In a village in the eastern part of Nepal, Sankhuwasabha, approximately 490 km from Kathmandu Valley, Shree Gurung grew up. His parents ran a tea house, and he spent his childhood surrounded by trekkers and mountaineers.
Little did he know that his childhood surrounded by adventurers would shape a destiny that would lead him to risk everything for a greater cause.
Life had other plans for the Gurung family when in 1996, tragedy struck. Their village of Manebhanjyang was consumed by fire, forcing a dramatic split in the family’s path – his parents migrated to Hong Kong while Shree moved to Kathmandu, a decision that would ultimately shape his future.
In Kathmandu, Shree’s creative journey began unexpectedly. While studying computer science, a video camera brought by his photographer brother from Hong Kong sparked an artistic awakening. Without formal training, he taught himself video editing, graphic design, and music production – a jack of all trades driven by pure passion.
“I knew I needed more than just self-taught skills”
Shree recalls. This realization led him to Bangalore, India, where he pursued formal education in Film and Video Production. It was during his university days that his horizons expanded beyond the Himalayas, as he discovered the prestigious film festivals of Europe and the United States.
Not content with just filmmaking, Shree pursued a Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism while simultaneously founding a multimedia production company. His talent caught international attention when he became a finalist in a U.S. government global video challenge, representing South and Central Asia.
Success came quickly as he merged his company with Partynepal, rising to become its president and CEO. Under his leadership, the company managed some of Nepal’s biggest events for major brands, multinational corporations, and government organizations. But something was missing a purpose bigger than commercial success.
The turning point came in 2014 when Shree trekked to Everest Base Camp.
“I fell in love with the crystal glaciers at Everest Base Camp, the origin of beautiful waterfalls and rivers along the way,”
He remembers. But what he discovered upon his return to the office shook him to his core the devastating impact of climate change on these majestic glaciers.
This revelation ignited a bold vision for a climate change awareness project that would combine social media influence with the raw power of Everest. For six years, Shree journeyed across Singapore, the United States, India, and Nepal, pitching his idea for a climate film competition featuring YouTubers. Despite facing hundreds of rejections, his resolve never wavered.
In a move that would prove both courageous and costly, Shree decided to self-fund the project. By 2020, he had secured commitments from world-famous YouTubers, including Logan Paul. Then came the pandemic, shattering his carefully laid plans. But like the mountains he grew up among, Shree stood firm.
Finally, in late 2021, his dream materialized as the World Vlog Challenge. Ten international YouTubers created videos documenting climate change’s impact on Himalayan glaciers, competing for a $100,000 prize. The journey was captured in “Challengers Everest,” a competition reality show that would test not only the contestants but Shree’s resolve to its limits.
The project’s completion would prove to be his greatest test. When 30% of the footage was lost due to damaged hard drives, lesser men might have given up. Instead, Shree rallied eight Nepali studios to salvage the project. Their collective effort paid off when “Challengers Everest” was accepted by Prime Video for distribution in the US and UK.
But success came at a devastating personal cost.
This project has cost me 15 years of my earnings, my parental home, my business, cars, possessions, and relationships, Shree reveals. It has hurt me personally, but I believe I am doing my bit.
Today, Shree stands at another crossroads. With “Challengers Everest” available on Prime Video but lacking promotional resources, he’s taken an innovative approach to funding. Through Wefunder, a Public Benefit Corporation, he’s inviting global partners to invest anywhere from $100 to $100,000, offering them a share in the project’s future success.
The story of Shree Gurung isn’t just about a filmmaker’s journey—it’s about the power of relentless dedication to a cause greater than oneself. From offering tea to trekkers as a child to creating content that could help protect the very mountains he grew up among, Shree’s journey exemplifies the spirit of social entrepreneurship in the digital age.
His offer to investors reflects this spirit: 50% of media sales revenue until the investment is returned, followed by 30% of sales, licensing, and monetization until investors receive a 50% bonus on their investment. It’s a model that aims to prove that profit and purpose can coexist.
Beyond his media ventures, Shree has shown his commitment to change through political engagement, running as an independent candidate for parliament in Kathmandu’s 5th constituency. Though he didn’t secure a seat, he continues to advocate for policy changes that could protect his beloved Himalayas.
As climate change continues to threaten the world’s highest peaks, Shree Gurung’s story reminds us that sometimes the biggest dreams require risking everything.
His journey from a small teahouse in Sankhuwasabha to international filmmaker and climate advocate proves that with enough determination, one person can indeed make a difference – even if it means losing everything else along the way.
As a Nepali filmmaker working with limited resources, his achievement of bringing international content creators with millions of followers to Nepal and securing distribution on Amazon Prime Video is unprecedented.
Yet, the struggle continues. Despite creating content that showcases Nepal’s natural beauty and raises awareness about climate change, Shree faces the challenge of promoting his work on a global scale
Without the marketing budgets of major studios or the backing of large corporations, his groundbreaking project risks going unnoticed. While he successfully convinced influential YouTubers to trek to Everest Base Camp and document the impact of climate change, the harder battle now is ensuring their message reaches the wider world.
This is perhaps the most poignant part of Shree’s story having overcome countless obstacles to create something remarkable, he now faces the final hurdle of making sure it gets seen.
It’s a representation of the ongoing challenges faced by creators from developing nations, where talent and determination must constantly battle against limited resources and opportunities. Yet, true to his nature, Shree refuses to give up, seeking innovative solutions through community investment to give his project the platform it deserves.
His story is not just about personal achievement or environmental activism it’s about breaking barriers for future Nepali creators and showing that with enough persistence, even someone from a remote Himalayan village can make their mark on the global stage.
Through his journey, Shree has become more than just a filmmaker; he’s become a symbol of what’s possible when someone dares to dream beyond their circumstances, even if that dream comes at an enormous personal cost.
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