Current Board of Directors

 

DR. SONI THAPA | President

Dr. Soni Thapa is an educator and researcher with over 25 years of experience in developing and
developed countries. She has been serving NWGN since 2008. She holds an MA in psychology and a
postgraduate degree in Women’s Studies from Nepal, postgraduate degrees in community-based
development programs and college Teachers’ programs from Canada, an MA in women’s studies, and
a Ph.D. in sociology from the United States. As an executive director of a non-profit organization,
Soni tirelessly invested in women to dismantle barriers and empower them by designing and
implementing community-based development programs in Nepal. She is a women’s human rights
defender and advocates for equity, inclusivity, and diversity. She is a professor in the Department of
Liberal Arts and Sciences at Humber College in Toronto, Canada. She lives in Toronto with her
family.

TEJASWI GIRI | Vice President

Tejaswi Giri is a successful entrepreneur and professional with work experience in Nepal, Thailand,
Canada, and USA. She is a dedicated social worker, who started social activism during her student
days and has continued it as a profession, working with US government-funded social organizations,
Lutheran Social Services of South Dakota (LSS-SD), and the U.S. Committee for Refugees and
Immigrants-NC (USCRI-NC) for more than 15 years. She has helped immigrants and refugees
assimilate in their new communities and workplaces, both in Canada and the United States. Tejaswi
has an MBA in International Business from the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Bangkok,
Thailand, and a BBA from University of Bradford, UK. She has worked in academia, government
agencies, the United Nations, and European Commission in Asia, Africa, Europe, and North
America. She is passionate about social issues such as women’s empowerment, social equality and
justice, education for girls, and women entrepreneurship. She has co-authored a series of technical
atlases and environment-related publications and has published articles in the Kathmandu Post and
other online platforms. An avid traveler, she has visited 56 countries and hopes to add more to the list.
She is a proud mother of two and grandma of one. She is currently based in North Carolina, where she
is a licensed real estate professional and co-owner of a small business entity.

DR. BARSHA MOKTAN RAYAMAJHI | Vice President

Dr. Barsha Moktan Rayamajhi is a Board Certified Pediatric Dentist and an emerging leader within the
South Asian community. Actively engaged in various community organizations, she served as a
prominent representative of the Nepali diaspora in both county and state level activities while in
Pennsylvania. In 2014, she made history as the inaugural youth coordinator of the Non-resident
Nepali Association, later advancing to the role of regional youth coordinator for NRN Americans. She
also played a pivotal role in organizing the 5th Biennial conference for NWGN and served as our Local
Event Coordinator. A graduate of Temple University’s Maurice Kornberg School of Dentistry, Barsha
completed her pediatric dental residency at Temple University Hospital. She recently relocated to the
Big Island of Hawaii, where she is working with the Native Hawaiian and pacific islander population.
She has also assumed the position of attending faculty for the NYU Langone Pediatric Dental
Residency Program. Barsha is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, consistently amplifying
the voices of youth in the diaspora. Her love for exploration and cultural immersion is evident through
her travels with her husband, where they eagerly discover new places, cultures, and cuisines.

BISHNU SUBEDI | Treasurer

Bishnu Subedi was born in Pokhara, Nepal. She currently resides in Burlingame, California. She
completed her Bachelor’s in Business Studies (BBS) from Tribhuvan University in Nepal. She loves to
hike, catch early morning sunrises, and cook Nepali traditional vegetarian dishes. She has worked at the
Hilton San Francisco as a Floor Supervisor for almost 10 years and is currently a Computer System
Validation Engineer at a pharmaceutical company. She loves to give back to her community and help
people in need. Bishnu was President of the NWGN CA Chapter from 2021-2022, where she played a
significant role in uplifting the organization as well as people involved with the community. She values
integrity, transparency, honesty, loyalty, and respect and leads her life with these morals.

