Miami Ad School Sri Lanka celebrates Class of 2023

Continuing its mission to make global changemakers through creativity, Miami Ad School (M.AD) Sri Lanka recently celebrated its latest batch of graduates at an elegant ceremony at Cinnamon Lakeside. 

The event celebrated the M.AD Class of 2023 from its different programs such as the 12-week Bootcamp programs in Strategy and Social Media, and the certificate programs including Brand Manager, Content Creator, Creative Director, and AI for Brands and Creativity programs. The graduating class, composed of both local and international students from various creative fields and cultural backgrounds, reflected the diversity and vibrancy of the school. 

Speaking at the event, Miami Ad School Sri Lanka Founder and President Kandeban Balendran told the graduates, “Creativity is your superpower. Use that to grow your organisation. Make a difference through your brands. As you venture out into the professional realm, remember that the business, advertising or marketing, it is not just about selling products or services. It is about telling stories, connecting with people and making a positive impact. In an age of information overload, your role as creative is more important than ever.”

He shared that the school was established in Sri Lanka with the goal of making a difference and helping fulfil the dreams of those who could not afford to pay in dollars for an international education. He explained that the school offers an exceptional opportunity to study creativity at an affordable cost, providing the same global standards to Sri Lankans and aspiring creatives across the South Asian region.

“Eight years ago, when I was at Harvard, my personal project was launching an education venture. I reached out to the founders, Ron and Pippa, with a dream of launching Miami Ad School in Sri Lanka, in Colombo. Not just for Sri Lanka and Maldives, but for the entire region. Four years ago, in October 2020, Miami Ad School was born in Sri Lanka. And today we are here. Over 600 students participated in our programs with various programs from eleven different countries,” Balendran noted. 

LOVI Ceylon Founder and CEO Asanka De Mel and American Writer and Book Editor Marguerite Richards were the keynote speakers for the night. They highlighted the value of trusting instincts, fostering strong relationships with collaborators, resilience, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance as key factors for building a successful creative career. 

Miami Ad School, recognised as the world’s most awarded creative institution and the Cannes Lions Future School of the Year for a record six times, is renowned for its cutting-edge programs across creative leadership, design, strategy, social media, brand management, art direction, copywriting, video, and photography, among others. With its roots in Miami, USA, the school has grown to over 12 campuses worldwide, including a campus in Colombo that was launched in 2021. In January 2021, Miami Ad School Sri Lanka and Maldives introduced its inaugural programs—the Strategy and Social Media Bootcamps. 

Pix by Shehan Gunasekara