So the journey begins.
Actually no, it had begun since February 2011. The Light of Asia was born when Thomas, Victor, Larry and I were having a conversation in the Oxford Union. Yes the very place where Prime Ministers, Presidents, Actors, Singers and everyone else comes to speak. It is the oldest and the largest debating society in the world. The expensive membership entails a room filled with leather couches, a room where great conversations take place and greater ideas are born. So one such time I had taken two solar Nokero bulbs and was selling the idea to get Victor on board who is from Fiji. I was soon going back to Asia the next week or so having formed The Light of Asia, a name that Victor and Tom suggested. The idea being, the Budhha- the enlightened one would show me the way. No I am not particularly religious but Buddha was a great man and his teachings make sense. We will come to my multi-religious upbringing some other time.
So I left England with two solar bulb samples, fifteen humble pounds in my pocket, a burning entrepreneurial spirit and a head full of dreams.The solar bulbs were samples from Nokero that Evan Husney from Nokero has shipped me from Hong Kong (no not all Chinese products are bad, this is an A grade product). Nokero is an American company based in Denver and I am Bhutanese; the world gets smaller as you read on and the adventures of The Light of Asia.
I never went to business school but I have had some of the best marketing lessons from the streets of London. We will get to that some other day as well. So I am the CEO and I am the founder, what would I do to expand the company?
People. People are amazing, the power of networking is beyond words. The human network is what business is all about, especially when you want to make a global difference. With Oxford comes connections, like never before.
Oh, before I reached Delhi, I made my first sale to Nepal sitting in London. Long story to that but to cut it short, it paid my rent. Wrong way to do it, the exchange rates are terrible, it is better to earn in London and spend in Asia but hey, I have never done things the conventional way!
So I landed in Delhi, with a degree from Oxford, MSc Biodiversity Conservation and Management and during recession trust me even a degree from the Moon would not help much. I must thank the recession though, it made me a social entrepreneur. The explanation of which will be in another blog post again (from the sound of which,another blog post and another, keep following us there will be many posts coming up), but it would suffice to say, The Light of Asia will be a story like you have read in books, from rags to riches! It is all already happening, the secret works.
We also just started working on finding dealers for hand woven Nepalese carpets where the profit goes to building communities and schools in Nepal, and Project Vishma, Bhutan's youngest scientist, whose story I broke in the newspapers and he is The Light of Asia's Thomas Edison, our very own green in house Scientist and Inventor. We are currently looking for a lab so Vishma can start working on his Dhobi- a pedal powered washing machine. Updates on that coming soon too.
Here is the link to customized carpets from the Himalayas with Himalayan designs. Even the Everest can rest on your feet now.
https://picasaweb.google.com/kinleyt/CarpetsFromHomes
My business partner who is in Hyderbad, where you obviously get delicious Hyderbadi biryani, has worked for Tata International for more than 30 years and Mr. B. L. Narayana and I am currently in the process of doing a massive sale for Nokero to Afghanistan. I lived with some Afghans one time, along with several other house mates, I have some amazing stories and they are wonderful people. Don't listen and believe all that the western media has to say, I am telling you. The Afghans I met used to call themselves "pahariah" or mountain people and when mountain Bhutan meets mountain Afghanistan, we clicked and the best part, we used to speak in Hindi which we all learnt by watching Hindi movies.
What a wonderful world.
Cheers to The Light of Asia as our journey unfolds. Do me a favour please, just close your eyes and send me good vibes, bless us. : )
And just in case you are wondering why not a website, why a blog. I believe that a blog documents an organic growth and no company starts big. Every one has their humble beginnings.
By the way, The Light of Asia has also partnered with Bhutan Trip Advisor which ensures you a trip of a lifetime so if you are thinking of visiting Bhutan, you know who is going to make your trip worthwhile. Oh why, us of course!
Last word- Green is definitely in!