ANU LAMSAL | General Secretary

Anushree “Anu” Lamsal is an up and coming young professional in the international development
sector with experience working on the ground with local communities in Nepal to achieve equitable
and sustainable development goals. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Foreign Service in
International Politics from Georgetown University. She is dedicated to making climate justice a reality
for all marginalized communities in the Global South. Anu approaches her work through a lens of
intersectionality and firmly believes that in order to create a truly equitable world, vulnerable
populations must be centered during decision-making processes globally. She is currently working for
the International Development Institute in Kathmandu, Nepal as a Program Associate, with notable
experiences collaborating with Nepal’s Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology as well as local
municipal governments to design and implement innovative education evaluation frameworks. In her
free time, Anu loves to explore new areas and can often be found wandering through a different part
of Kathmandu every Saturday! She also loves to dance, highlighted by her time on Georgetown’s
bhangra team. Anu is deeply passionate about her Nepali culture, which led her to bring the first
Nepali cultural dance to Georgetown’s premier philanthropic South Asian dance showcase, Rangila.
Above all, Anu is driven by her desire to foster equitable change, may that be through her work in the
climate change sector or through advocating for marginalized communities to have their priorities
brought to the forefront.

DR. ICCHA BASNYAT | Board Member

Dr. Iccha Basnyat is an Associate Professor in the Global Affairs Program with a joint appointment in the Department of Communication at George Mason University. Iccha received her BA from the University of Utah, MPH from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and PhD from Purdue University. Upon graduation, Iccha lived and worked at the National University of Singapore for a decade before moving back to the United States with family. Iccha researches the intersections of gender, culture, and health inequalities surrounding health and health risks of marginalized and vulnerable women. Her research has primarily focused on South and SouthEast Asia. Iccha has close to 50 publications in leading disciplinary journals and book chapters. She also co-edited a five-volume encyclopedia that brought together international contributors to address a range of recent and emerging topics in global health communication. Iccha was elected as the first Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) Chair for the health communication division of the National Communication Association. She is currently the vice-chair elect for the same division. She has also been appointed to numerous leadership roles in both the International and National Communication Associations. She is also a faculty equity advisor on the DEI Team in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at George Mason University. Iccha is also an associate editor for a disciplinary journal, as well as serves on numerous editorial boards of leading disciplinary journals.  Iccha has been invited by the World Health Organization to join their external advisory council in the health learnings unit. Iccha’s research and various leadership positions highlight that she is a strong advocate of social change and justice-based work for marginalized and vulnerable women.

LEENA SHRESTHA BASNET | Board Member

Leena Basnet is an educator and an entrepreneur.  She owns and runs Kumon of Miramar, an afterschool education center for the past 13 years in Florida. She holds a Masters in Public Policy from Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, and a Masters in Urban Planning from Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Bangkok. She has worked as a project planner in engineering firms in New Jersey and Florida. Before that, she was a planning consultant in urban development through Local Efforts (UDLE) GTZ, Nepal. She is very passionate about Youth Empowerment. She is the co-founder and president of the non-profit organization ALL4Ball, which focuses on youth empowerment through sports initiatives to develop leadership, team building, and social inclusion of underprivileged youth in Nepal.  Currently, she resides in Fort Lauderdale, FL, and is also actively involved in community upliftment programs run by the Nepalese Association of Florida.

DIPIKA GIRI | Board Member

Dipika Giri is a Software Developer at General Motors. She graduated from University of Texas at Arlington with a Bachelor’s in Computer Science. Dipika is passionate about making a positive impact on others’ professional journeys, especially women that are in technology. Her core value is integrity and continuous learning along with creating a meaningful and supportive network of professionals. Dipika’s interests include finance, art, music, tennis and learning about new technologies.

