Our Team

  • Bipin Lama

    Founder and Director

    Mr. Vipin Lama is a native of Gatlang village in Rasuwa district. He has previously worked as trekking guide, volunteer and social mobilizer before successfully leading and managing various community level projects in development, agriculture, agroforestry, conservation, education and health/sanitation sectors. He founded RTEES-Nepal, now SMI Nepal, in 2009 to give back to his community and to engage and inspire youth and younger generation towards community development and nation building. Currently he also serves as the Managing director of White Lotus Adventure Pvt. Ltd.

  • Phurba Sherpa

    Climate Change and Conservation Consultant

    Born in rural village of Solukhumbu district of Eastern Nepal, Phurba Sherpa possess more than 5 years of extensive experience with International Non-Governmental Organizations (I/NGOs) and National level NGOs in the field of Environment, Conservation, Climate Change, Forestry and Agriculture. Mr. Sherpa has completed Bachelor and Master’s degree in Environmental Science from Tribhuvan University, Nepal and Master’s degree in Environmental Management from Flinders University in Australia. Mr. Sherpa currently heads the Conservation and Natural Resources Management program of Sustainable Mountain Initiatives Nepal.

  • Bheem Raj Rai

    Program Director

    BHEEM RAJ RAI holds nearly 30 years of experience working in Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)/Government organizations (GOs) in Nepal. A Master’s Degree holder in Rural Development (RD) from Tribhuvan University, he has worked at The Mountain Institute as a Conservation and Livelihood Program Officer, as a Forest Ranger in Sagarmatha and Makalu-Barun National Parks, and has experience as Project Manager to implement Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation in Kavre and Solukhumbu Districts with UN World Food Programme (WFP). Mr. Rai has been instrumental in the publication of ‘Climate Change in the Himalayas: A Case from Solukhumbu’ and ‘Global Warming and its effects in the Himalayas’.

  • Raman Grandan

    Advisor