PHURA Sherpa
Company: Sherpa Foods LLC
Title: Co-owner
Age: 31
Favorite Part of Job: Making dumplings by hand with love and care is quite fun and pretty to look at too.
Most Inspiring Mentor: I’d say my husband. He always motivates me. His positive thinking and supportive nature always inspires me the most.
Tell us something fun about yourself that few people know: At home, I eat Nepalese meal such as rice and curry or bread and curry with my hand (without forks or spoon). It makes the food taste even more delicious.
What three words best describe you: Kind. Helpful. Emotional.
What song on your playlist are you ashamed to tell your best friend: I don’t have any.
Favorite Vermont Escape: Water front and Mt Philo.
Favorite Downtime Activity: Hanging out with my family.
Favorite Super Hero: Black panther.
Favorite Social Media: Mostly active on Facebook and Instagram.
Person you would like to share a Vermont beverage with: My husband, son and mother in law.
If you had unlimited access to funds, which causes would you support: I’d support any causes that is related with kids, women and elderly people.
What is the best career advice you have received: My husband always tells me not to be afraid of taking risks in life. Rather try and fail than not try at all.
Where do you see yourself professionally in ten years: I see myself helping make Sherpa Foods a national company.
What else would you like to accomplish in the next 5-10 years: I would like to expand our non-profit Empower1’s project “Women Empowerment Project” to more villages and towns in Nepal.
What motivated you to live and work in Vermont: Family, friends, peaceful & beautiful environment and friendly people.
Career Highlights: I would say being able to launch Sherpa Foods with my husband and family from the ground up. We knew how to make healthy and delicious food but we had no idea about food industry or distribution. It took a lot of work, research and networking to be able to get our business off the ground and to be able to bring authentic Nepalese cuisine to good folks of Vermont and be able to create jobs in the great state of Vermont.
Community Involvement: We as a family and a business focus on two areas when it comes to community involvement. One is “Local” in Vermont, where we live, work and play and the other is Nepal, where we are originally from.
Locally, we have partnered with COTS (Committee on Temporary Shelter) to support their wonderful cause of helping our friends and neighbors in need. We donate proceed from our Burlington Farmers market sales to COTS and do monthly food donation during winter months. We also donate to UVM children hospital and other local charities in Vermont. Our goal is to include a non-profit in any of our life’s celebrations such as birthdays, holidays, successes/milestones etc. As for Nepal, my husband founded a non-profit called “Empower1” in 2012 and we have been involved with various projects in Nepal through that non-profit such as “Women Empowerment Project - (WEP) where we aim to empower women in rural areas of Nepal be self-sufficient and independent.
