Colombo, Sri Lanka October 2023 – In a dynamic collaboration Good Life X, GIZ and the EU unveiled the Road to Regeneration Accelerator program Demo Day! This program was aimed at empowering six [06] visionary food and agricultural entrepreneurs with regenerative models, providing them with the ability to thrive among global and local landscapes. Supported by the “Support to Small and Medium Enterprises in the Organic Agricultural Sector” Program, a partnership between the EU and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), this program showcases Good Life X’s commitment to sustainable economic growth. The Demo day signifies the end of a 4-month journey, where the founders of these 6 companies presented to an audience of over 120 investors, partners and collaborators with their innovations and growth plans.
Randhula de Silva, Founder CEO of Good Life X kicked off the evening, sharing: this program signifies reviving the agriculture and the food industries of Sri Lanka with regenerative practices while also presenting a fresh opportunity to give a new life to systems which are not working to its full potential. It implies an open-ended process of positive transformation where Sri Lanka slowly rebuilds and recovers towards a thriving future.
Good Life X Program Director, Christina Gunasinghe, continued to speak on the program’s success, stating: “The 6 companies that were chosen for the Road to Regen programme came from a pool of amazing applicants. These 6 companies have all done exceptionally well throughout the program and have taken all expert advice into consideration when pursuing their future goals. We expect to see strong growth in these companies considering their talent, entrepreneurship, perseverance and collaborative efforts shown throughout these past 3 months.”
The event was live-streamed successfully via Good Life X Facebook and YouTube channels, giving the opportunity to communities and partners worldwide to witness this future-focused program. The 6 companies who participated in the Road to Regeneration program were: Blackpool Coffee, Dev’s Vanilla Plantation Nursery and Training Center, Herbal Care Industries, iGrow Lanka, Midigama Fruit Farm and Posha Crunch.
While speaking to the entrepreneurs, each drew attention to the immense support received from the program experts Arj Wignaraja – Business Diagnostics Expert, Anuradha Ranasinghe – Agriculture Expert, Savan Perera – Financial Expert, Vihangun Ariyaratne and Vindhya Gunawardane – Systems & Processes Expert, Niranka Perera – Digital Strategy Expert, Kapila Weeratunga and Sharmilan Somasundaram – Technology Innovation Expert, Dhananjaya Hettiarachchi – Pitch Coach, Bert Jan Ottens – Market Access Expert, Randhula De Silva – Thrive BMC, Business Fundamentals and pitch coaching expert and Priyadharshinie Karunaratne – Commercial Operations and F&B Expert, who guided the founders to adapt more regenerative and sustainable business practices as they progressed to the conclusion of the program.
Commenting on the value of the event Priyadharshinie Karunaratne – Commercial Operations and F&B Expert shared, “being a part of the Road to Regeneration program, I was amazed to witness the passion and knowledge in our local businesses in developing locally sourced products. Businesses like Blackpool Coffee from the hill country, Posha Crunch which offers home-style fun cooking and Herbal Care Industries, which are fusing traditional heritage and scientific knowledge, are inspiring efforts of our entrepreneurs in reaching the global arena. Kudos to Good Life X for providing a facilitating platform in transforming these businesses to be a part of a Regenerative Food System, preserving and restoring natural resources which is an important aspect to the community and the environment.”