TiE Colombo launched TiE Women Initiative at its Women’s Day Celebration event at the Granbell Hotel, Colombo on March 19. The initiative aims to provide women entrepreneurs with mentorship, networking opportunities, education, and funding to enable them to scale their businesses and achieve success in their entrepreneurial endeavours.
The event brought together entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and aspiring female entrepreneurs to discuss the challenges and opportunities women face in business.
The TiE Women Initiative is a global program under the TiE Global umbrella.
The event included a panel discussion on the topic “Women who lead: Overcoming barriers, building networks, and managing multiple roles in work and life.” The unique challenges women face while balancing their professional and personal lives, as well as how they overcome obstacles and leverage networks to succeed in the competitive business world were discussed.
Panellists were, Rockland Distilleries Group CEO Dilmini Weragama, Academy of Design Founder Linda Speldewinde, and zMessenger Co-Founder Jayomi Lokuliyana. The panel was moderated by Head of Government Affairs at Daraz Sri Lanka Anishka De Zylva.
During the discussion, the panellists shared their personal experiences of overcoming barriers such as limited access to funding, gender biases, and balancing family responsibilities with running businesses. They also provided advice on building strong support networks, empowering women to take leadership roles, and utilizing mentorship opportunities for business growth.
The audience included female entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and young professionals looking to make their mark in the business world.
TiE Colombo President Madu Ratnayake said, “Our goal is to build a stronger and more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem. The TiE Women Initiative is our way of ensuring that women entrepreneurs have the resources, networks, and mentorship they need to succeed in building global business”.
The event also saw the TiE Women Global Team joining online, including TiE Women Global Lead Sushma Rajagopalan and TiE Women Executive Committee Member Ritika Singh, highlighting the global support and reach of the TiE network.
