Dec 2 2023
Thinley Choden Episode One (Final)
Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to a brand new season of 'The Point and the Pushback.' It's been a while since we last connected, and I'm thrilled to kick off season two with a mission that's both simple and profound – to introduce you to remarkable individuals whom I believe you should know. For our season premiere, I am honored to have a dear friend of mine for the past 20 years, hailing from the enchanting kingdom of Bhutan. Join me in extending a warm welcome to the extraordinary Ms. Thinley Choden!Thinley Choden is a social entrepreneur and consultant. As the CEO of Centre for Sustainability Studies, a consultancy knowledge firm that she co-founded, Thinley leads a portfolio of initiatives at the nexus of women, climate, youth, and entrepreneurship. She has cross-sectional strategic coalition and leadership building experiences across private and public sectors at local and international levels.She is also the founding curator of Global Shapers Thimphu Hub. Thinley serves as Bhutan country advisor for Give2Asia, a philanthropic giving platform based in the U.S. In 2008, she founded a successful nonprofit, READ Bhutan, and currently sits on the Board.Thinley is part of numerous globally competitive professional programs and fellowships such as a Draper Hills Fellow at Stanford University, the Acumen Fellowship Program, Obama Delegate Entrepreneur at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit at Stanford, Vital Voices GROW and GAP Fellowship at Vital Voices Global Partnership, Leadership and Degree Fellow at the East-West Center, Asian Feminist Fellow at Ewha University, Seoul, SOCAP Fellow, and Cordes Fellow.She holds an executive certificate in Strategic Decisionmaking from Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania, an MPA from University of Hawaii, Manoa, and a BA in Economics from Beloit College, Wisconsin. Thinley enjoys staying healthy and exploring. She tries to get in as much running, yoga, and outdoor adventures/hiking/trekking. At Brookings, Thinley’s research will focus on the status of climate literacy among Bhutanese girls and women to lead toward empowered agency and skills for climate change adaptation.Our conversation with Thinley is especially timely, considering that the UN climate conference (COP28) kicks off on November 30th in Dubai, UAE. Moreover, on December 4th, Thinley will be participating in an event at the Brookings Institution, hosted by the Center for Universal Education – a Research and Policy Symposium on Gender Equality in and through Education (https://www.brookings.edu/events/reshaping-narratives-toward-resilient-futures-research-and-policy-symposium-on-gender-equality-in-and-through-education/). Thinley Choden, alongside other Echidna Global Scholars, will lead the event with a plenary discussion, illuminating the lived experiences of girls and young women in the Global South.Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, I present to you my friend, Ms. Thinley Choden.