Why we named our organization as “Team Everest”?

Karthee Vidya

This is the true story behind why I named our nonprofit organization as 'Team Everest'.

It might sound silly, funny. But, it is true!

This is during the final year of my engineering. I was already campus recruited in cognizant and waiting to complete my engineering so that I can join the company.

I knew I would be starting a non-profit organization once I join my job. So, I was looking for a name.

I remember exactly the day when I found the name of our organization.

I was walking back from my classroom to my room after the college hours got over. It is cloudy and windy.

The thought of what I should name the organization engulfed my mind completely.

Initially, I decided to have a Tamil name. Because I'm from Tamil Nadu and I love the language, so I thought of having a Tamil name.

I thought, what if we became famous and got to know beyond Tamil Nadu? People from other states of India will find it difficult to pronounce the name.

So I decided to have an English name.

Immediately I started thinking, what if we become so famous and internationally known? How do people figure out that we are from India?

I love my country and I want others to know that we are from India :).

I started thinking what names do foreigners relate to India quickly?

Two names came to my mind immediately - ‘Taj Mahal’ and ‘Everest’.

I decided to go with ‘Everest’.

And I wanted the word ‘Team’ in it. Because I know, as an individual, I cannot do much.

We need a ‘Team’ to do great work, to promote volunteering, and to make volunteering as a habit. That's why I purposefully added the word ‘Team’ to it.

The African proverb says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”. I decided to go together.

(We are not ‘Everest’. We are ‘Team Everest’ - How about that for a cool punchline!)

This is the true story behind how we named ourselves ‘Team Everest’.

When we started growing, I started finding more meaning to it. Here are some of it:

Meaning-1:

Everest is the highest peak in the world. You cannot climb a higher mountain than ‘Everest’, because, that’s the tallest in the world. You have hit a peak.

When you start volunteering, you become the best person possible.

Volunteering is the highest form of being a human.

That is, Volunteering is the peak of being a human.

You cannot do anything better than ‘Volunteering’. You have hit a peak.

When I think this way, the name ‘Everest’ makes more sense to me.

Meaning-2:

The giver gets more than the beneficiary. Always.

When you volunteer, you feel like on top of the world. Another, ‘Everest’ moment!

Meaning-3:

The vision of ‘Team Everest’ is to inspire everyone to volunteer. This planet has 8 Billion people.

It is such an audacious goal. The goal looks impossible. Just like the first time humans saw ‘Mount Everest’ in awe and thought it is impossible to conquer it.

Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb Everest thought otherwise. He wanted to climb ‘Mount Everest’. 

He said, “I will come again & conquer you because as a mountain you can't grow, but as a human, I can.”

We too will conquer one day when the majority of the world volunteers.

Meaning-4:

“It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves”, Sir Edmund Hillary said.

It is true with volunteering too. You conquer yourself more. You get to know more about yourself when you give. When you volunteer, a self-discovery happens.

Meaning-5:

Why do we need a meaning behind a name? We all know, ‘Apple’ is not just a fruit anymore now.

You name it, work hard and you will be building a brand, a meaning around it.

So, we are ‘Team Everest’.

Think Volunteering. Think Everest.

Fun Note:

Almost 5 years after I started Team Everest, I got to know about a shocking fact about ‘Everest’. Google says, it is not only in India.

The Himalayan range stretches southwest over 6 different countries; Nepal, Bhutan, China, Bhutan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India.

Mount Everest, the highest Himalayan peak, stands tall between the border of Nepal and China.

Should I named the organization as ‘Himalayas’?

Lolzzzzzzzz. Let’s stick with ‘Team Everest’ for now!