Sri Lankan American Knowledge Exchange

Sri Lanka has no lack of entrepreneurial ingenuity, but technical knowledge is gushing out of the country and becoming clogged in diaspora communities. The Sri Lankan American Knowledge Exchange (SLAKE) is the solution to mitigate this brain drain and gain. SLAKE’s 5-step process uses virtual platforms and crowdsourcing to connect Sri Lankans in the U.S. with those in Sri Lanka who share professional interests. These connections spark international collaborations, bi-directional knowledge exchange, and innovation. SLAKE is designing an online database to streamline connections, planning a mobile app to increase accessibility, and blueprinting an e-commerce marketplace that will create opportunities for Sri Lankan entrepreneurs, mainly artisans in marginalized rural communities, to be included in international online markets. When scaled globally, SLAKE’s model will connect diasporas and mother-countries to create more inclusive opportunities for marginalized entrepreneurs to access technical knowledge needed to improve their livelihoods and better provide for their families.

Brain drain is plaguing Sri Lanka; each year over 10,000 students migrate overseas. The U.S. is the second most popular destination for emigrating Sri Lankans. Among the over 60,000 foreign-born and American-born Sri Lankans in the U.S., 25% hold Bachelor's degrees and 32% hold post-graduate degrees. However, the brain gain environment stifles exchange of this knowledge as Sri Lankans in the U.S. lack opportunities to contribute their professional knowledge and technical skills back to Sri Lanka. Without return of knowledge and skills from abroad, Sri Lanka faces a paucity of technical knowledge as only 43% of Sri Lankan students are offered free university education. Among local graduates, 38% are in STEM and 88% will emigrate. 18% of Sri Lanka’s labor force are entrepreneurs, but Sri Lanka has limited expertise, capital, and networks necessary for successful entry and performance in international markets. Existing opportunities are concentrated in cities so not easily accessible to artisans in rural communities who possess the traditional knowledge and creativity to design high-quality products. These marginalized entrepreneurs need connections with technical expertise to more effectively promote their products and sell their products internationally to increase profit for their low-income communities and families. 

SLAKE is a platform where Sri Lankans across the U.S. and Sri Lanka with shared professional interests can connect. Using a website, social media, and manual data system, SLAKE maintains a network of students, researchers, professionals, and entrepreneurs who have interest or expertise in science, technology, engineering, entrepreneurship, mathematics, and medicine (STEEMM). Using a five-step process, SLAKE connects projects looking for technical support and collaborators to members of the SLAKE network with similar professional interests and an underlying interest in projects related to Sri Lanka. 1) SLAKE publicizes a call for projects seeking support on its online platforms. Project leads submit their professional project using an online form. 2) A STEEMM advisor reviews each submission for basic professionalism and credibility. 3) SLAKE sends a description of the project to its network and specifies the type of technical support the project is seeking. 4) Any member of the SLAKE network interested in the project submits another online form describing how they can support the work. 5) SLAKE introduces the project lead to everyone interested in supporting their work. These connections will promote the sharing of knowledge between the U.S. and Sri Lanka, initiate collaborations, and spark innovation.

SLAKE is currently serving students, researchers, entrepreneurs, and professionals across the U.S. and Sri Lanka, but with the help of Solve we can expand and reach more marginalized communities. SLAKE aims to serve professionals seeking additional knowledge and support to advance their STEEMM-related work. SLAKE holds open information sessions to understand the needs of this audience across the U.S. and Sri Lanka. SLAKE’s leadership team is also comprised of individuals from the target populations. Currently, SLAKE serves primarily an English-speaking, formally educated audience affiliated with universities or companies. With the assistance of Solve, in the next two years SLAKE plans to focus more on engaging girls and women through mentorship especially in entrepreneurship. Within the next five years, SLAKE aims to reach communities of artisans in Sri Lanka who have the creativity and knowledge to make traditional handicraft products, but require the technical expertise and international platform SLAKE can share to reach an international market. Whether for students seeking guidance, researchers seeking collaborators, or artisan relying on their products to earn income to provide for their family, SLAKE aims to facilitate connections that will promote knowledge sharing to improve livelihoods.

