Ekanath Khatiwada is the founding member of the Nexus Institute for Research and Innovation (NIRI). He has 22 years of experience as a development professional in Africa and Asia, promoting rural agribusiness, renewable energy technologies, tourism value chains, youth employment innovation funds and market-based approaches. Ekanath has also established the foundation of the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) movement, and promotes NRNA partnerships globally. Mr. Khatiwada was appointed the first trustee of the Global Diaspora Confederation in 2020. He holds an MBA from TU Nepal and MSc on Strategic Planning from Heriot-Watt University in UK.