The 9th Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Awards concluded on a high note, crowning 18 woman entrepreneurs for their outstanding efforts in the business categories Large, Medium, Small and Micro. Lakmini Wijesundara, CEO of IronOne Technologies claimed three awards at the ceremony including the coveted Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Gold Award in the Large category as well as the latest addition to the awards, Woman Exporter of the Year. Organized by the Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce (WCIC), Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Awards celebrates Sri Lankan business women for their entrepreneurial spirit and their contribution to the economy. A host of distinguished invitees including Chief Guest, President Maithreepala Sirisena, Guest of Honour, Patali Champika Ranawake, Minister of Megapolis and Business Development, Ravi Karunanayake, Minister of Finance, Rishard Badurdeen, Minister of Industry and Commerce and Faiszer Musthapa, State Minister of Aviation.
“These are women who have been unafraid to take on the mantle of entrepreneurship, knowing full well that there will always be more challenges than rewards, more downs than ups and more naysayers than supporters and yet, given it their best to become proud success stories and icons for us to use as role models. In the past, we have had some extraordinary women being crowned as the Woman Entrepreneur of the Year. Each of these, among a cohort of women entrepreneurs who continue to raise the bar in their ventures, are definite mentors for women around the country and form the ideal roll of honour for us to uphold as great women in this country,” commented Rifa Musthapa, Chairperson, Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce (WCIC).
Ignite…Influence….Change, this year’s theme highlighted the way that women entrepreneurs have changed the business arena and continuously strive to level the playing field for the future generation of women business leaders.
Charitha Abeyratne Hettiarachchi, Founder/CEO, Saraii Village won the Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award while Erangi Pathiraja of ERA DE MOH won the Start-Up Business Entrepreneur of the Year. In the Large Business category, Jayomi Lokuliyana of zMessenger (Pvt) Ltd, Sunanda Weerasinghe of Sujan International (Pvt) Ltd won the Silver and the Bronze awards respectively. In the Medium category Nelum Hathththella of N V R Publishers, Samitha Wijeyasekera of The Wedding Flowers, Ramona Pulle of The American Preschool won the Gold and Bronze awards and the merit certificate respectively while Malarvii Anton of V & Eye Opticians and Subathra Ramamoorthy of Sindhu Garments shared the Silver award. Ralini Fernando of MRM Lanka Trading Service, Manjula Janaki of Sakura Products, Chamila Wickramasekera of Academy of International Education & Business Development Future Minds (AMI) Montessori School and Sriyanee De Silva who designed the World at a Glance Map won the Gold, Silver, Bronze awards and the certificate of merit respectively. Shareef Vijitha of Dhuniya Sweet Centre, Thayanaa Santhuru of The World Navigators, Francis Carista Judith of Jomax and Sufiyan Ainul Masaniya of Mubarak Enterprises won the Gold, Silver, Bronze awards and the certificate of merit respectively.
WCIC has been in the forefront of women entrepreneurship development in Sri Lanka since 1985 and its pioneering efforts have been replicated in the region.
Caption: From left: Rishard Badurdeen, Minister of Industry and Commerce, Chandrani Bandara, Minister of Women and Child Affairs, Rifa Mustapha, Chairperson of WCIC, President Maithrepala Sirisena, Patali Champika Ranawaka, Minister of Megapolis and Western Development, Sujeewa Senasinghe, State Minister of International Trade, Chandima Weerakkody, Minister of Petroleum Resources Development and Faiszer Musthapa, Minister of Local Government and Provincial Councils.