Rajendra Shakya
Kathmandu, Nepal – Shortlisted candidates of the Hindu Kush Himalaya Innovation Challenge for Entrepreneurs (HKH-ICE) gathered in Kathmandu, Nepal, from 4 to 6 March 2025 for a Leadership Academy. The HKH-ICE Challenge, led by the Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) aims to empower entrepreneurs from Bhutan, Bangladesh (Chittagong Hill Tracts only), India (Himalayan states only), and Nepal to develop innovative, climate-resilient solutions in the agriculture, water security, and sustainable tourism sectors.
The challenge will support initiatives that leverage the region’s untapped potential for sustainable economic growth and environmental conservation while addressing the urgent need for climate adaptation and resilience. Representatives from 17 innovative business enterprises from Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bhutan, India’s Himalayan States, and Nepal participated in the Leadership Academy, where they explored leadership’s key role in their work and personal lives.
“The Leadership Academy gave us the opportunity to meet, connect, and learn from like-minded entrepreneurs in the region. The mentorship programme will go a long way in helping us sustainably scale up our operations going forward.” – Rigtsal Dorji, Founder, Mangala Herbaceuticals
Through theoretical discussions and practical group exercises, participants learned and shared diverse leadership experiences, including cross-cultural collaborations focusing on applications to various organisational settings.
Rajendra Shakya
Jesper Hörnberg, Chief Executive Officer, Global Resilience Partnership, said, “I am really impressed with the quality of work they [participants] are doing. They have what it takes, they just need to believe in themselves – allow failure to happen, learn from it, and move on. Entrepreneurship is not straightforward. They have what it takes, and I am happy to follow their journey.”
HKH-ICE finalists also visited the ICIMOD headquarters, where they met with ICIMOD experts and discussed green livelihoods, sustainable tourism, and biodiversity conservation.
Izabella Koziell, Deputy Director General, ICIMOD, said, “As Finalists, we see you as flag bearers of showcasing that sustainable enterprises keep both the nature and income streams healthy and flowing. You have shown us that innovative, scalable solutions that enhance the resilience of communities and ecosystems across the Hindu Kush Himalaya region are possible to implement, hence, we need more of you.”
Supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), HKH-ICE is designed to mobilise local innovation and entrepreneurship, driving scalable solutions that address ecological, market, and value chain challenges across the region. This initiative is co-implemented by ICIMOD and GRP. Winners will receive financial and capacity development support to address current challenges in their business operation or to scale up their business ventures. Winners will be announced on 31 March 2025.
Rajendra Shakya
The HKH-ICE initiative is initiated by ICIMOD’s Himalayan Resilience Enabling Action Programme (HI-REAP) funded by the United Kingdom International Development through its Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office.