Born in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Seroshi Nandasiri grew up in a middle-class household where academic excellence and social responsibility were deeply valued. From an early age, she demonstrated a keen intellect and empathetic nature, traits that would later shape her mission. Excelling in her studies, she pursued a BSc in Marketing Management at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, graduating with first-class honors and a gold medal. She then achieved an MSc in Marketing from the University of Hertfordshire in the UK, earning distinction along with the Chancellor’s International Scholarship. With additional qualifications from CIMA and CIM in the UK and executive education at the National University of Singapore, her educational foundation was formidable.
Seroshi’s corporate career spanned industries including FMCG, tourism, manufacturing, and education. She held senior roles at organizations such as Hayleys PLC, MAS Intimates, the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, and the Colombo School of Business and Management (CSBM), where she steered marketing strategy and business development. Despite her professional success, she faced personal challenges. The societal stigma attached to her divorce and the pressures of being a single mother in a deeply patriarchal society shook her worldview and acted as a catalyst for change. This pivotal moment forced her to confront her own strength and inspired a vow to empower women facing similar struggles.
Out of this personal transformation, Seroshi co-founded the Women’s International Foundation (WIF), taking on the role of Chair. Guided by a holistic philosophy that intertwines economic, social, and personal empowerment, WIF seeks to nurture self-leadership among women through structured interventions in rural communities and beyond. Under her leadership, WIF has launched programs that provide small and medium enterprise support, mentorship, capacity-building, coaching, and networking to enable women to launch or sustain businesses. During the COVID-19 pandemic, WIF pivoted to digital strategies, enhancing financial inclusion by empowering women entrepreneurs to adopt QR payments and social media marketing through partnerships with the Export Development Board and other organizations.
Seroshi’s achievements include receiving a prestigious Eisenhower Fellowship in 2024 under its Women’s Leadership program and joining the inaugural cohort of the KFAS Salzburg Global Leadership Initiative. Her participation in the 2023 Salzburg seminar symbolized her emergence as an international thought leader on women’s economic empowerment. She has also written influential thought pieces, such as “Gender Mainstreaming and Financial Sustainability,” urging the integration of gender perspectives into policy frameworks and demonstrating that equitable economic empowerment can contribute to national economic recovery.
Seroshi’s journey has not been without resistance. Advocating for women’s rights in Sri Lanka often results in her being labeled a “bitter feminist” or a “political opportunist,” and the societal backlash against single mothers remains strong. Rather than deterring her, these challenges have fueled her mission to build alliances and expand WIF’s initiatives.
Today, Seroshi’s legacy lies in the movement she has ignited. Through a grassroots-to-global strategy, she has empowered thousands of women, helping them gain financial autonomy and creating a ripple effect of change within families and communities. By leading WIF, teaching at CSBM, and bridging gender empowerment with economic resilience, she has advanced a model where women’s leadership becomes central to national progress. Seroshi Nandasiri stands not just as a survivor of adversity, but as a visionary architect of women’s empowerment, a quiet force transforming lives and reshaping societal norms for generations to come.