Sri Lanka is an untapped country with a wealth of traditional knowledge and entrepreneurial ingenuity. The Sri Lankan diaspora in the U.S. is another untapped resource with a plethora of technical expertise and international networks. By facilitating connections that enable students, researchers, entrepreneurs, and professionals across both communities to share knowledge and expand international professional networks, SLAKE is creating more opportunities for advancement. SLAKE aims to become more accessible for entrepreneurs in untapped marginalized areas of Sri Lanka who can use these opportunities to improve their livelihoods and generate more income for their families with humble means.

While SLAKE welcomes anyone interested in Sri Lanka, including foreign-born Sri Lankans in the U.S., those of Sri Lankan heritage raised in the U.S., and those in Sri Lanka. This innovative approach of joining the diaspora community with the mother-country creates valuable intersections of technical expertise and local knowledge that are ideal combinations for success in Sri Lanka, the U.S., and beyond. Other organizations such as the Sustainable Education Foundation and SL2College also promote education and some activities including connecting mentors with students in Sri Lanka. However, these organizations do not cater to the population of professionals who are U.S.-born and of Sri Lankan heritage who have advantages including established professional networks in the U.S. and understanding of American professional culture. The Asia Foundation’s LankaCorps program tailors to the unique skills and capacities of those of Sri Lankan heritage born outside of Sri Lanka by funding them to work in Sri Lanka as skilled professionals, but only five to six individuals per year will have the opportunity to live in Sri Lanka for this opportunity. SLAKE proposes a virtual solution that addresses both brain drain from Sri Lanka and brain gain in the U.S., expanding opportunities to anyone interested in Sri Lanka to connect to the country professionally from any location even if they are unable to physically travel to Sri Lanka. These organizations are not competition, they are potential collaborators SLAKE as a social-preneurship organization can learn from.

SLAKE’s primary technology is a new business model and process that facilitates connections between those with similar professional interests in the U.S. and Sri Lanka. This 5 step process outlined above originally started as a manual function, but expanded to include social media, online platforms, and a virtual organization system. This system is being developed into a database prototype that will rely on data science, integrating information from online profiles to more efficiently match those with similar professional interests. To make these connections and knowledge sharing more accessible for rural and marginalized communities in Sri Lanka, SLAKE aims to design an app that supports a virtual platform for mentorship. This app will also incorporate a learning and development portal tailored to entrepreneurs within the marginalized communities so that they will have access to videos on demand and other localized material which will help them improve the quality of their products and drive them to innovate. Such content can also encourage entrepreneurs to be more socially mindful, such as by considering developing their products from locally sourced organic materials. As SLAKE expands, we plan to build a localized, cloud native e-commerce platform which will enable us to source products from marginalized communities in Sri Lanka. This platform will allow entrepreneurs to create a virtual storefront that showcases their communities’ artisan products to socially conscious buyers with the U.S. as the target market.

SLAKE’s 5-step connection process technology is novel and still being optimized, but the underlying concept of connecting the diaspora community back with the mother-country is a recognized strategy for positive economic impact.  

China, India, and Taiwan are notable examples of how countries have leveraged their diaspora’s “industry knowhow and market connections” for export-led economic development, according to the report Engaging Overseas Sri Lankans to Facilitate Export Diversification by Jack Sennett. Overseas Sri Lankan communities are credited with being “well-educated” and having the same “industry knowhow” to support export-led growth in Sri Lanka. The channel “creation of diaspora networks that facilitate knowhow diffusions back to the country of origin” (p. 6), aligns completely with SLAKE’s aim to facilitate knowledge sharing. 

Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare also recognizes the benefits of connecting the mother country with the diaspora. One strategy for economic strengthening outlined in their National Labour Migration Policy for Sri Lanka includes “harness[ing] the resources, skills, and expertise of Sri Lankans working in skilled and professional capacities overseas” and specifically “networking with scientific and intellectual diasporas” in order to “contribut[e] to home country development” (p. VI - VII). In fact, the role diaspora and mother-country connections could play in Sri Lanka’s prosperity is so well recognized that the Roadmap for Engagement of Overseas Sri Lankans includes sections on social and economic development as well as skills and knowledge transfer (International Alert 2016). These strategies and sections again align with SLAKE’s activities.

