Dr. Pukar Malla has been leading parallel careers as a leadership coach, community organizer, and innovation specialist. As a Founder and Executive Chairperson of a leadership non-profit, Daayitwa, he has been organizing youth to lead innovative solutions in the government, business and civil society sectors,

As a Former Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School, he investigated and piloted frameworks for communities of innovations to lead change. As a Senior Innovation Policy Specialist at the World Bank, he supported Indian, Chinese and Ghanian governments to promote innovation and inclusive growth. Prior to that, he led technology designs at Intel, AMD, Silicon Graphics, and a Silicon Valley startup, and secured 2 US patents. He received his Bachelors from Swarthmore College, with a focus on engineering and economics. He spent 3 years at Cornell, attaining a MS/PhD in Electrical Engineering with a Minor in Business Management. He earned his MPA from Harvard Kennedy School. While at Harvard, he also led the university-wide Harvard Graduate Student Government as its elected President.

Nisha is a gender and climate change expert with a decade of experience in managing research projects, capacity-building programs, building women’s networks and advocating at national, regional and international levels. She has led policy research in South Asia and South East Asia related to climate change adaptation, livelihood diversification and gender and climate change. She has also participated and presented papers in various climate change workshops and conferences, and is actively involved in gender and climate change scholar networks. She has also published papers and book reviews in peer-reviewed journals. Nisha is also a guest lecturer for courses such as gender, environment and development guest lecturer for the Environment Development and Sustainability Interdisciplinary Program in Graduate School of the Chulalongkorn University in Thailand.

Nisha was on the steering committee of the EmPower: Women for Climate Resilient Societies Project, which is a five-year project funded by the SIDA and jointly implemented by UN Women and the UNEP. She is also the NGO representative for the Grow Asia Partners Advisory Council which is an independent advisory body comprising government agencies, non-profit entities, and non-government organizations representing the range of agriculture-based societal and environmental issues facing the region. Nisha is also the Regional Coordinator for WOCAN. Nisha has a PhD from Gender and Development studies from the Asian Institute of Technology. 

Sucheta Pyakuryal is advisor at Governance Lab . She is a visiting faculty at Tribhuvan University’s Central Department of Gender Studies . She teaches courses in Gender and Politics/Policymaking for graduate and postgraduate programs. She has been serving as one of the five jury members for the Integrity Icon of the Accountability Lab, Nepal Chapter, and as an advisor to the Inter-generational Feminist Forum (IGFF), a feminist platform in Nepal. She is also a country core group member of Sangat South Asia.

She has also worked at the Institute for Integrated Development Studies (IIDS) as the Director at the Center for Governance.

She has worked as an Assistant Professor of Political Science and Public Administration at the University of North Florida, where she was also a member of the university’s Commission on Diversity and Inclusion (CODI). An alumna of the Regional Center for Strategic Studies of South Asia, her work focuses on the study of democratic development and good governance in the region. She has several publications on bureaucracy, public sector ethics, ethical knowledge management, and aid politics.

Chandra Bhandari is a Senior Research Manager at Inclusion Economics Nepal at Governance Lab. He initially joined as the first Research Associate when the research commenced in 2017. After four years of dedicated work, he pursued a master's program in public policy at Yale University. He is interested in exploring how research and evidence can influence public policy.

Pratigya works on day-to-day operational and long-term strategic goals of IE Nepal. She has an experience of over a decade in managing operations and communications in various organizations.

Puja Sharma is the People's Operations Coordinator at Governance Lab. She plays a key role in managing human resources and operational functions, ensuring smooth coordination within the organization. With expertise in HR processes, staff engagement, and organizational development, she is dedicated to fostering a positive and efficient work environment. Puja also provides relevant support to other entities of Daayitwa Abhiyaan.

Srijana is the Finance and Administrative Coordinator at Govlab, specializes in budgeting, financial reporting, and office management. With keen analytical skills and attention to detail, she ensures efficient financial planning and seamless daily operations. Her expertise plays a crucial role in optimizing resources, supporting strategic decision-making, and enhancing organizational efficiency.

