Entrepreneurs’ Organization supports local student entrepreneurs through GSEA Sri Lanka

Since 2015, the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) has worked diligently to empower local student entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka. With its Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA)

EO Sri Lanka President Dulith Senanayake

competition, the organisation created a platform that allows such local talent to connect with student entrepreneurs, investors, and individuals that would allow their businesses to grow. As the competition enters its sixth year of operation in the island, EO aims to expand its efforts as it works towards building a culture of entrepreneurship in Sri Lanka. 

“The Entrepreneurs’ Organization Sri Lanka’s (EO) leadership of the GSEA program began with its mission to inspire students to adopt entrepreneurial endeavours by supporting them with recognition and access to a community that understands their passion, struggle, drive, and success to take their business to the next level,” said EO Sri Lanka President Dulith Senanayake.

Since its inception in 1987, the Entrepreneurs’ Organization has been empowering entrepreneurs across industries in their mission to transform the world. The organisation is active in 61 countries with 14,000+ members in 195 chapters. As such, it has developed a powerful global network to support entrepreneurs. Over the years, the local EO chapter in Sri Lanka has actively created opportunities to fuel and accelerate the growth of local startups run by young student entrepreneurs. 

GSEA Sri Lanka Chair Jithendran Gajendran

Describing what EO aims to offer student entrepreneurs with GSEA, GSEA Sri Lanka Chair Jithendran Gajendran said, “The Entrepreneurs’ Organization provides the entrepreneurs of Sri Lanka a platform to learn and grow from the best. From this essence, GSEA was created. GSEA is an opportunity for young entrepreneurs in universities to tap into a community of leaders, peers and mentors who can exponentially help their entrepreneurial journey. It is our hope that this year will be a catalyst for greater and earlier participation of university students in entrepreneurial journeys.”

Over the years, Sri Lanka has produced three global finalists. This year, the GSEA Finals will be held in South Africa and the local winner will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to attend. The top 3 winners of the global competition receive cash prizes of $ 25,000, $ 10,000, and $ 50,000 respectively, which they can use towards growing their businesses. 

Further, the GSEA Finals also offers student entrepreneurs access to not only a network of their peers but also the wider global network of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization itself. It offers them the opportunity to meet with investors, mentors, industry partners, and various other stakeholders who can offer invaluable opportunities for young student entrepreneurs to accelerate the growth of their startups. The Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) is a global business network of 14,000+ leading entrepreneurs in 195 chapters in 61 countries, with 33 members in Sri Lanka. Founded in 1987 by a group of young entrepreneurs, EO enables business owners to learn from each other, leading to greater business success and enriched personal life. The Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) organised by the Entrepreneurs Organisation (EO) is the premier global competition for student entrepreneurs.