JENY PATHAK | Board Member

Jeny Pathak is a University of Texas at Austin graduate (BSW and MSW) with previous work experience working with non-governmental organizations carrying refugee programs in Nairobi, Kenya. She later went on to work for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in a wide array of field functions encompassing refugee assistance through protection, resettlement, and reporting in East Africa’s largest refugee camps. Jeny worked with the UNHCR in Washington DC, Kenya, Rwanda, and Ethiopia until 2018 when she moved back to the United States and transformed mayasdesiboutique (MDB) from a passion project to a business venture. Jeny started designing and selling South Asian clothing from her garage in 2018. She learned and mastered the art of selling South Asian clothing and accessories through video postings on Instagram and has since created a community of over seventy-five thousand people across all social media platforms. She has built MBD as an inclusive and community-based space and utilizes her platforms to promote and empower the South Asian community. Jeny has a knack for traveling to unknown places around the globe and has visited 79 countries with South Africa, Peru, and Kenya being her favorites. Jeny currently lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband and 7 month old google doodle puppy, Piku.

NAINA RANA | Board Member

Naina Rana was born in Brooklyn, NY and currently resides in New Haven County, Connecticut. She is a graduate of Fordham University where she received a Masters Degree. Naina is a Clinical Social Worker in New Haven, Connecticut who utilizes trauma-focused, strength-based, person-centered mental health therapy. She specializes in multicultural perspectives, college counseling, domestic violence, and geriatric populations. Naina also brings years of experience from the workplace and occupational wellness and counseling sector. As a lifelong wheelchair user, she will happily also dispel any misconceptions and stigmas that people often associate with someone who is disabled. Her varied experiences with the American healthcare system have allowed her to be an advocate for other marginalized communities who do not have access to adequate resources and healthcare. Naina’s lifelong goal is to open a Wellness Center that will focus on both evidence-based therapies and Eastern focused therapies.

JESSICA RIJAL | Board Member

Jessica Rijal has recently earned her undergraduate degree in Business Computer Information Systems from the University of North Texas and currently resides in Denton, Texas. She aspires to work as a software developer in the near future. Currently, she serves as the youth coordinator for the Dallas Denton Nepalese Lions Club and as a board member of the Nepalese Women Global Network. In the past, Jessica has actively participated in at least four student organizations at UNT, including Nepalese Student Association (President), Association of Information Systems, World Echoes (International Student Organization), and North Texas 40 (Top 40 leaders on campus). Additionally, she has served as an active member of the NST Student Task Force, acting as the liaison between the Nepalese Society of Texas and the student community at UNT. In her personal time, Jessica enjoys spending time with friends and family, building connections with people, and actively participating in community affairs.

SELINA SHRESTHA | Board Member

Selina Shrestha, born and raised in Nepal, is a life member of NWGN and has served in the NWGN board in the past. She is a licensed social worker with Master’s in Social Work (MSW) education from Marywood University in Scranton, Pennsylvania. She is an Assistant Professor of Practice and an Academic Coordinator in the MSW program at Marywood University. She has over twenty years of experience as a social worker. Selina is interested in the welfare of women and children, mental health issues, community development, research and advocacy work. She lives in Scranton, Pennsylvania with her family.

ARYAMA UPRETI | Board Member

A recent graduate from Kathmandu School of Law (KSL), Aryama Upreti is an aspiring advocate committed to making a positive impact on society through the legal profession. As a feminist, activist, and a passionate public speaker, she has actively worked to advance the cause of human rights, women’s rights and mental health issues. Human rights, gender justice, juvenile justice and international law are her areas of interest. Aryama has been involved in campaigns addressing gender-based discrimination, violence and inequality. She has been a vocal proponent for marginalized communities, working to shed light on systemic issues and promote legal avenues for change.

Recognizing the importance of mental health on overall well-being, Aryama has actively supported initiatives to destigmatize mental health issues and improve access to mental health resources. She worked as a Legal Researcher at Koshish Nepal. Aryama  understands the intersectionality of mental health with other social justice issues and strives to create a legal framework that addresses the unique challenges faced by individuals affected by mental health issues. Her enthusiasm for raising her voice against violence and gender-based discrimination marks her uniqueness. Her unique ability to channel this passion into her legal career makes her a powerful force for change.

