Dr Roland Lim Yan Guan

Dr. Roland Lim Yan Guan has been an active practitioner and research lead in the fields of Digital Transformation, Business Model Innovation, and Operations Management in Manufacturing and Supply Chain for over 25 years. His research and working experience with industry has enabled him to gain extensive knowledge of the best practices and solutions to tackle the digital transformation, business model innovation and operations management challenges of SMEs and MNCs in Singapore. Dr Roland Lim, as the lead inventor, led a team to invent and develop the OmniMethodology TM and initiated the OMNI Programme. He and his team have helped over 300 companies to train more than 600 productivity champions to achieve productivity improvements ranging from 20% to 150%. Dr. Roland Lim has an Engineering Doctorate degree from Cranfield University UK, a Master of Science degree from Nanyang Technological University, and a Bachelor of Engineering degree from the National University of Singapore.  

SESSION THREE: The 5 Pillars of Successful Business and Leadership for Entrepreneurs 

William Tacon

Karma Choden

Karma Choden has worked in various capacities with think tanks, intermediary business organizations, His Majesty’s Secretariat, the Bhutanese media and QED Group. Her work has always involved a major focus of innovation, awareness, sustainability, fundraising and finding solutions. Karma’s expertise lies in Program Management, PR & Communications and Facilitation & Program Design. Having worn different hats (and one that of a trainer), she finds interacting with the youth very fulfilling, whereby she can share her many experiences. Currently, she conducts specialized training programs, that are curated with the client, to achieve maximum impact.

SESSION TWO: What’s your idea?  

Dorji Phuntsho

Dorji Phuntsho serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Royal Securities Exchange of Bhutan (RSEB), under RICBL. Prior to his appointment as CEO, he served at various positions for over a decade at the Central Bank, the Royal Monetary Authority. He holds a Masters Degree in Economics from Fergusson College and MBA in Corporate Strategy and Economic Policy from the Maastricht School of Management, the Netherlands. Along with multiple accreditations from various institutes spanning Bhutan, India, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Japan, Mr. Dorji is also an active member of various government committees.

SESSION NINE: Information on CSIs & SMEs Market Board

Dr Karma Phuntsho

Thinley Palden

Thinley Palden is the Chief Industries Officer of Department of Cottage and Small Industry under Ministry of Economic Affairs. She started her career as a civil servant in 2002 with the Ministry of Finance as an assistant Planning Officer under the Policy and Planning Division. After 9 years, she joined the Department of Cottage and small industry as Senior Industries Officer. She played an active role in promotion and development CSIs. She holds a MA in Economic Policy Management from Columbia University in New York.

SESSION SIX: Overview of Cottage and Small Industries (CSI) Development Flagship

Leki Dawa

A 34-year-old social entrepreneur who recycles e-waste – printer cartridges. Leki Dawa from Samcholing under the Goshing gewog in Zhemgang holds a diploma in civil engineering and uses environment-friendly technology in his business. He has worked with the Tarayana Foundation for almost nine years under various capacities before starting out on his own. Currently, he has 30 employees – all youth from underprivileged families including school dropouts. Leki Dawa started Bhutan Alternatives in November 2015. Bhutan Alternatives is a one-stop firm where people can purchase eco-friendly, high quality and affordable printer toner cartridges. It caters to all 20 Dzongkhags and has supplied more than 15,000 printer cartridges so far. It is a one-stop firm where people can purchase eco-friendly, high quality and affordable printer toner cartridges. Their uniqueness in their business is that they recycle used printer toner cartridges. This helps reduce e-waste and also makes the products affordable.

SESSION: Talk at Technical Training Institute, Thimphu and Royal Thimphu College

Sangay Tshering

Sangay started his journey as a serial startup entrepreneur crossing numerous sectors and now focuses on his IT firm and dedicates time with Civil Societies. A firm believer in the concept of CARE and GIVING, Sangay wants to live a quality life.  You can read more about him at www.drukhost.com

SESSION ONE: The Entrepreneurial Mindset and Leadership

Sangay Thinley Dorji

Sangay Thinley Dorji has been working as a consultant across sectors in Bhutan. He likes to read and think about problem solving from an integrative framework. He believes that it is a choice to be empowered and one can teach oneself to learn.

Prior to consulting, he worked in the banking sector and then with the UN system in Bhutan working in areas of Disaster Management, Education and Environment. He also taught business students at the Royal Thimphu College. He has co-authored publication on Sustainable Development. He completed his undergraduate degree from Sherubtse College and went on to obtain an MBA from Assumption University of Thailand and a Master of Environmental Management from the School of Forestry and
Environmental Studies, Yale University.

