Writing Portfolio
Explore Amrit Sharma's diverse writing portfolio, featuring stories on emerging technologies, the Nepal earthquake, Canadian experiences, and more. From accidental journalism to tech analysis, discover a range of compelling narratives.
As a Computer Science student and a Software Engineer out of college, I never really had to write much. It wasn't until many years later in 2014 that I was compelled to write when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal. I discovered that I could write. I don't overthink my words. The only rule I follow is "write how you speak". I called myself "the accidental journalist" because I ended up spending several months in Nepal writing stories about the state of the country and the people leading the recovery efforts.
Since then I've focused my writing efforts back to my home base: technology. I've been writing about emerging technologies like virtual reality (VR), voice platforms, artificial intelligence, etc. This is my portfolio:
📱 Featured Stories
Voice Tech: Say Hello To Pretty Much Everything
The #VoiceTech revolution is underway. Amazon, Google and Apple are battling for who gets to come into our living rooms and run our increasingly smart homes. I wrote this blog post in early 2018 when I realized that the voice tech trends are moving much faster than I imagined.
Confused by Blockchain Technology? No worries. Let's talk about it!
Blockchain technology is radically different than anything we have seen before. It's ok to be confused. It's ok to not know what blockchain can do for you, what it means for the world and why some are proclaiming it will have a greater impact on the world than the internet itself. So what is blockchain technology anyway?
Open Letter to President Obama about Air Pollution
My open letter to President Obama ahead of his Obama Foundation Town Hall in New Delhi caught on like wild fire. It was covered by major Indian publications and surprisingly led me to be invited to the Town Hall with President Obama himself in December 2017.
BBC Travel: The Man Who Rebuilt A Village
Life for Maila and Dawa Jangbo Lama came to a crashing halt when a 7.8-magnitude earthquake rocked Nepal in April 2015. The couple scurried out in the nick of time, but their house, which was also their boutique travel lodge and grocery store, was damaged beyond repair. It seemed that life would never be the same again. But the resilient pair came up with an ingenious solution – and two years on, their village has bounced back in a most remarkable way.
🤖 Emerging Technologies
How Drones Are Helping Save Nepal's UNESCO Heritage Sites
UNESCO World Heritage sites in Kathmandu have suffered significant damage in the M7.8 earthquake that rocked Nepal. But the threat to these historic buildings is far from over. Monsoon in Nepal is just around the corner, and these historic sites are more vulnerable than ever to the vagaries of nature.
Click to read on Huffington Post
Meet The Robin Hood of the Internet: Joshua Browder
While most of us are still tinkering away to figure out how to ride this chatbot wave for our businesses, Joshua Browder has been ahead of the curve and made quite an impact already. 20-year-old Joshua, a Sophomore at Stanford University is dual majoring in Economics and Computer Science, and is the founder of DoNotPay. BBC calls him the "Robin Hood of the internet."
Click to read on BotPublication
How 5 Chatbots Are Changing The World
There's a gold rush in the chatbot ecosystem today. Ever since Facebook launched chatbots on Messenger in April this year, many startups and developers have scrambled to make a splash and secure a first mover's advantage.
Click to read on BotPublication
Robotics Startups Are Eager To Revolutionize The Agriculture Industry
When was the last time you set foot on a farm? If you're a city or suburb dweller, it's probably been quite a while. People in both the developed and developing countries largely take the food available in their grocery stores for granted today. Drive down to your local Super Target or Farmer's Market and you're presented with a seemingly endless supply of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Virtual Reality: Reimagining Science Startups With Digital Nomads
High speed internet around the world has empowered many freelancers, digital nomads and tech entrepreneurs to embrace remote work opportunities. Unprecedented connectivity amplified by communication channels like slack and google hangouts have allowed them to never miss a beat, while also allowing companies to tap into a global talent pool.
Click to read on Falling Walls Fragments magazine
Crowdsourcing and Crowdfunding Lift Nepal After Earthquake
When a magnitude 7.8 earthquake rocked Nepal on April 25, in the blink of an eye thousands of lives were lost, centuries-old monuments turned to dust, and the Himalayan country came to a grinding halt. But a community sprang up to help.
🗺️ Nepal Earthquake
Hamline University: "The Accidental Journalist" by Shannon Prather
Peering over the edge of an open helicopter, Amrit Sharma '09 takes in a bird's eye view of hundreds of landslides blanketing the steep Nepali countryside. After touching down in one of the devastated villages, he helps relief crews deliver tents, blankets, rice, and supplies to survivors.
Read on Hamline University website
Modern Day Florence Nightingale
Dipti Thapaliya, a nurse at New York City's Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital, felt compelled to fly home to Nepal when she heard of the devastating earthquake. She landed in Kathmandu within a few days to assist medical teams working in the most critically affected regions. Dipti was determined to make a difference, and reached out to many aid organizations with operations in Nepal through Facebook and email.
Exclusive, In-depth look at Bhaktapur — the town that everyone loves.
Bhaktapur, a historic little town, is a short drive outside of Kathmandu. The name, Bhaktapur, literally means a 'place for worshippers.' On any given day, you'd find the streets bustling with worshippers, local residents, tourists and folks from Kathmandu 'getting out of town' for a few hours. The streets are lined with temples, houses made of bricks glued together with mud, and handicraftsmen sells gorgeous dragon masks, little temples made of wood, and other artifacts made of brass. Bhaktapur is a delightful little town, with something to offer for everyone. But not today, today was different.
Satire: Snoring Villager Annoys Everyone In Community Shelter
Despite sleeping together in the community shelter since Nepal's 7.8 magnitude earthquake in April, this week red-eyed villagers in Manekharka convened to discuss a growing problem. Something has been keeping them up at night, literally.
Volunteers Combat Post-Earthquake Trauma With Music Camps For Children
Volunteers have stepped up to make a real difference in Nepal since the earthquake. Nepalis from all walks of life, especially young adults in their 20s and 30s have fund-raised, personally delivered critical supplies, crowd-sourced their local knowledge on relief websites, and much more.
🇨🇦 Canada150ish
What is Canada150ish?
Right off the bat, I just want to tell you that I'm so grateful to you. Last year, I was among the tens of thousands of people that moved to Canada from around the world. Some, like me, were skilled workers. Some were students. Some were fleeing dangerous situations. Canada and Canadians welcomed us all with open arms.
It's The Little Things
Toronto is delightful. But what is it about the day to day life here that makes it so joyful? It's the little things.
150ish Things I'm Grateful For In 2018
Gratitude is a weird thing. At an abstract level, we often know we have abundance in our lives, but can't actually capture it in words or with the proper context. I believe that's because we know what we have, but we don't have the context to know what we don't have. And that's often the hidden areas where gratitude lies.
🌶️ Miscellaneous
Coming Soon
In progress!