INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF ELITE WOMEN LAUNCHES IN SRI LANKA WITH A CONVERSATION ON IMPROVING LIVES, INVESTMENT AND TRADE

Inaugural Colombo gathering convenes women leaders alongside distinguished guests for a discussion on new markets, innovative industry and strengthening Sri Lanka’s global ties

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — The International Network of Elite Women (INEW) has formally launched its Sri Lanka Chapter, marking the network’s arrival in the country with an inaugural gathering of accomplished women leaders in Colombo.

The launch, held at a private villa in Colombo 3, brought together distinguished women from business, diplomacy and the professional community and centred on a substantive conversation about how to strengthen investment, trade and Sri Lanka’s standing in the wider world, and how enterprise can improve lives at home.

INEW is an international network that connects accomplished women across countries and industries. Rather than operating as a conventional professional association, it positions itself as a community in which members build trusted, long-term relationships that lead to collaboration, mentorship and opportunity across borders.

The afternoon was deliberately intimate. In place of a large reception, the launch was built around genuine connection and considered discussion: a small, curated group of women in unhurried conversation rather than conventional networking.

Much of the conversation turned on practical ideas for growth: how Sri Lankan businesses might reach new markets across borders, learn from models that have worked in other countries, and move into innovative, high-value manufacturing at home.

Participants also spoke about the value of shared access, drawing on established international networks to exchange contacts, open doors and connect Sri Lankan enterprise to opportunity abroad. Throughout, the discussion tied that economic ambition to a broader purpose: improving lives and livelihoods through trade, investment and enterprise.

The gathering was joined by two special guests. Her Excellency Ms. Miyon Lee, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Sri Lanka, and Madam Khin Sanda Win took part in the discussion on advancing investment and trade for the country. Attending as guests rather than members, they brought an international and diplomatic perspective to a conversation focused on Sri Lanka’s economic engagement with the world.

The Sri Lanka Chapter aims to connect accomplished Sri Lankan women with an influential global community, and to give internationally minded women based in the country a forum for collaboration that reaches beyond its borders. Its organizers describe the chapter as a bridge — linking Sri Lankan leadership to networks across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America and creating a setting in which conversations about new markets, trade, investment and cross-border opportunity can take place among trusted peers.

The chapter is led by Sarrah Sammoon, who serves as Chapter President for both Sri Lanka and the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Sammoon, who works across Sri Lanka and the United States, has spent more than three decades in international business, global mobility and investment migration. Her dual appointment reflects a commitment to building bridges between countries, and she describes herself as a global citizen working across the two regions she calls home.

“The most useful thing a room like this can do is connect Sri Lanka’s leaders to the markets, ideas and people that help the country grow,” Sammoon said. “Whether that means learning from how others have built their businesses, reaching new buyers across borders, or making something extraordinary here at home, this launch was about beginning that conversation — among women who can genuinely move it forward.”

The launch marks the beginning of a series of carefully curated gatherings the chapter intends to host, including leadership conversations, international collaborations and cross-border opportunities for its members in the months ahead.

INEW Sri Lanka extended its thanks to its special guests, Ambassador Miyon Lee and Madam Khin Sanda Win, for lending their time and perspective to the discussion on investment and trade. The chapter also acknowledged the women leaders who took part in the inaugural gathering, among them Namalie Menikdiwela, Co-President of INEW Sri Lanka, Countess Shakuntala Schott, Natharlea Yahampath, Ramani Ponnambalam, Gigja Sorenson and Sonia Hirdaramani whose presence and contribution set the tone for the chapter’s founding.

INEW Sri Lanka welcomes accomplished women who believe in collaboration over competition and who wish to build meaningful international relationships. Membership is by invitation.