Sajith Wickramasekara founded Benchling in 2012 as a digital version of a scientist’s lab notebook. A year later, when Wickramasekara appeared on the Forbes Under 30 list, the biotech R&D software startup had raised $6 million at a valuation of $17.5 million. Today Benchling has more than 600 customers, including Regeneron, Sanofi, and Syngenta. It is worth $6.1 billion following a recent financing round led by Franklin Templeton and Altimeter. Wickramasekara was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. He attended the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics and later entered college at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). At MIT, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.  He worked as a research assistant during high school and realized R&D relied too heavily on pens and paper. So he built Benchling, now worth $6 billion and backed by over $400 million in VC funding. Benchling is a software platform for scientists doing breakthrough research
Read More →

Sri Lanka Foundation International, USA, donated to the V2U Organization founded in Canada to support the third project in Monaragala, to prepare land for raising crops to cultivate a field which Medagama Chandaloka Thero spearheaded in three different locations. The main objective of the V2U Community Organization is to educate Sri Lankans on food cultivation to create self-generating employment opportunities in agriculture and other related fields. Food insecurity in Sri Lanka will likely worsen amid poor agricultural production, price spikes, and ongoing economic crisis. An estimated 6.3 million people in Sri Lanka face moderate to severe acute food insecurity. Their situation is expected to worsen if adequate life-saving assistance and livelihood support are not provided. To avert a further deterioration of food security conditions and to support the restoration of agricultural production, the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Foundation International, USA, Dr. Walter Jayasinghe’s vision for this project is a
Read More →

Sri Lanka Foundation International, USA, donated to the V2U Organization founded in Canada to support the second project in Mahiyanganaya, to prepare land for raising crops to cultivate a field which Keenathumulle Chuulawansa Thero spearheaded in five different locations. Agriculture is an important part of the Sri Lankan economy, engaging one-third of the working population. However, most farm households have limited knowledge of production methods and also face a financial struggle to access land for cultivation. These obstacles constrain their ability to compete in the market and increase their incomes. In response to these challenges, Sri Lanka Foundation International and V2U Community Organization are partnering on the Supporting Opportunities in Livelihoods Development projects, which trains farm households in the eastern regions of the country on improved agricultural practices. 

 The Chairman of the Sri Lanka Foundation International, USA, Dr Walter Jayasinghe’s vision for this Project is a multi-faceted initiative to rebuild
Read More →

Keith Ranga was born in Sri Lanka and emigrated to the U.S. in 1992. He attended the college of De. Mazenod in Kandana, Sri Lanka. Keith Ranga began his acting career at 14 years old in an independent movie in Sri Lanka followed by two additional before moving to the U.S. Keith Ranga has made a measurable impact in the past 20 years of his life with his dedication to the Sri Lankan American community as a passionate advocate to provide his humanitarian services and promote culture. In 2006 he was elected to be the President of the Sri Lanka America Association in Southern California. He immediately stepped in to his role by evaluating the needs of our community and established a net working system with his executive committee to reach out to families that needed assistance in professional or personal matters. By providing this service he connected with so
Read More →

The V2U Community nonprofit organization was established in November 2021 in Toronto, Canada, by Thiwi Gama and Sanjeewa Pushpa Kumara in the USA. The organization’s vision is to rebuild Sri Lanka with “no boundaries or bias” while empowering Sri Lankans in the fight against hunger by promoting the cultivation of privately owned land for food production. The main objective of the V2U Community Organization is to educate Sri Lankans on food cultivation to create self-generating employment opportunities in agriculture and other related fields.  Sri Lanka Foundation International, USA, donated to the V2U Organization to support a project in Morawaka, Matara district, to prepare land for raising crops to cultivate a field which Puwakbadaowita Saranda Thero spearheaded.  The Chairman of the Sri Lanka Foundation International, USA, Dr Walter Jayasinghe’s vision for this Project is a multi-faceted initiative to rebuild villages struggling educationally and economically. The ambition is a replicable model to create
Read More →

USAID Administrator Samantha Power said USAID will provide additional US$20 million as humanitarian aid in addition to US$40 million which will be given to procure fertilizer to assist one million farmers. The total amount pledged by her, comes up to US$ 60 million. Ms. Power said political reforms and economic reform should go hand in hand. “Sri Lanka should ensure stable borrowing and stable balance of trade,” she added. (Yohan Perera) For more information go to:http://www.dailymirror.lk
Read More →

Please join United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung in her second town hall with the Sri Lankan-American Community. Ambassador Chung will provide updates on the status of U.S.-Sri Lankan relations, U.S.-led relief efforts, and her perspectives on the ongoing crisis and ways forward. Ambassador Chung will be joined by Deputy Assistant Administrator for the USAID Asia Bureau Anjali Kaur, who will share USAID’s humanitarian assistance plans with the community. The town hall will also feature a question and answer session; participants are encouraged to submit questions and areas of concern they would like addressed in advance and during the event via chat. Date: Thursday, September 22, 2022 Time: 7.30am PST, 10.30am EST Pre-Register, Submit Questions, and View the Virtual Event Here:https://interactive.state.gov/sri-lanka/ Ambassador Julie Chung arrived in Colombo as the U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka in February 2022. A career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank
Read More →

The V2U Community nonprofit organization was established in November 2021, in Toronto, Canada by Thiwi Gama and by Sanjeewa Pushpa Kumara in USA. The vision of the organization is to rebuild Sri Lanka with “no boundaries or bias” while empowering Sri Lankans in the fight against hunger by promoting the cultivation of privately owned land for food production. The main objective of V2U Community Organization is to educate Sri Lankans on food cultivation with the ultimate goal of creating self generating employment opportunities in agriculture and other related fields. Dr. Walter Jayasinghe, Chairman of the Board of SLF INT, USA, extends his full support to this project while commending V2U Community Organization for their initiative. V2U Community Organization members along with other entities continue to encourage communities to support one another in the preparation of land for cultivation. This project is in full progress in the areas of Wauniya, Mahhiyangana,
Read More →

Washington, DC – Today Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-01), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, led nine of her colleagues in sending a letter to Secretary of State Blinken and USAID Administrator Power urging them to take swift action to provide meaningful support to the Sri Lankan people in the face of widespread food, fuel, and medicine shortages. They also called on the Administration to continue to support the Sri Lankan government and people as they work to implement democratic and economic reforms. These reforms include advancing efforts to address longstanding issues related to accountability and reconciliation and to meet broader U.S. foreign policy goals for the region. “We remain deeply concerned by the unprecedented and disastrous economic crisis currently facing Sri Lanka,” the Members wrote. “Although we greatly appreciate the $11.75 million in new humanitarian and development assistance that USAID provided at the end of June, more is
Read More →

FREE EVENT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Spectacular Cultural Program Virtual Expo will be open to the public from August 10th – August 20th Amazing Virtual Parade Resourceful Presentations Get ready to “Dance Baila” with the Band, “HEAT” Live MC’S from US, Australia and Sri Lanka There are many new features added this time for our worldwide audience. Including new online games to win prizes worth $5000!! REGISTER NOW DON’T MISS OUT!!!! https://www.slfplatform.org/ Sri Lanka-themed virtual Global Celebration will be launched in the United States on the Sri Lanka Foundation International platform introducing to a worldwide audience Sri Lanka’s historical heritage and culture, music, dance forms, and local food and products. All that and more, while being entertained by breath-taking cultural performances, you can enjoy lounging in the comfort of your living room! If that were not enough, a dazzling parade would pass by you, and a glittering fashion show will
Read More →