WHAT?
10 in 10 is the non-profit arm of Safest Summit. Its mission is to provide economic resilience and meaningful work to Himalayan communities through – you guessed it – digital innovation and technology.
Today, mountaineering accounts for a 10% boost in Nepal's GDP. Our goal is to help the region supplement its tourism economy and boost GDP by an additional 10% over 10 years by unlocking new revenue streams tied to digital.
WHY?
An inherently risk-ridden sport, climbing Everest has only become more dangerous through the impacts of overtourism and climate change. New expedition outfits prioritize cost-cutting measures over safety as limits on the number of south face climbing permits issued per year are not enforced.
If we could take the heat off Everest (in more ways than one) by generating new economic opportunities for the people and government of Nepal, we will indirectly make mountaineering safer for everyone involved.
10 in 10 isn't about eliminating the Himalayan tourism economy; it's about eliminating the region's dependence on it by opening up sustainable alternatives.
HOW?
Perhaps more than anything else in life, mountaineering teaches us that the journey is often more impactful than the destination. 10 in 10 is no different. We're positioned to create lasting change by shaping the journey of the mountaineering industry's digital transformation.
Our plan has 3 phases, described in the infographic below:
The DEA Flywheel in Phase 2 is the keystone of our plan. By requiring foreign investment in Nepalese execution agencies for development and build phases of the product lifecycle, in exchange for permissions to leverage the Himalayan tech / connectivity foundation for testing and launching these products, Nepal can achieve sustainable economic growth from digital innovation. In fact, the DEA pulls all four of our value levers:
New digital solutions on mountains like Everest will require organizations like the Nepal Mountain Academy, responsible for training sherpas to support guided expeditions, to offer commensurate digital awareness training. This, in turn, could open the door to alternative career paths for a community that often has to choose between failing to provide for their families and risking their lives on mountains like Everest.