Nepal’s first competition calling innovative and creative ideas from all over the nation to solve today’s problems and shape the future was launched today with five powerful video messages.

Narrated by celebrities including, Nepal’s singing nun and UNICEF Nepal’s National Ambassador Ani Choying Dolma; Cricket Captain Paras Khadka; legendary actors and social activists Madan Krishna Shrestha and Hari Bansha Acharya; CEO of Mega Bank Anil Shah; and internationally acclaimed Taekwondo Player Deepak Bista, the public service announcements urge Nepali citizens to bring their unique ideas to “Idea Studio” and ignite social change.

A joint initiative of UNICEF, Kathmandu University, Childreach Nepal, private sectors and media, Idea Studio aims to provide hope to young and motivated Nepalese to come forward with their ideas that can solve social issues in their local communities.

The call for ideas is open until July 31, 2014. Any Nepali citizen with a creative idea to solve any social problem is eligible to participate.

After an initial shortlisting process, innovators with the most feasible ideas will be selected for mentorship at the Kathmandu University School of Management (KUSOM) Idea Studio in Lalitpur. The KUSOM Idea Studio is the first of its kind innovation incubator, where business leaders as well as KUSOM professors and students will work with the innovators, to transform their raw ideas into a business proposal.

Innovators will then present their innovative ideas for an opportunity to partner with business leaders in a nationally televised reality show. Ideas that are chosen for investment from business leaders and financial institutions on the television show are expected to be further developed and implemented.