Cardigan is a small town of 4,000 good people. 400 of them used to make jeans. They made 35,000 pairs a week. For three decades.
Then one day the factory closed. It left town. But all that skill and knowhow remained. Without any way of showing the world what they could do.
That’s why we have started The Hiut Denim Company. To bring manufacturing back home. To use all that skill on our doorstep. And to breathe new life into our town.
As one of the Grand Masters said to me when I was interviewing: “This is what I know how to do. This is what I do best.” I just sat there thinking I have to make this work.
Marius “Arniko” Arter initially did not plan to make a business out of selling skateboards. He went to Nepal to see if he was going to be able to produce skateboards and after three months of producing skateboards in Nepal, he brought two boards back to Switzerland. Many people in his network in Switzerland liked the skateboards so much that he went back to Nepal to produce more, which ultimately led to the creation of his business, Arniko.
Arniko is well known for their skateboards, which they proudly produce in Nepal and was the first company to introduce the skateboarding culture on a large scale in the country. Back in 2011, Arniko had about 70% foreign customers and 30% local Nepalese customers. The skateboard scene was rising in Nepal and Arniko believed that there was potential in growing and getting more Nepali customers.
Fast forward to today, we now have @skate_nepal, which is spreading skateboarding to the people of Nepal. There is now also a community-built skatepark in Pokhara, Nepal @annapurnaskatepark.
Bio: Established in 2007, Arniko produces a wide range of fashion articles and skateboards in Nepal and India. Arniko has a flagship store in Zurich, Switzerland and also sell their merchandise through The Local Project Nepal store in Kathmandu, Nepal.
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.” – Steve Jobs
Sachin Shrestha believes that all the work experiences that he had and the environment he grew up in helped him co-found “The Local Project Nepal.” His father had a successful garment factory, which sustained the family. Over time, the orders decreased for the products they were manufacturing and then one day his father decided to close down the factory and hoped to restart the business in the next few years. However, the factory never restarted again.
During his work journey, Sachin worked for KN International for about three years. The company’s long time business clients from Japan started to demand chemical free fabrics that were produced ethically through fair practices, which gave him a lot of exposure in those areas. These experiences also helped shed light into the opportunities and challenges of ethical production of goods in Nepal. Deep inside, Sachin really wanted to start his own brand or delve into manufacturing, but he couldn’t do it for a variety of reasons, until an opportunity came along.
When a business opportunity to start a store that promotes local products inside Evoke Cafe & Bistro came about from Sachin and Binam’s friends, they immediately said yes. Sachin believes that providing a platform for local manufacturers brings him joy and closer to his manufacturing roots. Now, “The Local Project Nepal” has two locations in the Kathmandu valley and is a hub for authentic and locally made products.
Bio: Started by Sachin Shrestha and Binam Shakya, “The Local Project Nepal” encourages local entrepreneurship and production, while providing a platform for Nepal made vendors to sell their products. Follow them @thelocalprojectnepal_tlp
I loved writing from a very young age because it gave me a sense of freedom, a form of expression, and most importantly a voice. As a Writing Consultant at Auburn University’s Miller Writing Center, I helped hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students with their writing projects. Each writing consultation appointment allowed me to go on a journey with the student to tackle their writing frustrations, road blocks, and own their success. It gave me immense satisfaction knowing that I was able to help make an impact by improving someone’s writing skills and scope of knowledge.
I knew there were other students and professionals in academia and industry who needed guidance with their writing. I wanted to make a bigger difference in my community and beyond, so that’s why Writers Ink was created. Writers Ink helps you hone your writing skills to achieve your end results. Writers Ink is my passion, my calling, and an opportunity to help you become more confident in finding your writing voice.
Bio: Writers Ink was started by Anshu Shrestha. She is a career coach and writing consultant. Follow them @writersinkinsta for all topics related to writing.
Our mission is what drives us to do everything possible to expand human potential. We do that by creating groundbreaking sport innovations, by making our products more sustainably, by building a creative and diverse global team and by making a positive impact in communities where we live and work.
Based in Beaverton, Oregon, NIKE, Inc. includes the Nike, Converse, and Jordan brands.
Tea remains a huge part of the daily Nepali culture and experience. Most people have multiple cups of tea throughout the day. Back in 1999, coffee culture in Nepal was mostly non-existent when Gagan Pradhan and Anand Gurung brought it to the masses by opening the first Himalayan Java in Thamel. Nowadays, coffee culture is widespread, trendy, and fashionable in Nepal.
Gagan fell in love with coffee beans when he was a student studying hospitality management in Australia. The small, independent coffee shops that he frequented as a student became the model and inspiration for his own Himalayan Java franchise. Gagan recalls that he does not remember a single outlet in Kathmandu that served freshly brewed coffee, and wanted to fill that gap. He wasn’t sure of how customers would respond to brewed coffee. However, he was a passionate coffee-head determined to turn his passion into business and went ahead to start Himalayan Java. From the beginning, the co-founders wanted to sell an experience through coffee.
