Exporters Association Sri Lanka@100 webinar today to promote women-led start-ups

Monday, 24 January 2022 02:43 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

While female-led entrepreneurship in the export sector has been expanding it is still minimal in comparison to male-led representation. To support the growth of these businesses, Sri Lanka@100, in collaboration with the Exporters Association of Sri Lanka, will conduct a capacity-building webinar for start-ups, spearheaded by women, under the banner of ‘Aspire, Launch, BUILD’. The webinar will be held today (24 January).

Conducted by Shawn Silva from Stax Inc., the webinar is mainly for female entrepreneurs who have created a brand and are looking to align their business strategy to expand their reach and succeed in the export markets.

The session will consist of the following main themes – Brand Alignment: Aligning one’s brand and value proposition to fit the export market; Attract Investors: Knowledge sharing on how to attract investors and/or deciding what strategic partners would be ideal for one’s brand; Connect to distribution partners: Identifying and reaching out to distribution partners and channels overseas that are appropriate for your brand; and Operations: Identifying possible solutions for backend related issues.

International Trade Consultant and Export Development Board (EDB) ex-Chairperson Indira Malwatte will play a pivotal role in connecting these aspiring women to appropriate distribution partners/channels across the globe. She has extensive hands-on experience in the private sector as an exporter and consultant, supporting many well-known organisations in Sri Lanka to reach overseas success.

Sri Lanka@100 is a private sector-led business development platform that was launched in 2020 with support from USAID. This initiative works with high potential mid-market firms to optimise internal operations, enhance product portfolios, access new markets, and attract capital to help Sri Lanka become a high-income country within 100 years of independence.

The Exporters Association of Sri Lanka brings the wide spectrum of the export sector under one umbrella and provides a strong platform to build, discuss and make representations on issues affecting the export trade, with one voice. They are also keen on supporting under privileged and underrepresented demographic groups, to reach their economic potential in the export sector.