Gaurav Thapa (Co-Founder)
Mr. Gaurav Thapa, involved in research on economic policies and framing market liberalization programs, has worked with scholars in identifying the realities and approaches to understanding the political economy of South and Southeast Asia. Interested in advancing stability for prosperity, he has worked in the field of understanding peacebuilding and conflict resolution and has conducted research on Conflict and its Economic Consequences in South Asia at the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Secretariat.
Gaurav has also worked and trained with the Government of Nepal on economic and inter-state diplomacy. The Government of Nepal has recognized him for his work on Economic Rebuilding Post Earthquake where he worked with the National Reconstruction Authority.
He has also worked with the Ministry of Labor and Employment to enhance employment methods for Nepal’s youth. He is also a Caux Scholar 2016 working in the field of social entrepreneurship along with change-makers based in Geneva, Switzerland. Gaurav is a facilitator for an international group working on the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations in the UK. He was one of the US Embassy Youth Council Members for 2016-2017. He is interested in working in the field of financial inclusion and economic integration supporting Nepal.
Prakash Koirala (C0-Founder)
Mr. Prakash Koirala has been working to promote financial literacy and financial inclusion in Nepal since 2009. He founded FINLIT Nepal Pvt Ltd company working on financial inclusion. FINLIT Nepal is working with the Central Bank of Nepal and other Banking and Financial institutions to design and implement the financial education project.
For his work, Mr. Koirala was awarded the Child and Youth Youth Finance Financial Education Awareness Award presented by Valerie Howarth at the British Parliament. He was selected by Western Union as a Financial Inclusion Champion from 17K applications from all over the world. He has presented papers on promoting financial literacy at various events organized by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development.
He has received a fellowship from Harvard Kennedy School, Frankfort Business School, Geneva University, and a Canadian Government Fellowship on micro-finance, digital finance, financial inclusion policy, SMEs, and Housing. He is the author of FINLICO- a comic book on financial literacy and a TEDx Speaker. He was one of the US Embassy Youth Council Members for 2016-2017. He is serving as a Global Shaper in the World Economic Forum and One Young World Ambassador. He is s visiting the faculty of Bridgewater State University.
Samikshya Siwakoti
Ms. Samikshya Siwakoti joined FINLIT Nepal after completing her undergraduate studies in economics and politics at Agnes Scott College in the United States where she was the recipient of a Presidential Scholarship. Currently, she is working as a Team Member in drafting the curriculum of financial literacy for grades 6 to 12 under the partnership between Nepal Rastra Bank and FINLIT Nepal.
Prior to joining FINLIT Nepal in 2017, Samikshya was a research fellow at Emory University’s Center for the Study of Law, Politics, and Economics and also worked as a Marketing Assistant at Prudential Financial in Atlanta. She has studied abroad in Spain, interned with UNDP, and worked with the central bank of Nepal in promoting financial literacy as a Hubert Scholar. Samikshya speaks Hindi, Nepali, English, and Spanish.
Currently, she is working as a research associate in J-PAL, for the MigTech project with principal investigators Nilesh Fernando (University of Notre Dame), Niharika Singh (Harvard University), and Gabriel Tourek (Harvard University). This project explores how technology-enabled platforms can be leveraged to address the challenges faced by the growing labor pool of low-income job seekers.
Vikrant Singh (Program Manager)
Mr. Vikrant Singh has a bachelor’s degree in Economics, Psychology, and Journalism from Jain University in Bengaluru, India. He has worked with Greenpeace to form policies that help the government take effective measures to curb pollution and increase the input and attention the government gives to renewable forms of energy. He also worked to educate the masses about the economic and societal impacts that environmental degradation and climate change could have. Vikrant also worked for the Bangalore Political Action Committee to develop strategies to increase voter turnout and interest in the electoral democratic process from the municipal level to the state level, train civil leaders, and work to achieve a more sustainable and cleaner city.
Vikrant worked extensively in Chhattisgarh, India to familiarize farmers with the government subsidies and how to benefit from several of their plans and financial schemes.
Srinka Malla (Program Director)
Ms. Srinka Malla is the program director of FinLit Nepal. She is a BBA graduate with first-class honors, majoring in Finance and Banking from Kathmandu College of Management. Since her undergraduate program, Srinka has been passionate about enhancing the economic development of the country through financial literacy.
Currently, she is also involved in working with the Merit Nepal, National Council of World Merit. She is engaged with both national and international teams of World Merit and Qs World Merit. Through such platforms, she is working on conducting campaigns to enhance and uplift the rural areas of Nepal for socio-economic development.
Shreeya Pyakurel (Project Assistant)
Shreeya is a graduate of Bachelors in Development Studies from Kathmandu University. As a student in this field, Shreeya is deeply passionate about working at the grassroots levels to unfold and address the development challenges in Nepal.
Prior to joining FinLit Nepal, Shreeya worked as a Social Studies teacher in a public school, which gave her an insight into the struggles and challenges of the common Nepali people. She joined FinLit Nepal with the aspiration to empower the people of the country through financial education. In addition to her interest in financial education, Shreeya also has a keen passion for economics, environmental issues, climate action, and political studies.
Risham Shah (Executive Intern)
Risham Sah is a recent high school graduate from Shikshadeep Boarding Secondary School, Biratnagar, Nepal. Currently, he is in a gap year to explore and discover his passions. He is a dedicated advocate for environmental sustainability and education and he strongly believes that with the ongoing technological advancements, sustainability should be at the forefront of our concerns.
Risham has been actively involved in contributing to STEM education for children and environmental initiatives through various organizations like The Squad of Changemakers, auraED, YISS, and projects such as honey-wrappers, castor farming, and banana fiber. These experiences have truly shaped his commitment to making a positive impact on our planet. Recently, he has also been selected as Glocal 20 under 20 for his outstanding and remarkable contribution to the community.
Aside from his academic pursuits, he enjoys indulging in his hobbies, which include cooking, playing cricket, observing wildlife, engaging in chess matches, playing volleyball, and cycling. Moreover, he has also been an active researcher and his most recent research on the hegemony of the English and Nepali language on the Nepali public space gives a unique topic in the academic research field. He is also currently working on a meaningful project—a women’s safety app, aiming to empower and protect women in our community through Incubate Nepal.
Krispi Raman Jaiswal (Project Intern)
Krispi Raman Jaiswal is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in law BBM LLB from Kathmandu University School of Law. Having her degree majoring in Business Management and law gives her the insights and will to work for financial autonomy and rights. She identifies herself as an intersectional feminist. She is also a Youth Advocate for UNFPA Nepal.
She shares a vision for financial literacy for all, especially in the context of women, children, and local minorities. She has worked closely with gender equality and rights with a number of projects. She is currently working on a project for financial literacy among Dom women in Madhesh. She is a human rights enthusiast and has the spirit to learn and unlearn. Besides work deadlines, you can find her listening to vintage music, art, and poetry.
Prashannata Bajracharya (Project Intern)
Ms. Prashannata Bajracharya is working as a Project Intern at FinLit Nepal. She is a senior in Economics at the University of Central Oklahoma. She is passionate about International Development and Sustainability. She plans on attending graduate school to further her knowledge in research and analysis.