Nimesh Ghimire, Swarthmore College

An Economics and Rural Innovation major from Kathmandu, Nepal, Nimesh Ghimire ’15 is dedicated to social innovation and entrepreneurship on campus and abroad. Whether helping to organize TEDxSwarthmore, bringing entrepreneurs to campus (Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, Ramon Magsaysay Award winner Mahabir Pun), or providing insight to student colleagues who are aspiring social entrepreneurs, Nimesh’s commitment to nurturing social innovation and entrepreneurship is clear. Recognizing that Nepal and many other countries need environments that build capacity and confidence among youth so that they actively think of themselves as problem-solvers and innovators, Nimesh created the Peace Innovation Lab in a rural village in western Nepal. Since 2012, PIL has become a space for young people in rural communities to come together to design, create prototypes, and implement projects that contribute to local peace-building and community development, including: Leadership Talks and Innovation Camps to bridge STEM and the arts; a Rural Telemedicine Hub that connects 2,500 villagers with Nepal’s top doctors; a mapping project that visualizes policy data to promote community innovation and civic participation; and a Digital Literacy Program for over 100 villagers. Presently, Nimesh and PIL are consulting with Global Minimum to launch innovation labs in Sierra Leone.