Hindu Kush Himalaya Innovation Challenge for Entrepreneurs 2.0: Leadership Academy 2026

About the event

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and the Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) is to organise an intensive leadership academy – a workshop for the 12 winners of the second round of the Hindu Kush Himalaya Innovation Challenge for Entrepreneurs (HKH-ICE 2.0).

Winners will learn how leadership is important in both their professional and personal lives and understand its importance in driving meaningful impact. The event will transition from theoretical discussions to practical group exercises, where winners will be observed working in teams and encouraged to reflect on team dynamics. The workshop will also provide a platform for sharing diverse leadership experiences, including cross-cultural collaborations, work in various organisational settings, and interactions with different leaders.

HKH-ICE is an initiative under ICIMOD’s Himalayan Resilience Enabling Action Programme (HI-REAP) funded through the UK International Development’s flagship Climate Action for a Resilient Asia (CARA) program.

Objectives

The key objectives are to:

• Empower local innovators and startup founders with collaborative leadership skills to address ecological and socio-economic challenges in the HKH region.
• Enhance participants’ ability to understand group dynamics and make adaptive decisions that support sustainable and climate-resilient innovations.
• Build a strong network of leaders to share experiences.

Background

The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region, known as the “Third Pole,” sustains life for over 240 million people in the mountains and 1.65 billion downstream. With its rich biodiversity and vital ecosystems, the region is home to the world’s largest ice reserves outside of the polar regions and supports Asia’s major food-producing river systems. However, the region faces severe challenges, including climate change, ecosystem degradation, and water scarcity, which threaten its agricultural systems, tourism, and overall resilience. There is a significant gap in climate finance to address these issues, and local entrepreneurs lack the resources needed to drive green and resilient innovations.

In response to these challenges, ICIMOD has partnered with the GRP for the second year to launch HKH-ICE 2.0 Innovation Challenge for Entrepreneurs. HKH-ICE seeks to empower entrepreneurs from Bhutan, Bangladesh (Chittagong Hill Tracts only), India (Himalayan states only), and Nepal to develop innovative, climate-resilient solutions in the agriculture, water security, and sustainable tourism sectors. The challenge will support initiatives that leverage the region’s untapped potential for sustainable economic growth and environmental conservation while addressing the urgent need for climate adaptation and resilience.