Today, Himalayan Java not only offers the best tasting Nepali coffee beans in the country, but it is also a distributor of coffee machines, offers Barista training/Bakery training, and has its very own coffee farm.
Bio: Gagan Pradhan and Anand Gurung started Himalayan Java, which has been serving Nepali coffee since 1999. They now have 27 Himalayan Java outlets located throughout the world including Toronto, Canada, Omaha, US, and Minnesota, US. Follow them @himalayanjava
When we were in college, we would see so many products on international shopping websites that we wanted to buy, but we could not because we did not have international credit cards. Then, an idea of an online shop for the Nepali market came to us and Urban Girl was born in 2012.
Our vision is to create a one-stop solution for all online shopping requirements. Having started out by selling fashion jewelry and customized products such as tee-shirts, we have evolved to sell makeup, home decor, electronics, and eventually cakes.
In 2020, we launched our biggest project to date, UG Bazaar, which is a social e-commerce platform. From being one of the earliest e-commerce startups in Nepal, to now having launched UG Bazaar, it has been an incredible and humbling journey.
Bio: Nikita Acharya and Kiran Timsina co-founded Urban Girl in 2012 with an initial investment of $200. Today the company employs more than 50 individuals and operates in Kathmandu and Pokhara. The two co-founders were on the Forbes 30 Under 30 – Asia – Retail & Ecommerce 2020 Follow them @iurbangirl
That’s my favorite saying and I’ve always been fascinated with the process of discovery, invention, and rapid improvements. Growing up, I was told I could be whoever I wanted to be and had big dreams. However, along the way, society had set all these expectations of me on what I should do and look like. I did what society expected me to do. Then, I realized I could disrupt it all and become who I really wanted to be and work on projects I loved and those that gave me purpose and meaning.
At 25, I decided to become an entrepreneur and then went on to build successful companies that have tackled taboos head on, are truly changing culture, and improving the lives of millions of people around the world.
I wrote “Disrupt-Her” to share my experience of breaking down social taboos and building big companies that matter, while sharing other game changing disruptors from around the world.
Bio: Miki Agrawal is the Co-founder and Inventor of @hellotushy, @shethinx, and @eatdrinkwild. Her books include Disrupt-Her and Do Cool Shit. Follow her @mikiagrawal to learn how to be a Disrupt-Her.
The backpack market in Nepal is dominated by imported goods. Local Nepali brands are able to capture only a small percentage of the market, while the majority is covered by imported generic and branded backpacks.
Our motive at Mheecha is simple. Inspired by the traditional Mheecha for its minimal, classy design, strength, and durability, we design and develop our products with these characteristics in mind. We believe that Nepalese consumers do not have to choose between world class standard qualities and products made locally in Nepal.
A lot of time is spent on the design process to make sure our products are simple and appealing to our customers. Today, Nepalese consumers can choose merchandise like ours that meet the highest quality standards and are functional, durable, and fashionable.
Bio: Founded by Anish Bajracharya, Pratik Shakya, and Nishan Bajracharya in 2016, Mheecha (a Newa term which means ‘pouch’) is proud to manufacture the highest quality bags in Nepal. Follow them @mheecha
We are two sisters from Auburn who love everything related to food.
Auburn, Alabama is our home, where we grew up, and very close to our hearts. From our early days of tailgating while eating barbecue before football games, grabbing a quick bite at Chick-fil-A before attending classes, to drinking lemonade at Toomer’s Corner while relaxing on Samford Lawn, we have watched the culinary landscape in Auburn grow tremendously throughout the years.
We decided to share our love of food and Auburn with you through our Instagram page. As the town’s culinary scene got larger, so did our appetites to discover, highlight, and share the best food spots. Join us on our food journey to tell the world about Auburn’s amazing eats, while supporting local Auburn and Opelika businesses.
Bio: Auburnfoodiesisters is an Instagram page started by two sisters covering amazing eats around Auburn while supporting local businesses. Follow their food journey @auburnfoodiesisters
“Moti” in the Nepalese language can mean a plump woman or it can also mean a pearl if you say it with a softer “T”.
Miss Moti was born out of my own struggle with weight. A friend of mine had given me the nickname Moti. Thus, when searching for a name for my comic character, I realized that Moti would be the perfect fit. This character would represent a woman who was plump and also display a sense of purity and innocence.
The emphasis of ‘beauty’ in our society leads many people to have a negative body image about themselves, especially when it comes to weight. In a world that places so much importance on appearance, Miss Moti is a superhero out to conquer her world. She does not let anything, including her weight hold her back in life. For me, Miss Moti advocates that we should not let our insecurities and body image stop us from chasing our dreams and goals in life.
