Prakash Bolakhe
Conscious Craft Entrepreneur | Textile & Pashmina Visionary | Leadership Mentor | Cultural Preservationist
Executive Profile
Prakash Bolakhe is a third-generation Nepali textile professional whose work embodies conscious craftsmanship, ethical entrepreneurship, and service to community. With over 16 years of senior leadership experience across pashmina, cashmere, handicrafts, garments, education, tourism, and creative industries, he bridges ancestral artisan wisdom with modern global business practice.
He has built, managed, and scaled enterprises that honor artisans, protect natural systems, and meet international standards of quality and trade. His leadership integrates operational excellence, cultural stewardship, and values-led governance.
Ancestral Roots and Early Formation
Born in Panauti, Kavre, into a family of artisans, Prakash was shaped early by hands-on exposure to craft and nature. His grandfather worked with bamboo and rice stems, while his father balanced textile factory management with lifelong social service.
As a child, Prakash accompanied his grandfather into forests to gather materials, learning that craft is a relationship between nature, human skill, and time. As a teenager, he visited textile factories across Kathmandu with his father, absorbing practical lessons in production systems, worker management, and quality control. The charkha – the spinning wheel – revealed to him the meditative, conscious nature of handcrafted work, forming the philosophical foundation of his career.
Education and Professional Grounding
Prakash strengthened lived experience with formal education:
Master of Public Administration (MPA) – Tribhuvan University (CGPA 3.24)
Bachelor in Business Studies (BBS) – Tribhuvan University
+2 Management – First Division
School Leaving Certificate (SLC) – First Division
This grounding provided governance insight, systems thinking, and management discipline.
Industry Leadership and Enterprise Building
Professional Foundations
Prakash began as a Computer Science Teacher at Himalayan Academy, developing communication and mentoring skills. He then joined Himali Pashmina Udhyog (Golyan Group) as Operations Manager, gaining deep experience in production, exports, customs, accounts, and international client coordination 2012-2013.
Executive Leadership
From 2013–2015, Prakash served as General Manager and CEO of ShangriLa Knit Industries, overseeing production, exports, finance, HR, R&D, and banking instruments (LC, TT). He aligned operational detail with strategic vision while meeting international market demands.
Founder and Managing Director – Castello Cashmere Industries
In 2015, Prakash founded Castello Cashmere Industries Pvt. Ltd., a family-owned enterprise specializing in handmade cashmere and natural fibres. As Managing Director, he:
Built skilled artisan teams and ethical supply chains
Managed international B2B and retail relationships
Led product development aligned with global quality expectations
Castello Cashmere stands as proof of his ability to translate values into viable enterprises.
Market Strategy, Mentorship, and Education
From 2019–2021, Prakash served as Marketing and Sales Head at East West Enterprises, leading national strategy, budgeting, training, and stakeholder engagement.
Alongside commercial leadership, he is deeply committed to knowledge transfer:
Resource Person – Master in Pashmina, Namuna College of Fashion Technology
Internship Coordinator – Bachelor of Fashion Design and Management
Trainer – CTEVT programs in pashmina knitting and garment entrepreneurship
These roles ensure continuity of Nepal’s textile heritage and youth empowerment.
Institutional, Cultural, and Global Engagement
Prakash actively contributes to national and international institutions shaping Nepal’s craft ecosystem, including:
Nepal Pashmina Industries Association (NPIA)
Federation of Handicraft Associations of Nepal (FHAN)
Nepal Fiber Processing Unit – Founder Member
Wool Development Association
WooliiE and MERE – Co-founder Director (Nepal, Germany, USA)
He has represented Nepal at international trade fairs across China, Malaysia, India, and SAARC nations, and completed the Emerging Leader Program at the University of San Diego (USA).
Creative and Cultural Leadership
Prakash is also recognised as a cultural curator and designer, having contributed to more than 30 fashion shows, festivals, and cultural events. His work bridges contemporary design with traditional Nepali identity.
Founder Vision – Lomanthang Cashmere
Lomanthang Cashmere emerged as a values-led initiative inspired by the ancient walled city of Upper Mustang, historically a crossroads of trade, culture, and spirituality.
Through direct engagement with Himalayan Chyangra goat farmers, Prakash witnessed the realities of climate vulnerability and fragile ecosystems. Lomanthang Cashmere was founded to stand alongside farmers and artisans, ensuring dignity, continuity, and ecological balance from the very beginning of the supply chain.
The brand embodies a Sustainable Farm to Conscious Fashion philosophy, committed to 100 percent Nepali fibers, natural dyeing, handmade processes, and long-term stewardship.
Core Philosophy and Forward Path
Prakash Bolakhe’s guiding belief remains clear:
True entrepreneurship is not extraction – it is service.
He continues to lead conscious craft enterprises, mentor emerging leaders, preserve Nepal’s textile heritage, and build ethical fashion ecosystems rooted in sustainability, spirituality, and social impact.
For supporters, Prakash represents trust earned through lived experience, integrity demonstrated through action, and a future-oriented vision grounded in service to people, culture, and planet.