SESSION ONE: The Entrepreneurial Mindset and Leadership

Pema Choden Tenzin

Pema Choden Tenzin is the Create/Chief Editor of Bhutan’s first and only women’s magazine – Yeewong. Today, Yeewong is a multi-media company with much focus on online content creation and video stories for social media.

Prior to starting Yeewong, Pema worked in difference capacities as a teacher, reporter, event manager and project officer for basic entrepreneurship project. She graduated from Sherubtse College with a degree in English Literature.

SESSION FIFTEEN: Build Your Brand Smarter

Gerard Tardy

Chandra B. Chhetri

Chandra B. Chhetri is the Deputy Secretary General of Bhutan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI). He has over 25 years of experience in working for the private sectors. While heading the Research and Planning Department of BCCI,  he has played an instrumental role in piloting several youth oriented programs under the One-Dzongkhag-Three–Products (ODTP) initiative of the Chamber. This experience has provided him with insights on the challenges faced by Bhutanese youth when starting  enterprises in Bhutan.

SESSION TWELVE: How BCCI functions and what resources are available for startups

Pemba Thinley

Gonpo Tenzin

Gonpo Tenzin is the Chief Research Officer under the Heading Policy & Planning Division for National Land Commission Secretariat. Prior to joining NLCS, he was a Research Officer at Gross National Happiness Commission. Mr. Gonpo has over 7 years of strategic planning, research, program monitoring and evaluating experience. He holds a Postgraduate in Development Management from Royal Institute of Management and Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from University of Canberra, Australia.

SESSION TEN:  Briefing on the land use right system (URS) – for farming and agriculture businesses

Kinzang Duba

Kinzang Duba is a graduate from Gedu College of Business studies and currently leads the Youth in Agriculture farm. With his team, they harvest vegetables using high quality organic seeds and new varieties of crops grown in a naturally enriched soil. In August 2015, the farm introduced its first batch of organic products on the Bhutanese market. The farm employs young Bhutanese as part of its goal to reduce unemployment among the youth of Bhutan.

SESSION: Talk at College of Science and Technology and Gedu College of Business Studies  

Dhan Kumar

Dhan Kumar is a graduate from Gedu College of Business Studies and had won Bhutan Student Entrepreneur Award in 2016 initiated by Loden Foundation. Currently, Dhan Kumar is the founder of Eco Waste Solution, a waste management company in two districts in Bhutan.

SESSION: Talk at College of Science of Technology and Gedu College of Business Studies

Sonam Gyeltshen

Sonam Gyeltshen is a graduate from Sherubtse College. He currently runs Gyelse’s Electronica, which is the only electronic repairing and sale shop in Kanglung.

SESSION: Talk at Sherubtse College and Jigme Namgyel Engineering College

Pema Dorji

Pema Dorji graduated from Sherubtse college and he currently runs the only pharmacy in Trashigang (One of the most populated districts in Bhutan).

SESSION: Talk at Sherubtse College and Jigme Namgyel Engineering College

Sangay Jamtsho

Sangay Jamtsho is a graduate from Sherubtse College. He currently runs dairy farm in Trashiyangtse.

SESSION: Talk at Sherubtse College 

Muna Mukhia

Muna Mukhia is a Senior Industries Officer of Small Business Promotion Division, under Department of Cottage and Small Industry, Ministry of Economic Affairs (MoEA). She also served as trainer consultant for the Entrepreneurship Promotion Centre under the Department of Industry, MoEA. Muna holds a MBA in Corporate Strategy and Economic Policy from the Maastricht School of Management, Netherlands.

SESSION FIVE: How to Start a Business?

Kinley Wangchuk

Kinley Wangchuk, popularly known as ‘Ganchu’ is the founder of Breathe Bhutan, a family run travel agency, and Radio Valley.

SESSION SIXTEEN – Art of Storytelling

Pem Lama

Pem Lama is a perceptive leader, skilled in project implementation, communication and research. She was previously the Director-Research, Communication & Finance for the Green Public Procurement Project in Bhutan (GPP Bhutan).  Prior to that, she was at the Secretariat of the New Development Paradigm (SNDP), where she worked on Bhutan’s report to the UN, “Happiness: Towards a New Development Paradigm”. She also worked at Bhutan Foundation as the Program, Marketing and Communication Officer. She holds a Master of Business Administration in Sustainability from Aarhus University, Denmark and a Bachelors of Arts in International Relations and Economics from Tufts University, USA.

SESSION SEVENTEEN – Bringing it all together