PSV Cycle-1 Review Symposium- Bridging the Collective Growth

Author :
Ruby Shah (Co-founder)
  • PSV has successfully completed its first investment cycle, funding 3 awesome student-led startups and directly reaching out to 1000+ students through 25+ collaborations and 20+ workshops within 6 months.
  • PSV organized the ‘PSV Cycle-1 Review Symposium’ on 23rd June 2023, bringing together the PSV team, representatives from the partner organizations, and possible collaborators. The symposium discussed the impact of PSV’s first investment cycle, real challenges faced during the process, and possibilities for the organization’s future growth.
  • PSV is determined to learn from the feedbacks and incorporate meaningful collaborations to create a positive impact and to support youth entrepreneurship in Nepal.
 
“Collaboration has no hierarchy. The Sun collaborates with soil to bring flowers on the earth.” — Amit Ray

The main essence of incepting Parth Student Venture has always been creating a close-knit community of young changemakers and different stakeholders of the entrepreneurial ecosystem to democratize industry knowledge; build multi-dimensional networks for resource collaboration, and foster the culture of innovation and experimentation. Be it investors, educators, mentors, or local/government bodies, it’s very crucial to have a strong partnership among these contributors in uplifting and empowering the next generation of leaders, especially the first-time/ early-stage founders. Parth Student Venture witnessed such a domino effect closely after successfully completing its first investment cycle, funding 3 awesome student-led startups and directly reaching out to 1000+ students through 25+ collaborations and 20+ workshops within 6 months. 

The encouraging group of participants comprised esteemed individuals from the various sectors:

 

Pippa Bird (Development Director and Deputy Ambassador, British Embassy), Ghana S. Gurung (Country Representative, WWF Nepal), Sanjog Koirala (Founder, Ideapreneurnepal), Padmakshi Rana (Executive Director, Impact Hub Kathmandu), Sweta Pandey (Co-Founder, Bhola Foods), Sushanta Timilsina (Founder, Wittys Coffee House, and Witty’s Hotel), Swastika Khanal (Investment Analyst, Dolma Impact Fund), Kabi Phuyal (CEO, IME Life Insurance), Kailash Panday (Founder, Khatapana), Kiran Timsina (Co-founder, Urban Girl), Suraj Raj Pandey (CEO, Fibro Nepal), Lomash Gautam (Assistant Investment Officer, Business Oxygen), Kaushal Wagle (Incubation Head, Otharo Incubation Program), RK Dahal (Director, MIT Nepal, Kathmandu Model College) and Surendra Subedi (College Chief, Kathmandu Model College). 

Each of the participants was actively involved in the event and provided genuine feedback, enriching the discourse and depth of potential partnership opportunities. The symposium’s central themes encompassed the discussion on the current landscape of alternative financing options and incubation opportunities available for Nepalese student entrepreneurs. Similarly,  the conversation explored the significant impacts of development agencies and banking institutions in empowering youth-led businesses while also placing emphasis on the importance of fostering more dialogues and sessions to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and real-world application. Furthermore, the symposium also shed light on enhancing the future vision of PSV as an organization, which included consultation on the scalability and functionality beyond the Kathmandu Valley and highlighting the urgent plan of action to collaborate with educational institutions, particularly government colleges. These robust partnerships can assist PSV in extending its services to focus on students who possess the potential but lack the necessary resources to access them.

Overall, the PSV Cycle-1 Review Symposium has not only facilitated valuable leads for strengthening collaborations with strategic partners to boost student entrepreneurship but has also served valuable feedback to fine-tune how PSV operates. The team is diligently and proactively reviewing these insights and is determined to incorporate such meaningful collaborations to make the second investment cycle more resounding and transformative.