LIIN and WUSC Launch Awakasha.net, a Digital Platform for Inclusive Entrepreneurship

WUSC Country Director Mumtaz Faleel

LIIN Chairman Chandula Abeywickrema

Lanka Impact Investing Network (LIIN) has announced the successful launch of Awakasha.net, a one-stop digital platform designed to promote inclusive entrepreneurship among underprivileged communities in Sri Lanka. It was officially launched on 21 March 2023, at the Galadari Hotel, Colombo. The platform is an initiative under the Platform for Inclusive Entrepreneurship (PIE) project, powered by the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) and Global Affairs Canada (GAC).

Delivering the keynote speech, LIIN Chairman Chandula Abeywickrema said: “Cultivating an inclusive and thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem requires not only access to resources but also a supportive community. Awakasha is dedicated to providing both, empowering underserved entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka to turn their visions into reality and contribute to sustainable economic growth”.

WUSC Country Director, Mumtaz Faleel stated: “Awakasha, the Platform for Inclusive Entrepreneurship is more than a mere project, it’s a visionary movement that aspires to build a world where equal opportunities are accessible to all. We believe that by providing underprivileged groups access to the resources they need to start and grow businesses, we can empower them to lift themselves and their communities out of poverty”.

The vision of Awakasha.net is to empower underserved entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka to achieve their full potential and drive sustainable economic growth. Initially, the project has conducted five Regional Entrepreneurship Development Forums in Northern, Eastern, Central, Southern and North-Western provinces of Sri Lanka, targeting entrepreneurs from underprivileged groups such as women, youth, differently abled persons, and war victims. A selected group of entrepreneurs who participated in the forums were primarily granted access to Awakasha.net. LIIN will provide training to those selected entrepreneurs through a series of five cohorts, each lasting three months. These entrepreneurs will receive more support from LIIN to market their stories, find markets, link to expert mentorship, connect to banks, and more.

Foreign diplomats, senior-level bankers, government institutes, private sector stakeholders, and development agencies were among the attendees of the launch event. The event featured video documentaries showcasing entrepreneurial stories, and several MSME entrepreneurs were given the opportunity to address the audience.

Awakasha and the ‘Platform for Inclusive Entrepreneurship’ are a testament to LIIN’s commitment to promoting impact entrepreneurship and investment in Sri Lanka, providing an inclusive environment for all entrepreneurs to launch and develop a sustainable business.