From Rural Nepal to Tech Ambassador: How Sharad Rai is Bridging Education and Opportunity

One man’s vision is rewiring Nepal’s future with Japanese innovation making its way into rural schools.

When Sharad Rai was 12 years old, he almost became a monk. Growing up in a remote village in Nepal, he found himself grappling with life’s big questions. “I have always been looking for an answer to the question, who am I? And why are we here?” Rai recalls. “Our universe is big. It’s infinite. But our lives are just 70, 80 years long.”

In the world of business leadership, we often hear about CEOs who pivot their companies to stay competitive. But what about pivoting an entire country’s future? That’s exactly what Rai, founder of YouMe Nepal, is aiming to do. By blending Japanese business practices with Nepal’s untapped potential, Rai is crafting a unique model of social entrepreneurship that could reshape Nepal’s economic landscape.

Instead of retreating to a monastery, Rai chose a different path – building a tech bridge between Nepal and Japan.

From village school to global vision

Rai’s journey began with a simple dream: to give back to the country that had invested in his education. After receiving a scholarship to study in Japan, he realized the stark difference between the education he received and what his childhood friends had access to back home.

“Quality education made my life. But low-quality education can destroy one’s future. I would like kids to have the same opportunities that I did.”

In 2011, while still a university student in Japan, Rai built his first school in his home village – a humble structure with a tin roof. He named it YouMe School, embodying the dream of “you and me” for a better future.

Financing a dream on a student budget

Running a school from abroad wasn’t easy. Rai worked multiple part-time jobs to pay teachers’ salaries. Even after landing a job at SoftBank, he channeled most of his income into the school.

“I didn’t have any house in Kathmandu, and the wealth – or whatever you call it – that’s in the remote villages would only amount to maybe a few thousand dollars probably,” Rai admits. “I didn’t have anything.”

The COVID-19 pandemic nearly derailed everything. Faced with the prospect of closing the schools, Rai realized he needed a more sustainable solution.

From education to tech: a pivot for sustainability

Rai’s aha moment came when he connected the dots between Nepal’s brain drain problem and Japan’s need for tech talent. He founded a company to bring Nepali IT engineers to Japan, calling them “tech ambassadors.”

“Our ultimate vision is to create a tech ecosystem between Japan and Nepal,” Rai explains. “We call them tech ambassadors because I don’t see it as purely business. Of course it needs to be sustainable, but our ultimate vision is bigger.”

The plan? Bring 3,000 to 10,000 Nepali engineers to Japan in the next five years. This, Rai believes, will make the Japanese IT industry take Nepal seriously as a partner.

Building bridges beyond tech

Rai’s vision extends beyond just placing Nepali engineers in Japanese companies. He’s creating cultural exchanges, like the Randoseru initiative, where used Japanese school bags are donated to Nepali children.

“We didn’t say ‘we did it’ or ‘SoftBank did it’. We just gave the bag to the kid,” Rai says, emphasizing the importance of genuine giving. It proved an effective approach – around 20,000 school bags were donated in the first round. Interest in the project was so big that Rai initially struggled with the logistics. But after a while, people started sending him pictures of the bags being used in rural areas across Nepal. It definitely put a smile on his face, as he relates “Happiness is the reason we do it.”

At YouMe School, Rai has also implemented elements of Japanese education he admires, like punctuality and students cleaning their own classrooms. He’s even teaching Japanese to first graders and hosting Japanese university interns who teach Japanese while learning English from the Nepali students.

The future: from entrepreneur to policymaker

Looking ahead, Rai’s ambitions are grand. He plans to build a college and university in Nepal, develop key industries like agritech and tourism, and create a “Nepal vision fund” to support local entrepreneurs.

But perhaps most interestingly, Rai sees himself entering Nepali politics within the next decade. “Nepal doesn’t have this social infrastructure. That’s very important and something I really want to be a part of,” he explains.

For aspiring social entrepreneurs, Rai’s advice is simple yet profound: “Finding an answer to the question of why is important. What you do is not as important. If you are clear about that answer, I think you can do anything.”

As Rai continues to bridge cultures, education, and opportunities, he’s proving that with a clear purpose and unwavering dedication, one person can indeed change the trajectory of thousands of lives – and potentially, an entire nation.

Key Takeaways:

• Purpose-driven leadership: A clear “why” can guide you through challenges and uncertainties.
• Adaptability is key: Be prepared to pivot your strategy when circumstances change.
• Think big: Don’t be afraid to envision change on a national or even international scale.
• Cross-cultural understanding can be a powerful business asset.
• Sustainable social impact often requires innovative business models.
• Education and technology can be powerful tools for economic development.
• Long-term vision is crucial: Sometimes, the path to major change starts with small steps.