GIREE Summit: Co-designing the Mountain Entrepreneurship Ecosystem (MEE) for regional collaboration

About the workshop

The Himalayan Resilience Enabling Action Programme (HI-REAP) of ICIMOD, under the umbrella of the Green Inclusive Resilient Entrepreneurship Ecosystem (GIREE) Alliance, in collaboration with Knowledge, Growth and Sustainability (KGS) Inc., is organising a two-day flagship workshop on the development of a Mountain Entrepreneurship Ecosystem (MEE) framework in Bangkok, Thailand. The event will convene entrepreneurs, government representatives, ecosystem enablers, and mentorship pioneers from across Bhutan, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal on a common platform to shape a regionally relevant ecosystem framework that strengthens entrepreneurship in mountain contexts.

This workshop will serve as a co-creation space where participants will identify mountain-specific elements of the entrepreneurship ecosystem, define measurable indicators, and explore the integration of mentorship models into the MEE framework. It will also provide an opportunity to connect global expertise with local realities, guided by renowned entrepreneurship scholar Dr. Erik Stam, and draw from practical lessons of mentorship and ecosystem-building initiatives emerging in Nepal and other GIREE countries.

This event is being funded by the United Kingdom International Development through HI-REAP project.

Objectives

The key objectives of the workshop are to:

• Develop the MEE framework that reflects the realities of mountain regions and supports inclusive, resilient, and sustainable entrepreneurship
• Build the capacity of ecosystem enablers and policymakers to co-create measurable indicators and actionable plans tailored to mountain economies
• Enable cross-country learning and collaboration among GIREE Alliance members (Bhutan, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal) through shared experiences, best practices, and mentorship models
• Strengthen regional partnerships between GIREE Alliance members, ICIMOD, and relevant institutions to support policy, financing mechanisms, and market linkages for mountain entrepreneurs
• Generate knowledge products that contribute to ICIMOD’s publication on entrepreneurship in mountain contexts and GIREE’s strategic programming

Expected outcomes

• A draft Mountain Entrepreneurship Ecosystem framework is co-created, with agreed elements and measurable indicators
• Cross-country collaboration is deepened, with practical action plans jointly developed by GIREE member countries

Background

Mountain regions across South Asia and the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) face unique challenges shaped by rugged geography, fragile ecosystems, climate risks, and limited infrastructure. While these regions hold rich cultural heritage, resilience, and entrepreneurial potential, conventional frameworks designed for urban or lowland economies often overlook mountain realities. Issues such as access to finance, fragmented infrastructure, policy gaps, and limited market linkages require tailored approaches to support sustainable and inclusive enterprise development.

The GIREE Alliance brings together partners from Bhutan, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal to foster environmentally sustainable, socially inclusive, and climate-resilient entrepreneurship. Mountain economies are shaped by distinct mountain specificities, including fragility, inaccessibility, diversity, and marginality, which influence how enterprises emerge and grow and therefore require context-responsive solutions different from lowland models. These regions offer niche opportunities such as high-value horticulture, eco-tourism, traditional crafts, and biodiversity-based products; however, unlocking these potential demands supportive institutions, adaptive policies, cross-border cooperation, and resilience-building mechanisms. Leveraging unique mountain endowments like biodiversity, water resources, and cultural heritage also requires
specialised infrastructure and risk-sharing tools, ranging from certification systems to blended finance and cooperative models.

At the same time, mentorship emerges as a critical enabler of entrepreneurship success. Evidence shows that mentored entrepreneurs survive and grow at higher rates, benefiting from networks, finance, and advisory services. Yet, despite existing multi-stakeholder platforms, efforts remain fragmented, sector-specific, and uneven in maturity across countries. There is no comprehensive MEE framework that unifies stakeholders under a shared vision. Developing such a framework will provide a structured guide to coordinate actors, resources, and activities laying the foundation for inclusive, resilient, and sustainable mountain entrepreneurship.