Anuja Rajbhandari Shrestha

Anuja Rajbhandari Shrestha is the Co-founder and Managing Director of the sustainable lifestyle brand Ekadesma and Ekadesma Collective. Mother of two kids, Shrestha is a passionate entrepreneur who loves multitasking, creativity and is always seeking to learn and explore new things. Besides, she is associated with different organisations like Federation of Women Entrepreneurs Association Nepal, SAARC Chamber Women Entrepreneur Council Nepal, and Nepal Chamber of Women. She is also Project Leader with NCN. Ekadesma is a sustainment lifestyle brand established in 2011, co-founded by two sisters with the manifesto of telling the story of crafts and traditions of Nepal to the world in a contemporary manner through art and design. “Ekadesma was born out of shared love of art, craft and fashion with founding principles of creating original and artsy designs using natural fabrics which are produced locally by small scale weavers through ethical and environmentally friendly practices. Each of our products is natural, unique , ethically made and crafted with loving care. We are a small business supporting a small community of makers, artisans and dreamers. Each of our products is put together with skilled hands by the women of our community,” states Shrestha. Ekadesma Collective is a curated gallery shop housing some of the best Nepal’s ethical brands and designers under the same roof. In this edition of B360, she shares her pick of top brands and people who have influenced her work and life.

Top 4 apps you use the most

• Instagram • Gmail Google Sheet • Evernote • WhatsApp

Destinations within Nepal you want to explore

• Rara • Manang • Shey Phosksundo

Women-run businesses you think deserve accolades

• Nepal Knot Craft • ACP Dhukuti • Ekadesma… Why not?

Entrepreneurs who inspire you

• Shyam Badan Shrestha • Rabi Malla of Kolpa • Orphan Winfrey • Mira Bhattarai

A charity organisation you want to donate to

Indira Rana Magar, - PA Nepal

The best work advice you have received so far

Your work should speak louder than your words.

Nepali startups you think deserve the spotlight

• Kolpa • Mirka Essentials • Bihani Social Ventures • Portal Bikes

Nepali companies whose PR strategies are spot-on

•Dulla •Sastodeal

If you could change one thing about the present entrepreneurial scene in Nepal, what would it be?

To be original and stay original. There is an abundance of duplication of ideas.

Two people who have influenced your views on business and life

Indra Nooyi - Have a clear and compelling vision for what you want to accomplish. Mansi Agrawal - The power of words through her recent viral video about Nepal.

Your work philosophy

Start small, move forward, learn from mistakes, be driven by passion, and adapt to the market demand.