We’re done hosting mixers, here’s why…
Here’s the quick update on what’s happening at Nepali Leaders Network,
Almost 40 people attending our Virtual Leadership Speaker Series with Sanjay Manandhar on Jan 21, 7-8 PM ET (Next speaker revealed below)
Jan 29 will be the LAST Professional Mixer we host as an organization
Our Spring Hackathon is locked for March 27–29, 2026 (org team is now finalized)
150 people joined our community in the last 30 days from across the U.S.
If you’re new here, here’s the quick rundown of what this newsletter will look like every week:
One leadership conversation we hosted,
What’s coming up next this month, and
A behind-the-scenes look at what we’re building and why
The Tech Leader Who Bounced Back from a Mistake That Cost His Company Millions
How Ranjan Dahal went from an immigrant student crying in a motel to leading high-stakes systems at Wayfair and what his failures taught him about leadership.
You came to the U.S. with almost no safety net. How did that shape the way you lead?
When I came to the U.S., everything felt risky. My visa, my money, my housing — nothing was stable. I missed flights because I didn’t understand time zones. I got stuck at airports. I cried alone in a motel my first night. I learned fast that mistakes here don’t stay small. That taught me that leadership isn’t about trying hard — it’s about getting things right. Intent doesn’t protect you. Systems do. So now I care a lot about structure, checklists, and guardrails. People shouldn’t have to rely on luck or memory to do the right thing.
What was your first real lesson about accountability in a serious system?
I made a prank call as a joke, dialed the wrong number, and scared a stranger. It went to campus police and the dean’s office. I had to write an apology and was told I could be expelled or even deported. My intent didn’t matter. The impact did. That moment changed how I think. In serious environments, you don’t get credit for “not meaning it.” You own what happens. Since then, I assume everything I do can grow into a bigger problem if I’m careless.
You were a strong individual contributor but struggled as a manager. What changed your idea of leadership?
I used to think leadership meant doing everything fast and perfectly myself. I held people to my personal standard and didn’t think about their situation. I focused only on results. One of my employees quit and said he felt like a failure working under me. That hit hard. I realized leadership isn’t about how good you are. It’s about how many people can do good work because of you. Now I keep the bar high, but I give people different kinds of support. Output matters, but people aren’t machines.
What did the military teach you about leadership that corporate life didn’t?
The military taught me how to act under pressure. They don’t just talk about values — they live them. Loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, courage. When you’re tired, scared, or confused, you don’t change who you are. You follow your values. That stayed with me. At work, people talk about culture. In hard moments, culture is what you actually do. Leadership isn’t what you say in meetings. It’s what you do when things break.
What changed how you think about failure and honesty?
I once broke Wayfair’s production system and cost the company millions of dollars per hour. I didn’t sleep for five days. I thought my career was over. What saved me wasn’t skill. It was honesty. I told the truth. I didn’t hide. I didn’t blame others. My manager treated it as a learning moment. That taught me integrity isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being honest when things go wrong. If people can’t trust you after a mistake, they’ll never trust you as a leader.
What’s the one rule that guided you through uncertainty?
Be useful. Not impressive. Not busy. Not important-looking. Useful.
When I felt lost — as a student, as a junior engineer, as a bad manager — I asked: who am I helping right now? When you focus on solving real problems for real people, things start to make sense. Titles come later. Money comes later. Careers grow when you keep helping people in real ways.
Key Takeaways
Leadership isn’t how good you are. It’s how many people can succeed because of you.
Your intent doesn’t matter as much as your impact. Own what happens.
Integrity isn’t being perfect. It’s being honest when you fail.
Values only matter when things are hard.
Accountability scales. Excuses don’t.
The simplest rule still works: be useful.
Upcoming Events
1. Leadership Speaker Series ft. Sanjay Manandhar, CEO, Zifino
🗓 Date: Wednesday, January 21
⏰ Time: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM ET
📍 Location: Virtual
Sanjay will be giving a masterclass on personal finance for young professionals and rising leaders—from money mindsets to practical frameworks for saving, investing, and building long-term financial stability.About Sanjay:
Sanjay Manandhar helped bring the internet to Nepal in the early ’90s and has spent 25+ years building startups in AI, cybersecurity, and digital media. He founded Aerva—powering 10,000+ screens including Times Square billboards—co-founded facial recognition startup Wicket, and now leads next-gen cybersecurity company Zifino. He holds multiple patents in computer vision and content management. He was a technology stock picker at an asset manager with £12B under management (AUM).
2. Professionals Mixer - Boston
🗓 Date: Thursday, January 29
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM ET
📍 Location: 345 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA
👔 Dress Code: Business Casual (no hoodies, sweatpants, or flip-flops)
Looking to meet other Nepali students & professionals in Boston?
Our quarterly mixers are designed to help you connect, collaborate, and build real relationships within the community. Whether you’re new to the area or already part of the network, this is your space to find your people and grow together.
3. Leadership Speaker Series ft. Kapil Mishra, Managing Partner, SpCap Group
🗓 Date: Wednesday, February 4
⏰ Time: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM ET
📍 Location: Virtual
Kapil will give a masterclass on "How to build long-term wealth investing in real estate."
What participants will learn:- How many professionals use real estate to succeed financially
- What it takes to go from corporate roles to owning assets and businesses
- How to think like an investor, not just an employee
- How people actually build wealth (not just earn salaries)About Kapil
Kapil is the Managing Partner of SpCap Group, a commercial real estate investment firm that has built and manages a multimillion-dollar commercial real estate portfolio focused on long-term cash flow and value creation. Through SpCap, he invests alongside partners to acquire, operate, and grow income-producing properties using disciplined acquisition, asset management, and exit strategies.Before launching SpCap, Kapil built his career across banking, consulting, private equity, and treasury roles at major financial institutions. He has held various leadership roles at firms including Santander, Northern Trust, Deutsche Bank Asset Management as well as Rockland Management, Navigant, and NERA.
Behind The Scenes
I want to tell you something we haven’t said publicly yet.
On Jan 29, we’re hosting our LAST Professional Mixer as an organization.
And then we’re done with mixers.
Not because they failed. They didn’t.
They helped us validate demand and build early momentum.
But here’s the real reason we’re cutting them:
They’re not delivering the level of value we want to be known for.
We realized we were thinking too small.
Too surface-level.
So we made a hard call.
We’re cutting the format that feels good
to double down on what can be more valuable, more impactful, and more durable.
So in August / September, we’ll be hosting the FIRST Nepali Leadership Summit to be held in the U.S.
We’re calling it NepCon.
(more details coming in the next few months…
and yes, I’m dying to share the concept already.)
It’s a mix of everything we’re building right now.
Anyways, now that you’re officially caught up, you can check out our website to see the full breakdown of what Nepali Leaders Network is, where we’re going, and the long-term vision behind this whole thing.
And if you haven’t already, join our free community — it’s the hub for everything: events, fellowships, networking, and all the opportunities we’re rolling out next.
More soon,
Shreyas K. Shrestha
Founder, Nepali Leaders Network
P.S. If you made it this far, you’re a real one. These newsletters might be my favorite way to stay connected to 1,100+ of you. See you back in a week!
