Loden selects 12 entrepreneurs under LEP funding
The third round of selection of Loden Entrepreneurs finished on 8 November 2010 after four days of intensive interviews and negotiations. 12 businesses were chosen out of the 27 shortlisted for interview. There were 177 applicants. The interviews were held in the Loden office by a panel of five judges including two directors of the Loden Foundation.
"There is an increasing challenge to deal with waste in urban centre such as Thimphu. Four of the selected projects are in cleaning and recycling", remarked Gerard Tardy. These include a paper recycling business, plastic recycling project, a cleaning service and a shoe laundry. The entrepreneur with highest score was however Mohan Subba, who plans to open an IT centre in Wangdi. Other successful projects include a music school, dairy farm, advertising firm, graphic designs, building maintenance and an organic farmer's store.
12 selected entrepreneurs and projects
Mohan Subba: IT Sales & Service
Dawa Dakpa: Shoe Laundry service
Jigme Drukpa: Ayang Music School
Tharchen: Community Dairy Farm
Kuenga Om: Greener Way
Tshering Dorji: Recycling Unit
Tshewang Dema: Home made pickle
Tashi Phuntsho: Advertising Firm
Dorji Gyeltshen: Graphic & digitizing Unit
Sangay Tshering et al.: Mobs & Condoms
Kinley: Building maintenance unit
Wangchuk Kuenga: Farmer's Store
"It is a shame that there were not many strong proposals from outside Thimphu", said Ashi Kunzang Choden. Despite Loden's efforts for attract more projects from outside Thimphu, only 3 successful projects were from outside Thimphu.