Dilasha is the Communications and Outreach Officer at Governance Lab. With expertise in strategic communication, she drives engagement, manages public relations, and cultivates connections with stakeholders. Dilasha plays a pivotal role in enhancing the organization's public image and amplifying its impact through effective outreach initiatives. She also provides relevant support to other entities of Daayitwa Abhiyaan.

Arjun Thapa has worked with various governments and non-governmental organizations in different capacities. His research experience encompasses focusing on public policy, environment and climate change, civic engagement, governance, and GDESI having collaborated with a diverse range of stakeholders. He has co-authored number of reports and written op-ed pieces for national dailies.
Mr. Thapa has extensive experience in governance such as working for Provincial and Local Governance Support Program and Sub national Governance Program. His professional journey includes engagements with the Provincial Center for Good Governance, Institute for Integrated Development Studies, The Asia Foundation and Policy Research Institute. Mr. Thapa holds Master’s degree in Development Studies from Kathmandu University, which underpins interdisciplinary approach to development challenges. His aspirations span working with grassroots communities focusing on governance, leadership and inclusive development.

Aarya is a Research Associate at Inclusion Economics Nepal (IEN) at Governance Lab. At IEN, she focuses on cleaning, producing, and analyzing research data, supporting field research, and maintaining partner relations to aid research projects and outputs.

She aspires to better understand the economic lives of the developing world and enjoys exploring the intricacies of mathematics and statistics.

Asim is a Research Associate at Inclusion Economics Nepal at Governance Lab. He loves numbers and economics. At IEN, he primarily works on cleaning, preparing, and analyzing research data. His interests lie in quantitative economics, political economy, and institutional economics.

Apurva is broadly interested in researching the economics of education, migration and labor markets in developing countries. Outside of work, you will probably find Apurva playing the piano, going on runs, cooking and teaching music.  

At IEN Tenzin is responsible for supporting the project in the part of human resources, administration and finance. She holds an undergraduate degree in social work and has experience in the field of finance and administration.  

Prabin Shrestha is the Finance, Admin, and HR Assistant at Governance lab, where he supports the organization’s financial operations, administrative management, and human resource functions. With a strong commitment to efficiency and teamwork, Prabin ensures smooth coordination across departments and contributes to maintaining GovernanceLab's organizational excellence. He is passionate about fostering a collaborative workplace and driving operational effectiveness to advance GovernanceLab's mission of inclusive and sustainable development in Nepal.

Sneha is the Communication Assistant at Governance Lab. She helps share the organization’s work with the public, manages relationships with different groups, and supports communication activities. She also helps other teams within the Daayitwa Abhiyaan.

Aanandita is the Program and Research Officer at GovLab, bringing three years of public service experience across local and state government in Boston and Massachusetts. With a Master's in Social Work from Boston College, she approaches governance with honesty, innovation and connection. She's committed to weaving lessons from around the world into Nepal's story, while sharing Nepal's wisdom beyond its borders. When not working, you'll find her nurturing her garden, horse riding, or sharing laughs with her nephew over FaceTime. 

Asika is a Research Associate at Inclusion Economics Nepal (IEN) at Governance Lab. She is broadly interested in political economy, development economics, and economic history. She aims to understand decision-making patterns of economic actors across varied contexts and constraints. In her free time, she enjoys exploring books on psychology, history, and economics  both fiction and non-fiction.

Samhita Malla is a Governance Manager at Governance Lab, with over a decade of experience in democratic governance, electoral reform, and gender and social inclusion in Nepal. She has led and managed complex governance and democracy programs, working closely with election management bodies, civil society organizations, women leaders, youth, persons with disabilities, and marginalized communities to strengthen inclusive political participation and accountability.

Prior to joining Governance Lab, Samhita held senior program management roles at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), where she provided technical support to the Election Commission of Nepal on inclusive elections, electoral law reform, and institutional capacity building. Her expertise spans governance and federalism, GEDSI integration, civil society strengthening, and monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL). She holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from Liverpool John Moores University.