Utsav Kharel

Utsav Kharel is a civic innovator and ecosystem builder. As a graduate student in the Learning Design, Innovation, and Technology program at Harvard Graduate School of Education, he recently founded The Nepal Discourse at Harvard. This first ecosystem convening gathered 473 participants, 47 speakers, including Nepal’s Minister of Finance, and diaspora leaders to design Nepal’s 2035 ecosystem pathways through 16 plenaries over two days.

Utsav began his career as a management consultant in London, specializing in change management and innovation architectures for DAX 30 clients across Germany and Switzerland. Transitioning to the humanitarian sector as innovation lab lead for World Vision Asia Pacific, he developed humanitarian-focused design thinking and rapid prototyping methodologies. His impact included scaling blockchain cash transfers in three countries, creating child protection board games for Asia and Africa, hosting a global innovation podcast, and pioneering a project using recycled plastic waste to insulate classrooms.

As lead of the Response Innovation Lab in East Africa, focusing on Somalia, Sudan, and South Sudan, Utsav mapped local ecosystems and piloted new convening methods. He oversaw 11 thematic innovation pilots spanning the circular economy, innovative financing, food systems, carbon credit, and mHealth, and managed $37 million assets under management in catalytic funds for 13 ventures. Additionally, he developed a design thinking curriculum in Somalia that successfully scaled to 87 countries.

Utsav leverages a decade of global experience in brokering partnerships and navigating complex systems to drive sustainable, community-centered ecosystem development.

Initial Fellowship Focus: The fellow will help launch cross-departmental and cross-sector initiatives supporting Toledo’s population growth goal. New systems will prioritize efforts and data-driven frameworks to evaluate progress while mobilizing stakeholder networks with a sustained, unified commitment to the mayor’s long-term vision.