Bio: Kripa Joshi is an Illustrator and Comic Artist from Nepal. She pursued her MFA in Illustration from the School of Visual Arts in New York City where she started making comics and developed the character of Miss Moti. Follow her @missmoti_vation
A customer recently wrote to me “All Bhav Products are so creative, that you can’t help not being the same once you start using them. My long lost skills of calligraphy, doodling, and sketching have found a new earth to pour again all my creative ink into! Highly recommended!”
When one of your creations gets appreciated like that, I feel pure joy. Bhav began as a determined, personal attempt at creating the best notebook possible for my own use. When I did not find what I was looking for in the market, I thought why don’t I make it myself. However, starting out I never imagined that it’d be hard. In my mind, I thought that I’d just buy a bunch of paper, design it, print it, and sell it. It required me to evolve and work along with suppliers who initially disregarded my queries or give me an empty promise of calling me later. I was committed to bring quality stationary in the market, so I worked with suppliers and made the best use of what was available.
I love Nepali words and Bhav was a word I had been in love with for a long time. Since notebooks are something we pour our hearts out in, Bhav just clicked in. In addition, me being someone who’s into marketing, the word seemed like a short and sweet one that was easy to remember.
Bio: Bhintuna Jyapoo established Bhav Products in December 2014 to fill in the gap that was ever widening between enthusiast and quality stationery. Bhav products is a Nepali brand that sells a wide range of creative stationery supplies. Follow @bhavproducts
Makeup is a language to me. It allows me to communicate with millions of people around the world through my transformation. I am blessed and thankful for the platform to teach millions of people and entertain as a human chameleon by transforming into different celebrities and fictional characters.
My 13 year old self would have never imagined all of these would happen one day. I have been able to travel the world and work with so many big brands and companies (Pepsi, Disney, Sony, etc.), judged beauty contests, and became faces for make-up campaigns. It has been very rewarding so far.
My sweet husband, Steve, family members, Nimbus-my cute dog, and Poki-the sweetest most precious Hedgehog ever, also make special appearances in my YouTube videos. Having started doing makeup as a hobby, I am now very thankful to spread happiness and bring joy globally with my language.
Bio: Promise Tamang is known as Human Chameleon. She is a Make-up Guru and shares her celebrity and fictional character transformations on social media. Follow her @promisetamang
My father taught me various outdoor sports such as volleyball, football, and badminton at a young age. I was always a sporty girl from childhood. My father was a huge David Beckham and Manchester United fan and that’s where I get my love for Beckham and Manchester United from.
Almost 15 years ago, I picked up volleyball. Coming back from school at 4 pm and getting to volleyball training by 4:30 pm was my daily schedule. I have so many fond memories of playing volleyball from school level tournaments, to the National Women’s Volleyball Championship. Volleyball is the love of my life and the sport has provided me a global platform to connect with people from all around the world.
I’m a mountain girl who loves hiking with my father in Nepal. A perfect Saturday for me is morning tea, hiking, and getting lost in nature.
Bio: Sipora Gurung played volleyball for Nepal’s National volleyball team starting at age 12. She has won numerous awards and accolades throughout her volleyball career. Follow her @siporagurung
From August 1st to August 30th, The Stories Hub is going to feature stories of individuals and brands that represent inspiration, authenticity, creativity, innovation, and are making a difference (locally, nationally and globally).
If you know of individuals and brands that meet the above criteria, do share with The Stories Hub. That story could be one of the 30 stories.
Please share this blog post with your network. Stories Hub wants to hear, highlight, and share the amazing stories. One of them could be your story. Let the stories begin!!!
I’m always curious to hear about different perspectives on life. Perspectives are windows to how people see the world. Two people can be looking at the same thing and have two different perspectives.
Here’s a perspective that I really enjoyed listening to: Harvard Business School AASU Conference: Kasseem Dean Keynote
Some thoughts shared by Kasseem that I really liked were:
No matter what you do in life, you should always be a student. You can be a boss and a student at the same time. You can be a leader and a student at the same time because I feel that when you stop being a student you cut off all of your areas for learning.
We need to invest in ourselves more. We can tell the world about what everybody else is doing but when was the last time we looked in the mirror and made a better us.
My saying is sky is not the limit, it’s just your view.
My leadership style was transition…… transition is the most critical thing in your business because it can be the result of you making a lot of money or losing a lot of money.
The best advice always been do whatever you feel. Do whatever your heart tells you to do. Follow your passion. Follow your goals. Follow your dreams.
Cardigan is a small town of 4,000 good people. 400 of them used to make jeans. They made 35,000 pairs a week. For three decades.
Then one day the factory closed. It left town. But all that skill and knowhow remained. Without any way of showing the world what they could do.
That’s why we have started The Hiut Denim Company. To bring manufacturing back home. To use all that skill on our doorstep. And to breathe new life into our town.
As one of the Grand Masters said to me when I was interviewing: “This is what I know how to do. This is what I do best.” I just sat there thinking I have to make this work.
