As an AWS Ambassador and the founder of AWS User Group Nepal, I couldn’t be more proud of our first female AWS Community Builder, Barsha Bhandari. When I started the AWS User Group Nepal in 2018, I had the vision to bring together tech professionals and cloud enthusiasts in Nepal. I envisioned a platform to share knowledge about AWS, collaborate on meaningful projects, and stay connected to the global tech world. It has been amazing to see a leader like Barsha emerge and make our user group truly flourish. As her mentor, it is incredible to see her achieve this milestone.

Before Barsha came along, AWS User Group Nepal lacked a proper person who would take accountability and ownership to lead the group and actually grab the opportunities provided by AWS. But Barsha was different. She saw the potential in tech and brought a fresh perspective, a can-do attitude, and a drive to create a vibrant community of AWS enthusiasts in Nepal. With her exceptional communication skills and self-motivation, she has led the team that has kept the user group active with its events and created an impact in the tech community of Nepal.

From organizing AWS meetups and workshops to leading the first-ever Community Day in Nepal, Barsha has been instrumental in making the user group an active and effective community. Her leadership in The AWS Community Day Nepal brought huge success with over 300 participants and the completion of the first-ever AWS DeepRacer Competition in Nepal in December 2022. The event has set a benchmark for the user group’s upcoming days.

Barsha representing AWS UG Nepal in APAC Community Summit, Thailand

Seeing her lead these events I had envisioned since the beginning days of AWS User Group Nepal and grow the community as a leader is wonderful to witness as an AWS Ambassador. Her enthusiasm and commitment to growing the community are contagious. It is uncommon to see someone without high-level technical expertise show such deep passion and interest in AWS and successfully lead a large community like AWS User Group Nepal. I truly admire her willingness to learn and execute her plans with full dedication.  

Even without having a technical background, Barsha has been motivated and passionate to build a welcoming and inclusive tech community. She has always listened, encouraged participation from all members, and fostered an environment where tech professionals and enthusiasts can learn and grow together. Her confident ways of expressing ideas and ability to connect with people of diverse backgrounds and communities add to our user group. Through her dedication, AWS User Group Nepal has built strong relations with other User Group communities like AWS India. Her efforts also led her to be invited as a panelist in the APAC AWS Community Summit in the panel discussion on DEI in Bangkok, Thailand, where she represented AWS User Group Nepal.

Barsha brings a fresh set of perspective and communication skills required to lead communities that sometimes tech professionals can lack. With a leader like her, I am confident that more people will be encouraged to take the initiative to learn about AWS and be motivated to dream bigger for themselves and their communities. The projects she and her team in AWS User Group Nepal are working on are spreading awareness and sparking interest in AWS and bringing together the tech community in Nepal. They are building the foundations for a sustainable learning and knowledge-sharing environment for tech professionals.

Nepal’s First Ever AWS Community Day

As her mentor, I couldn’t be prouder of what Barsha has accomplished. She has inspired not only women and girls in Nepal but also the broader community to pursue their passions and break down barriers in the tech industry. She has proved that it is not just technical expertise that counts but also hard work and the drive to build a flourishing community. As the first female AWS Community Builder in Nepal, she has also acquired the responsibility to grow this community even further. I fully believe that she is the right person to have gotten this significant role. I wish her all the best for her upcoming journey in AWS and look forward to learning with her.  

Leaders like Barsha who see the potential and to break the stereotype are important in every sector. It is a pleasure to have her in our community and see AWS User Group Nepal grow with her leadership. The community has been fostering a culture of learning and collaboration, which I am glad to see her pioneer. She has set the bar high for future AWS Community Builders in Nepal, and I do not doubt that she will continue to grow, lead, and inspire in the years to come. I can’t wait to see what she brings to the table as the first female Community Builder in Nepal.