CEO and Founder,
Manju Wakhley
Actually no, it had begun since February 2011. The Light of Asia was born when Thomas, Victor, Larry and I were having a conversation in the Oxford Union. Yes the very place where Prime Ministers, Presidents, Actors, Singers and everyone else comes to speak. It is the oldest and the largest debating society in the world. The expensive membership entails a room filled with leather couches, a room where great conversations take place and greater ideas are born. So one such time I had taken two solar Nokero bulbs and was selling the idea to get Victor on board who is from Fiji. I was soon going back to Asia the next week or so having formed The Light of Asia, a name that Victor and Tom suggested. The idea being, the Budhha- the enlightened one would show me the way. No I am not particularly religious but Buddha was a great man and his teachings make sense. We will come to my multi-religious upbringing some other time.
So I left England with two solar bulb samples, fifteen humble pounds in my pocket, a burning entrepreneurial spirit and a head full of dreams.The solar bulbs were samples from Nokero that Evan Husney from Nokero has shipped me from Hong Kong (no not all Chinese products are bad, this is an A grade product). Nokero is an American company based in Denver and I am Bhutanese; the world gets smaller as you read on and the adventures of The Light of Asia.
I never went to business school but I have had some of the best marketing lessons from the streets of London. We will get to that some other day as well. So I am the CEO and I am the founder, what would I do to expand the company?
People. People are amazing, the power of networking is beyond words. The human network is what business is all about, especially when you want to make a global difference. With Oxford comes connections, like never before.
Oh, before I reached Delhi, I made my first sale to Nepal sitting in London. Long story to that but to cut it short, it paid my rent. Wrong way to do it, the exchange rates are terrible, it is better to earn in London and spend in Asia but hey, I have never done things the conventional way!
So I landed in Delhi, with a degree from Oxford, MSc Biodiversity Conservation and Management and during recession trust me even a degree from the Moon would not help much. I must thank the recession though, it made me a social entrepreneur. The explanation of which will be in another blog post again (from the sound of which,another blog post and another, keep following us there will be many posts coming up), but it would suffice to say, The Light of Asia will be a story like you have read in books, from rags to riches! It is all already happening, the secret works.
We also just started working on finding dealers for hand woven Nepalese carpets where the profit goes to building communities and schools in Nepal, and Project Vishma, Bhutan's youngest scientist, whose story I broke in the newspapers and he is The Light of Asia's Thomas Edison, our very own green in house Scientist and Inventor. We are currently looking for a lab so Vishma can start working on his Dhobi- a pedal powered washing machine. Updates on that coming soon too.
Here is the link to customized carpets from the Himalayas with Himalayan designs. Even the Everest can rest on your feet now.
https://picasaweb.google.com/kinleyt/CarpetsFromHomes
My business partner who is in Hyderbad, where you obviously get delicious Hyderbadi biryani, has worked for Tata International for more than 30 years and Mr. B. L. Narayana and I am currently in the process of doing a massive sale for Nokero to Afghanistan. I lived with some Afghans one time, along with several other house mates, I have some amazing stories and they are wonderful people. Don't listen and believe all that the western media has to say, I am telling you. The Afghans I met used to call themselves "pahariah" or mountain people and when mountain Bhutan meets mountain Afghanistan, we clicked and the best part, we used to speak in Hindi which we all learnt by watching Hindi movies.
What a wonderful world.
Cheers to The Light of Asia as our journey unfolds. Do me a favour please, just close your eyes and send me good vibes, bless us. : )
And just in case you are wondering why not a website, why a blog. I believe that a blog documents an organic growth and no company starts big. Every one has their humble beginnings.
By the way, The Light of Asia has also partnered with Bhutan Trip Advisor which ensures you a trip of a lifetime so if you are thinking of visiting Bhutan, you know who is going to make your trip worthwhile. Oh why, us of course!
Last word- Green is definitely in!
CEO and Founder,
Manju Wakhley
