📈 Leadership Lessons in Resilience Shared at AAT Conference 2026

Key entrepreneurs and corporate leaders highlighted discipline, adaptability, and intrapreneurship as critical growth drivers during the final panel of the AAT Sri Lanka Conference 2026. • Navigating Crises & Pivots: - Ranil Goonatilleke (Vito Pizza Group) detailed pivoting from tourism dependence to domestic delivery during COVID-19, expanding across Kandy, Colombo, Galle, and Negombo using financial literacy to secure funding. - Charith N. Silva (Wild Cookbook) built a global culinary media brand with over 20M followers after losing his hospitality job during the pandemic. • Value Creation & Export Scale: - Dulanjana Vithanage (Jack Fruit Ceylon) commercialized local jackfruit into export-ready, high-protein products. The venture now operates an ISO-certified factory, employs 30 staff, supports 406 rural suppliers, and exports globally. • Intrapreneurship & Resilience: - Bhagya Senevirathne (Castoranets Singapore, ex-MAS Holdings) emphasized intrapreneurship and organizational ownership, urging businesses to foster belonging to drive employee retention and value addition. - Dudley Sirisena (Araliya Group) underscored personal discipline and accounting fundamentals as the core foundation for overcoming capital constraints and scaling necessity-based ventures. • Strategic Takeaway: Panelists stressed that solid accounting literacy, adaptability, and structured employee engagement are essential for transforming necessity-driven Sri Lankan startups into scalable, resilient enterprises.