Nepal Asatthawasi is Co-Executive Director of Mechanism (formerly the Urban Manufacturing Alliance), where she leads national work at the intersection of manufacturing, economic development, and equity, helping cities and regions build local production ecosystems that keep resources, skills, and value circulating locally.
She also advises 3×3, a design and research firm that partners across sectors to advance community well-being, regenerative environments, and beloved economies. Previously, she was Director of Development and Operations at the Pratt Center for Community Development and a longtime advisor to AGO, supporting human rights NGOs in Southeast Asia.
A first-generation immigrant and naturalized U.S. citizen, Nepal holds a BA from Columbia University and master’s degrees from the London School of Economics and the Architectural Association School of Architecture. She serves on the boards of Mid-Hudson Energy Transition, a Kingston-based nonprofit empowering municipalities, residents, and businesses to own and share renewable energy and build community wealth in the face of climate change; At Play Rhinebeck, a nonprofit playspace also in the Hudson Valley fostering inclusive, developmentally enriching play accessible to all families; and Engage Thailand, founded by Thai human rights defenders to organize the Thai diaspora and mobilize resources for Thai civil society back home.