serial entrepreneur based in San Francisco and the Founder and CEO of SecurityPal AI, a company redefining how modern enterprises leverage AI to power their security assurance programs. With offices in San Francisco, New York City, and Kathmandu, SecurityPal AI’s mission is to accelerate global GDP by solving the world’s most complex Security Assurance challenges. A graduate of Stanford University and a Silicon Valley entrepreneur for nearly two decades, Pukar has built SecurityPal AI into one of the fastest-growing platforms in enterprise security assurance, trusted by leading innovators such as OpenAI, Figma, and Snapchat, and featured on the front page of Forbes.com, TechCrunch, and Business Insider. Born in Kathmandu and spending part of his childhood in Darchula in far-western Nepal, Pukar moved to New York City at the age of seven before heading to Stanford in 2009. He has since raised over $30 million from top Silicon Valley investors, including Craft Ventures and investors affiliated with Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), and OpenAI.Pukar also coined the term “Silicon Peaks” and acquired SiliconPeaks.com to spotlight Kathmandu and the extraordinary pool of talent nestled among the Himalayas. The initiative embodies his vision to bridge innovation between Silicon Valley and South Asia and to build a global model for technology that connects the world’s brightest minds across geography, innovation, and purpose.

Anjani Kumar Phuyal is a U.K. based cybersecurity and digital transformation expert with over 15 years of international experience spanning the UK, EU, and South Asia. As Global Chief Information Security Officer at Genese Solution and Google-certified Cloud Architect, he has led ICT infrastructure modernization and cybersecurity initiatives for public agencies and private firms. He will provide advisory inputs on secure digital infrastructure and data protection framework ensuring the study’s design and recommendations meet global best-practice benchmarks for digital collaboration.

Pranayna KC is the Co-founder of Hivelaya, a future-of-work platform transforming how professionals in Nepal and South Asia learn, grow, and access opportunities. With 14+ years of leadership experience across Australia, India, the wider APAC region, and Nepal - including roles as CMO at Daraz, CEO at NIU Electric Scooters, Chief Business Officer at a health-tech startup in India, and growth consultant to 14 startups - she brings deep expertise in scaling businesses and building talent ecosystems. Through initiatives like Nepal Ma Future Cha and Hivelaya’s information and learning hub, Pranayna is helping to close skill gaps, connect youth and businesses, and reimagine professional development for the next generation of Nepali innovators