Akash Shrestha is a policy researcher with over a decade of experience in advancing market-based solutions, entrepreneurship, fiscal federalism, and public financial management in Nepal. He holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy from the University of Warwick, UK, where his research focused on the intersection of fiscal and regulatory climate policies and technological innovation, and a second Master of Arts in Political Science from Tribhuvan University, Nepal.
Between 2013 to 2023, Akash held multiple leadership roles at Samriddhi Foundation, Nepal’s leading economic policy think tank, where he led strategic research and advocacy efforts, shaped public discourse, advised government and private sector stakeholders, and helped establish six provincial-level think tanks to localize policy reforms. He has collaborated with institutions like GIZ, National Planning Commission, National Democratic Institute, and the World Bank, contributing to studies on investment policy, tax regimes, federalism, and building resilient MSMEs.
Akash also serves as an adjunct faculty at King’s College, Nepal, teaching courses in economics and public policy, while mentoring young scholars. He has represented institutions in global consortiums and has authored numerous influential policy papers and publications.
He was a runner-up in the Global Think Tank Shark Tank Competition (2020), and winner of the 2017 John Blundell Elevator Pitch Competition in the US. Proficient in econometrics, R programming, and data visualization, Akash combines analytical rigor with strategic insight to influence policy in Nepal and beyond.