About raising $8500 to pay for Bootcamp at MIT&Harvard
As I am writing this, we are either in the quarantine sitting inside our house or helping the world deal with COVID 19 health crisis.
Today, I feel grateful and encouraged to write about my crowdfunding experience. Thinking about it now, I still cannot surmise how a 21-year-old boy who didn’t even had a bank account or big social circle happen to raise USD 8500 in just two months. I happen to pay all my fees for MIT Bootcamp admission.
So, Today I am taking some time to reflect on the journey of the last 3 months about doing my best to raise 8500 USD to pay the admission fee for a week Long Healthcare Bootcamp at MIT and Harvard University on March 21 to 28, 2020 AD.
Due to COVID 19 and the global health crisis, the Bootcamp shifted its dates to October 31, 2020. Learn more about my campaign from here — ‘Support Ashish attend Boot Camp at MIT and Harvard’.
1. Keeping things real rather than interesting
I was selected to attend the 2020 MIT HMS Healthcare Innovation Bootcamp. The Bootcamp is organized by MIT Bootcamps at MIT and Harvard University from March 21st to March 28th, 2020 at Cambridge, MA, USA. A highly selective program and those who make it to the Bootcamp will be challenged to start a company in one week.
I received a selection mail on Dec 31st, 2019 and for a day I didn’t tell anyone the reason was, scholarships provided were none and I was thinking of not participating paying a hefty sum of money.
Being quite regular on social media, I shared a screenshot the next day on Facebook and mailed a couple of people whose advice I count on — asking what do you think I should do.
Turned out, most of my friends, colleagues, mentors, seniors wanted me to go there, but how to gather 8500 USD was an impossible Challenge.
2. 8500 USD is a huge Sum of MONEY...
You can do a startup with that sum of money in Nepal, you can start your investing career if invested in the local stock market. you can save it and get good interest from the bank, you can complete your whole bachelor's degree in local university with that sum of money, you can buy a nano car and make your lifestyle comfortable, you can get a drone, a VR, a 3D Printer and basic gadgets you desired, you can buy a good enough DSLR Camera, you can buy a nice smartphone, you can buy the clothes and jewelry you desired, you can get a month-long good vacation in some beach of Bali and Bangkok. you can do many productive things.
so why pay for MIT Bootcamps.
3. Then…Why Go to MIT Bootcamps
So this is what I thought, I need to go there because— MIT Bootcamp is a great opportunity for somebody like me who wants to explore ideas and learn more about venture creation and building startups, work on commercial technology and democratize innovation. what I mean is I want to learn and explore the topics from the best educational institute in the world. It’s not the only way to do it, but it is a really good way. It will add a lot of new experience in my life and give a new perspective to the work I want to do.
Let’s emphasize the word ‘experience’. I am taking a huge chance to attend MIT Bootcamps for a global immersive experience. I believe that MIT Bootcamp experience will help me learn about Healthcare, innovation, entrepreneurship and most importantly equips me with the soft skills needed.
My curiosity will find a direction when I will be at MIT Premises and Harvard even for a week. Considering none in my family has ever been to college and university, it is a gonna be a huge thing in my life.
Like a small Astronaut Overview Effect, this is gonna change my perception, beliefs, the neurology of my mind and thus basically my life. After all, our life is a sum of experiences we have experienced.
5. Outreach and promotion
I was not sure if I was on the right path… I was in a huge financial dilemma, not having enough money with me, I was second-guessing the decision of doing fundraising. But I Stumble upon it and got back later, I tried many ways, experimented but kept talking about Crowdfunding no matter.
I learned that you have to stand up for yourself and talk about things that are important to you.
Basic Outreach Action Plan
A. Setting up a GoFundMe Page — A Friend from the US helped me Set it up using his bank details and Phone Number.
B. Social Media, Emails and Online Presence — I started posting it on social media, Facebook, LinkedIn regularly as I already had some engagement there.
C. Keeping in touch with friends and Social Media Network — Social Media turned out to be huge help when it comes to online fundraising, sharing posts, updates, reminders and many other informations to friends and community.
6.Public Confidence and Private Doubts
I was going through the feeling of unworthy of selection to MIT Bootcamps, unworthy of receiving donations, unworthy of all the praise because I have always been a silent kid from school who was bullied and embarrassed. I was never a big shot or smart person, nobody thought I was capable to do anything praiseworthy and important. I was an A levels Dropout with interest in biology and literature and That left me with a lot of personal doubts and insecurities from the past.
But eventually, I began to accept myself, all my flaws and doubts, all my- I am good at nothing attitude and focused on the goal and persisted.
The Best Part
The Best Part was being connected to friends and family members who believed in me, I realized the importance of few supportive friends mostly the few people I have met over the past two-three years after coming out of my comfort zone, those people helped and supported immensely. I will always be in debt of that empowerment and acumen.
Timeline of Crowdfunding
Footnotes — I’d like to thank Shashwat Guragain, Sonam Gurung for helping me set up and withdraw money from GoFundMe. I’d like to thank all my donors, friends who shared the fundraising updates and shared my posts helped me in editing and outreach. you guys changed my life.
At the conclusion, Crowdfunding didn’t just help me financially, it also taught me the essential lesson in being open in receiving gifts from friends, family, and strangers, standing up for yourself because if you don’t nobody does, the power of acceptance and believing on oneself and finally I began to be kind and humbly grateful in life.
WHAT’S NEXT
I am staying home in Lockdown wondering about the global crisis of COVID 19. I am thinking one thing mostly, health is the most important thing of an individual. I have failed in startup ideas before but I really look forward to seeing what can be done in health and wellness.
