Start-up Bootcamp for Sri Lanka Youth successfully held in Colombo

Sri Lankan young entrepreneurs who attended the Start-up Bootcamp

Active participation of young entrepreneurs

It is needless to mention that Sri Lanka is currently undergoing unprecedented socioeconomic turmoil ever since its independence. Amidst this unparalleled economic crisis, Sri Lankan young entrepreneurs and start-ups are facing numerous challenges in terms of the growth of their business ventures. It is undeniable that start-ups are instrumental in breeding innovations which create progressive changes in the socioeconomic model, generating employment opportunities, and strengthening economic growth.

Therefore, start-ups and youth entrepreneurship are salient dimensions in rebuilding Sri Lanka’s economy.

Against this backdrop, with a view to strengthen Sri Lankan start-ups and to empower young entrepreneurs, SCCI (Network of South Asian Private Sector) and FCCISL (Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka) in partnership with FNF South Asia (Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom) co-organised the Start-up Bootcamp for Sri Lanka Youth, themed “Strengthening Start-up Ecosystems in South Asia: A Cross-border Start-up Bootcamp for Sri Lankan Young Entrepreneurs” held on 28-29 July at Kingsbury Hotel, Colombo, Sri Lanka. It was a two-day training program which aimed to equip Sri Lankan young entrepreneurs with necessary knowledge and skills for developing their start-ups to the next stages. 

It was also an effective platform for the young participants to network with international start-ups, angel investors and start-up mentors in South Asia and beyond. The Start-up Bootcamp was completely free of charge for the young entrepreneurs.

Despite the fuel and transport issues, it was great that over 100 Sri Lankan young entrepreneurs attended the two-day Start-up Bootcamp. It was significant that the audience represented Sri Lankan young entrepreneurs from different parts of Sri Lanka, not only from Colombo but also from remote areas such as Jaffna, Trincomalee, Matara, Monaragala, Kandy, Badulla, etc. Moreover, their start-ups represented various sectors such as IT, eco-friendly products, fashion, handicrafts, tourism, education, agriculture, renewable energy, etc. 

The young participants’ deep enthusiasm was reflective of their great inclination to rebuild Sri Lanka’s economy through their innovative start-ups.

Industries Ministry Additional Secretary (Industry and Industrial Estates Development Division) Chaminda Patiraja, Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom Country Director (Sri Lanka and Bangladesh) Wolfgang Heinze, National Enterprise Development Authority (NEDA) Chairman Sunil Jayarathne, Sri Lanka Standards Institution Chairman Asanga Ranasinghe, FCCISL and EC SCCI Senior Vice President Keerthi Gunawardane, FCCISL Vice President SCCI and Director Dr. Rohitha Silva, and FCCISL and EC SCCI Director Ruwan De Silva graced the inaugural session with their presence as the special guests. 

They delivered speeches at the inaugural session which was moderated by SCCI Associate Director Tilan M. Wijesooriya who was the master of ceremony and lead facilitator of the event.

The interactive training sessions of the two-day program focused on theoretical and practical perspectives of the development of start-ups, i.e. mindset mastery for entrepreneurs, leadership and management skills, manage in VUCA times, applied concepts of entrepreneurship and start-up models, systems view of entrepreneurial creativity, angel investments, customer service excellence, self-development, industry 4.0 and IOT, growth hacking, invention engine, creative intelligence, etc.

National and international start-up role models and subject matter experts from Sri Lanka, India, Nigeria and the United States conducted the interactive training sessions of the two-day program.

From Sri Lanka, Founder and CEO of The Motivator Ltd., Senior Lecturer at Faculty of Engineering, University of Moratuwa, Chartered Engineer Dr. (Eng.) Ranil Sugathadasa; Management Consultant, Author, Accredited Master Coach and Mentor, former Managing Director AVIVA NDB Insurance, Former Commissioner, Sri Lanka Inventors Commission Deepal Sooriyaarachchi; A Startup Business Adviser, Visiting Faculty Member, Postgraduate Institute of Management, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Founder, SLSME, Founder, Research Consultancy Bureau Dr. Ravi Bamunusinghe; Founder, Lankan Angel Network, Managing General Partner, BOV Capital Ltd., Managing General Partner, Digital Innovation Fund, Independent Director, Hatch.lk Prajeeth Balasubramaniam; Director and Principal Management Consultant, SIPCOM–1 Ltd., Lead Trainer in Service Quality Enhancement, Former Vice President (Marketing) DFCC Bank Dhammika Kalapuge; Co-founder, nCinga Innovations and CTO, Director (Innovation), Zilingo Factory Vijitha Abeywardena and Founder Member of nCinga Innovations and Head of Global Sales, Director (Operations) Zilingo Factory and Lean Yellow Belt Mudith Maddumarachchi conducted their relevant sessions.

From India, Design Thinker, Innovation Strategist, Start-up Mentor, Founder, INNODESK Designovation Services Karmjitsinh Bihola conducted a session whilst Founder, League of Creative Intelligence Certified Coaches, Founder, World Change Summit, Advisory Board Member, United Nations World Creativity and Innovation Day from Nigeria Muyiwa Fasakin conducted another session. 

From the United States Associate Professor, State University of New York College, Buffalo›s International Centre for Studies in Creativity, Fulbright Scholar at the Universidad de Bucaramanga, Colombia) Prof. Dr. John F Cabra and Professor of Creativity and Entrepreneurship, Miami University, Chief Steward, World Creativity and Innovation Week Prof. Dr. Jim Friedman conducted the sessions. It was effective that all sessions were live streamed on YouTube Channel REAL Life TV whilst Sri Lanka Telecom was the communications partner that provided highs-peed internet connectivity for the activities of training sessions.

All the young entrepreneurs actively took part at all training sessions of the two-day Start-up Bootcamp, and they were extremely happy about the program mentioning that “we gained theoretical and practical knowledge along with skills necessary for the growth of our start-ups. Now we are futuristic and have pragmatic hopes of rebuilding our nation through innovative start-ups. Thank you so much resource persons and organisers for this high standard training program organised in the most difficult time of Sri Lanka.”