On the 29th of October, COYLE held its landmark 2024 Leadership Forum at Shangri-La Colombo, uniting thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and visionaries to shape the future of business. Designed to inspire the next generation of trailblazers, the event brought together influential voices in the world of entrepreneurship and business strategy, setting the stage for an extraordinary day of knowledge sharing and forward-thinking ideas.
This year’s forum was headlined by Ebraheem Al Samadi, a celebrated entrepreneur and luxury retail leader from Dubai. Known globally as a star of Netflix’s Dubai Bling, Al Samadi shared a compelling account of his entrepreneurial journey — one marked by calculated risks, relentless ambition, and remarkable success. His address highlighted the core tenets of perseverance and passion in achieving one’s goals, leaving the audience with invaluable insights into the realities and rewards of entrepreneurial resilience.
Adding to the forum’s stellar lineup was Harsha Fernando, an innovation strategist from Los Angeles, California. With a focus on purposeful innovation and inspiring future change-makers, Fernando’s talk, Lead with Vision, Innovate with Purpose, provided strategic advice for young entrepreneurs to drive meaningful change. His message resonated deeply with the audience, underscoring the need for vision, adaptability, and an unwavering commitment to social impact in business.
The COYLE Chairman, Thushira Radella, a visionary and boundary-breaker, also took to the stage. Known for his business acumen and achievements across industries, Radella shared insights on building sustainable enterprises, fostering growth, and redefining industry standards. His address reaffirmed COYLE’s commitment to creating a vibrant ecosystem for entrepreneurs to thrive, grow, and expand from Colombo to the world.
The event also marked the launch of Future Founders, a COYLE initiative to encourage entrepreneurship at the school level. Through this project, COYLE signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with three prominent schools, establishing a foundation for nurturing young talent. This initiative will soon be expanded to more schools and will include a seed fund facility and the COYLE Entrepreneurial Development Centre (EDC), designed to foster innovative thinking and entrepreneurial skills from an early age.
This flagship event was made possible through a partnership with Nations Trust Bank, a premier institution in Sri Lanka, known for its commitment to nurturing local entrepreneurs. With shared values of fostering long-term development and supporting innovation, Nations Trust Bank’s partnership with COYLE exemplifies a dedication to shaping Sri Lanka’s entrepreneurial landscape.
COYLE’s 2024 Leadership Forum stands as a testament to the power of collaboration and shared vision. By bringing together leaders to re-envision the future of business, the forum has laid a foundation for young entrepreneurs to build lasting success, innovate with integrity, and become the game-changers of tomorrow.
