Mr. Ajith Abeysekera is the Founder Chairman of the Aspirations Group of Companies, encompassing
Aspirations Education, Aspirations I-Lab, and Aspirations Foundation. Under his leadership,
Aspirations has forged over 200 partnerships with top universities globally, positioning the
organization as a key player in international higher education. His leadership has garnered
recognition from prestigious entities such as the Australian High Commission, New Zealand Trade and
Enterprise, Singapore Education, British Council, UCAS, and United Nations Global Compact.
Mr. Abeysekera currently serves as the Non-Executive Chairman of Aspirations I-Lab, where he
leverages his decades of business experience, expertise in building global partnerships, and
strategic acumen as an investor. He is deeply committed to investing in innovation and
entrepreneurship, providing oversight and direction for the company’s strategic partnerships and
global expansion efforts to ensure that Aspirations I-Lab’s initiatives align with the broader
objectives of the Aspirations Group.
Mr. Abeysekera pioneered Sri Lanka’s first-ever education-based TV series, Pathbreakers, which aired
nationally, demonstrating his commitment to education, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Further
supporting the spirit of innovation, he also partnered with the British Council for National
Entrepreneurship Week in Sri Lanka, where Aspirations Education served as the strategic partner,
initiating dialogues among entrepreneurs, students, and academia.
As a well-known philanthropist, Mr. Abeysekera is the Founder Chairman of the Aspirations Education
Foundation, a social entrepreneurial initiative focused on the empowerment and development of rural
communities across Sri Lanka. Through this foundation, he has committed substantial resources, time,
and effort to uplift education, agriculture, entrepreneurship, and poverty alleviation in over 20
districts, making a significant impact on these regions.
His contributions to social entrepreneurship have earned Aspirations Education recognition as a
signatory of the United Nations Global Compact. He has also served on the Board of Directors of the
United Nations Global Compact, Sri Lanka Network. He represented Aspirations Education’s
contribution to the community at the United Nations Global Compact Leaders Summit in 2008, 2011,
2016, and 2017 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.