Advisory Board Member

Bidya Ranjit

Dr. Bidya Ranjeet is Past President and Advisor of the Nepali Women’s Global Network, and is also the Executive Director of the center for Academic Programs at the University of Connecticut. She has worked at UCONN since 1986, beginning her career as a counselor in both the SSS and Upward Bound programs. Before coming to the University, Bidya was part of the Nepali educational system as a teacher at Vanasthali High School and also as a co-founder and principal of the IndreniSchool. While Bidya specializes in facilitating the enrollment, retention, and degree completion of underrepresented students from post-secondary institutions, she maintains a steadfast commitment to social issues such as diversity and community. Through her volunteer and professional involvement, Bidya works to further the interests of underrepresented groups in her own community and throughout the world. She has been tireless in her advocating and assisting efforts on behalf of women in South Asia and of South Asian heritage through her involvement in Nepali Women’s Global Network and NNRN NCC USA. Bidya’s efforts extend to scholarly contributions as well; she is one of the first Nepali women living in America to shed light on issues confronting women of South Asian heritage including sensitive topics like domestic violence. Her academic work can most recently be found in her contributors to two anthologies, Body Evidence and Living our Religion

Avima Upreti, ESQ.

Avima Upreti is an attorney-at-law in New York and is also admitted to practice law in Nepal. She is currently working as an associate attorney at Chhetry and Associates P.C., New York. She is an activist, feminist and a passionate public speaker. She likes to advocate and speak in the issues of human Rights, gender justice and women empowerment. Ms. Upreti has continually advocated for human rights issues, particularly those affecting Nepali women and girls since her early days in her career starting from 2008. Whether it has been as a news anchor and legal correspondent for Avenues Television (national Television of Nepal) , or as a radio program presenter, or as a program officer of the Federation of Nepalese Journalist (FNJ), Upreti has always tried to raise awareness among Nepali citizens about their rights, raised women issues, issues of domestic violence, gender equality, gender justice, women empowerment and also highlighted about the role of governments and role of community organizations. She continually speaks inside the United States in many community events about the community role in eliminating gender based violence. She started her professional career as a news anchor and correspondent from 2009-2012 A.D. on Avenues Television, Nepal’s national TV, where she entailed researching and delivering watchdog works and storytelling across multiple platforms and issues such as Human Rights, Women Rights, Gender, and Legal Rights. Besides that she also has worked as a Radio consultant and presenter from 2011-2013A.D. for the radio program “HAMRO KANOON”,(Our Legal System) of Interface Nepal which was broadcasted in more than 32 radio stations throughout Nepal with a mission of raising awareness on the existing laws that support and defend the rights of all people and help create a just society.

Ms. Upreti completed her law degree from Purbanchal’s University Kathmandu School of law in Nepal in 2011 in a full merit-based scholarship, eventually receiving an award from the Nepal Bar council for getting the Second highest score all over Nepal on the Advocate license exam in 2012. She holds double LLM, one from Kathmandu School of law specializing in Human rights and Gender Justice in 2011-2013 and another LLM (Master of laws) from Fordham Law school specializing in International law and justice 2016-2017. She was awarded with merit based Scholarship while pursuing LLM in Fordham and grabbed a cum-laude. She was a vice-president of NWGN for 2016-2018. She is a legal advisor of a women committee of Non-Residential Nepali National Coordination council of USA (NRN-NCC-USA). You can reach her at avimaupreti@gmail.com

Past Presidents

2018 – 2023 : Avima Upreti

2013 – 2017 : Rukimini Karki

2011 – 2012 : Bishnu K. Thapa

2009 – 2010 : Susma Barakoti

2007 – 2008 : Dr. Bidya Ranjit

2002 – 2006 : Annapurna Deo