Neon and Echelon Media recently hosted the Shine 50 Awards and Networking Evening at the Oak Room Ballroom, Cinnamon Grand, celebrating 50 young women making remarkable contributions across Sri Lanka.
The event, attended by U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie J. Chung, honoured women aged 18 to 35 who are driving change in diverse fields such as entrepreneurship, environmental advocacy, the arts, science, and technology.
An initiative launched by Neon and Echelon in partnership with USAID, Shine 50 celebrates young women redefining leadership and innovation in their respective sectors. These bold, brilliant, and unstoppable women captivated the evening with their stories, serving as a poignant reflection that Sri Lanka’s future will be shaped not by its past but by new voices, perspectives, and leadership exuded by the Shine 50 inductees.
The event featured inspiring keynote speeches by Randhula De Silva and Krystle Ried Wijesuriya and stirring performances by singer Natasha Rathnayake about the power of women.
Shine 50 will extend its impact through regional networking and knowledge-sharing events in Kandy, Galle, and Jaffna in the coming weeks.
Reshami Kodikara receives her Shine 50 Award from U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung, alongside Antoinette Ludowyk, Co-founder and Executive Director of Echelon Media
U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung addressing the Shine 50 inductees and invitees
Randhula De Silva addresses the audience with her keynote on Thriving at Intersections
Krystle Reid Wijesuriya delivers a keynote on Identity, Authenticity, and Generational Bias
Natasha Rathnayake performing Fireworks at the unveiling of the Shine 50 list
Shamindra Kulamannage, Co-founder and Publisher of Echelon Media, delivering the welcome address for Shine 50.
From left: Shamindra Kulamannage, Antoinette Ludowyk, Julie Chung, Kaitlyn Crooks Gallander (USAID Country Representative), and Ruvini Perera (Programme Development Officer, DT Global)
Invitees at the Shine 50 Networking Event