Board Members

Mary founded Women Light The World after she was introduced to Nepal, and Humla specifically. She was inspired by the gentleness and positive energy of the people despite their serious needs of basic things, like light. She was encouraged to bring to reality Women Light The World to develop sustainable economies through empowering women.

Nepal-based Lucky Karki Chhetri is the founder, along with her sisters, Dicky and Nicky, of 3 Sisters Adventure Trekking. Lucky holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees and has authored many articles and books, exploring female empowerment, travel and trekking, and sustainable tourism. She is a past president of the Rotary Club of Pokhara Annapurna, the charter president of Tourism Entrepreneur Women’s Association Nepal, and an advisor to Nepalese Radio Janani. She and her sisters established a non-governmental organization, Empowering Women of Nepal, which offers free job skills and training programs, to encourage and train women to become trekking guides; EWN has “graduated” some 2,000 women. A self-proclaimed “social entrepreneur”, Lucky has directed or partnered with like-minded organizations and companies, supporting countless programs for women, including the Girls Power Project, the Nepalese Women Annapurna Expedition, and Canadian Women’s Trek.

Currently the director of operations for our partner, India-based Barefoot College International, Harsh has been with BC for nearly eight years, during which time he has held diverse leadership/management positions: Project manager, overseeing an educational facility; supervisor for the Youth for India Fellowship program in Tilonia, Barefoot’s base; special projects director and chief of staff to the CEO; regional coordinator for Asia/special projects. Since 2020, he has served as the director of operations. Among his many, demanding duties and responsibilities, he has spearheaded the day-to-day operations of the organization’s solar division; he developed, implemented, and reviewed operational policies, strategies, and procedures; he has overseen budgets, reporting, planning, and auditing; and he has assured compliance with regulatory mandates. Harsh holds a bachelor’s degree in Engineering and a Master’s degree in Business Administration.

Nancy has been involved with WLTW almost since its inception. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Chicago and has spent more than 25 years in leadership roles in the corporate and nonprofit worlds, working in fundraising and marketing communications. Through her consultancy, the Young Collaborative, she has worked extensively with nonprofit organizations and has raised nearly $60 million on behalf of her national and international clients. She is highly regarded for her ability to build solid, sustainable donor pipelines. Her wise counsel and expertise are particularly invaluable for WLTW, as she is a believer in empowering women and has travelled with Mary to both Guatemala and Nepal, to learn first-hand just how her talents and skills could be best harnessed for WLTW so that partnership alliances are intelligently integrated and results-driven.

Anil Kumar Bellary brings over 35 years of expertise to WLTW, with a solid background in policy analysis, project development, program management, training, capacity building, and outreach management. His extensive knowledge encompasses a variety of environmental areas, including energy efficiency, renewable energy technologies, climate change, and sustainable housing. He also has a comprehensive understanding of the institutional frameworks within the various Indian Ministries connected to energy and climate, at both the central government and state levels. He has a proven record of accomplishment, successfully networking and relationship-building with policymakers and decision-makers. He is skilled in information and data analysis, project implementation, negotiation, and problem-solving. He has worked at highly esteemed organizations, including GIZ, KFW Development Bank, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), Winrock International India, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and the Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC), to name a few.

Based in Nepal, Amir Raj Thapa brings expertise in community outreach and environmental science. For over five years, he worked in development at the Chaudhary Foundation. Prior to that, he spent 10 years in both the corporate and the nonprofit sectors. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and a master’s degree in Conflict, Peace, and Development Studies.

The CEO of the renowned beauty mecca Ling New York, a destination skin care salon/spa, Patrick is an acknowledged leader in the fields of innovative product development and package design within the cosmetology sphere. Ever committed to service, Patrick truly understands the value of selfless volunteerism; following these strong beliefs, he has worked for Habitat for Humanity’s Global Village programs in both India and Vietnam and with Habitat for Humanity’s Post-Hurricane Katrina Recovery teams. Additionally, he has volunteered for God’s Love We Deliver, a New York City-based nonprofit that prepares and delivers over 10,000 meals a day to those in need. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Affairs from Boston. University, and he has added to his CV countless, targeted courses at both the University of California Los Angeles and The New School for Social Research.

Based in Kathmandu, international marketing and product development consultant Lisa Choegyal has a solid background in regenerative, pro-poor, sustainable, and responsible tourism. She is armed with a substantial resume in the private sector, as well, having served as the marketing director with Tiger Tops and the Tiger Mountain Group, specializing in wildlife, culture, trekking adventure, and village tourism in South Asia. For over 30 years, she has also consulted on tourism throughout the Asia/Pacific region, serving clients in diverse arenas, including government agencies, tourism boards, development programs, NGOs, and private sector corporations. A prolific writer/editor, she regularly publishes books and articles on tourism and conservation. Since 2010, she has been the New Zealand Honorary Consul to Nepal. In addition, she is the owner of the award-winning Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge.

Founder and Chair of Green State Energy, Inc., Ernie Chu has more than 40 years’ experience in the financial sector and a solid academic background, with a bachelor’s degree from Amherst College and tenure as a Fossett Moore graduate fellow at Columbia University’s Far Eastern Institute, where he concentrated his studies on India and China. He has traveled extensively in the Far East and has even lived in a monastery in Thailand. Armed with a deep understanding of solar energy, his company owns and manages more than 50 windfarms in South Carolina and New Mexico and is a leading independent supplier of solar energy in the States. Not surprisingly, he has wide-ranging expertise in mechanics of wind; his company regularly helps to empower the world’s poorest communities, enabling them to build and reap the rewards of economic prosperity by converting solar power into solar currency.