Profiles

WordPress development, open-source contribution, digital publishing, local journalism, podcasting, community building, mentoring, remote collaboration, no-code tools, teaching tech in schools, W3C Accessibility

My Journey: From a Borrowed Laptop to Global Impact
My WordPress story began in 2010 with nothing but curiosity and a borrowed laptop. I was trying to help a friend launch a simple blog for a youth initiative in Nepal. I stumbled upon WordPress—and it completely changed the trajectory of my life.

Back then, I didn’t fully grasp the philosophy of “Open Source,” but I felt its power. I spent years experimenting, breaking things, and rebuilding. Eventually, I realized that WordPress wasn’t just software; it was a global community. I knew I wanted to be more than just a user—I wanted to be a builder and a bridge.

Building Tools & Breaking Barriers
That passion led me to found AF Themes, where we build news and publishing tools for people like I once was: creators trying to make a big impact with limited resources. Today, our block-based Full Site Editing (FSE) themes empower over 100,000 active websites worldwide.

But code is only half the story. I founded Go With WP to bring WordPress education to schools and universities across Nepal. Seeing the spark in students’ eyes led to local training initiatives that helped inspire what has now evolved into the global Campus Connect program.

A Decade of Giving Back
Because I remember exactly what it feels like to be a beginner, I’ve dedicated the last decade to serving the ecosystem that gave me so much:

Plugin Security & Quality: Serving on the Plugins Review Team to vet fresh submissions, manage guidelines, and maintain a safer web ecosystem for everyone.

Theme Directory Leadership: Spending 3+ years as a former Themes Team Representative to give back to the core repository that launched my own career.

Localization: Acting as a General Translation Editor (GTE) to ensure WordPress speaks Nepali (ne_NP) so the next generation of creators in my home country can lead.

Global Connection: Stepping up to organize and champion flagship events worldwide, including the WordCamp US 2026 Accessibility Squad, WordCamp Europe 2025 (Community), and WordCamp Asia 2023 (Audio/Video), alongside serving as a recurrent international Media Partner.

WordPress gave me a platform to create, teach, and grow. Every day, I work to ensure that same ecosystem remains open, accessible, and life-changing for the next person out there with a borrowed laptop and a big dream.

Let’s connect and build the future of the open web together.