In brief, SLAKE estimates it currently serves a network of over 500 students, researchers, professionals, and entrepreneurs in the U.S. and Sri Lanka; 21 individuals have been served by receiving successful connections. By the end of this year, SLAKE aims to serve a network of over 1,000 and have served over 50 individual with successful connections. In five years, SLAKE aims to serve a network of over 6,000 individuals and have served over 300 individuals with successful connections. 

SLAKE currently maintains a growing network of over 220 e-mail newsletter subscribers, 330 LinkedIn followers, and 450 Facebook followers located primarily in the U.S. and Sri Lanka. Due to difficulty de-duplicating followers across the three platforms, we are only able to estimate the number of unique followers as 500. SLAKE defines serving an individual in the network as providing them with opportunities to connect professionally with the U.S. and Sri Lanka and sharing professional development resources with them on any of the three platforms. A successful connection is defined as an introduction email sent to two individuals who have expressed similar professional interests and a desire to connect to projects related to Sri Lanka. During our first connections process pilot, SLAKE made 14 successful connections related to COVID-19 projects. An additional 5 successful connections not related to COVID-19 have also been made. In total this year, 21 individuals have been served with successful connections; some individuals were connected to more than one other individual/project.

Phase 1

Year 1: SLAKE aims to develop a functioning database and website harnessing the power of data science to match those in the U.S. and Sri Lanka with similar professional interests and connect them. 

Year 2: SLAKE will use its database to create a mentorship system, focused specifically on including more girls and women in STEEMM. SLAKE will also become registered as a non-profit in the U.S. and Sri Lanka.

Phase 2

Year 3: SLAKE will design a mobile app that makes the database for professional connections, mentorship system, and professional development resources. SLAKE will also implement a financial sustainability plan. 

Years 3-4: SLAKE will research and plan the Marketplace by working to understand the needs of artisans and other entrepreneurs in marginalized communities in Sri Lanka, establishing collaborations with community organizations in these areas, developing resources for entrepreneurial knowledge sharing, testing secure e-commerce platforms, and generating funds needed. 

Phase 3 

Year 5: SLAKE will implement the SLAKE Marketplace, the online e-commerce platform where artisan entrepreneurs matched with technical experts and support from the U.S. and Sri Lanka can develop a virtual storefront to include their products in international markets. 

Longer-term

After demonstrating success and self-sustainability, SLAKE will replicate its model with other countries that have significant Sri Lankan diaspora populations (e.g. Australia and the UK). The SLAKE model can next be scaled to other countries seeking to professionally connect their diaspora and mother-country communities. 

While working across the U.S. and Sri Lanka, SLAKE anticipates cultural differences in professional etiquette, legal complexities regarding registering as a non-profit in both countries, and financial challenges with costs of activities in two countries. Since SLAKE relies on individuals in the U.S. of Sri Lankan heritage or origin working with those in Sri Lanka, SLAKE also anticipates cultural differences in each members’ connection to Sri Lanka and what it means to be Sri Lankan. 

Challenges regarding the database and mobile application include securing technological and financial support for development and maintenance. Legal constraints may further be a barrier to obtaining and owning Intellectual Property, while virtual privacy concerns could create difficulties establishing a robust database. 

As SLAKE engages more marginalized entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka and designs the Marketplace, more barriers will need to be overcome. Educating artisans on entrepreneurial skills, market awareness, and financial literacy requires an efficient flow of knowledge via accessible technology for learning. Establishing a successful Marketplace requires finding generous resource persons willing to volunteer their knowledge of consumer markets, exports, and e-commerce. Even though the telecommunication and internet cover the entirety of Sri Lanka, not everyone has the technology necessary to access digital learning platforms -- marginalized artisan communities active in handicraft production may have significant technological limitations. SLAKE would have to facilitate access to the required technology and potentially be prepared to cover associated costs.

SLAKE’s greatest resource is its network of individuals committed to the mission and vision. Within its growing network, SLAKE is confident it can find individuals to offer financial and legal counsel; contacts have already come forward to support SLAKE as volunteers and advisors. To address cultural differences, SLAKE will outline expectations for a welcoming and inclusive environment, emphasizing a shared understanding that the professional and cultural differences that may sometimes make communication more difficult are the same variations that bring different advantages to SLAKE including cross-cultural communication skills and multi-disciplinary expertise. 

Regarding barriers to knowledge transfer, SLAKE will again rely on its network and database to make connections with individuals to help generate educational materials, develop the mobile application, and establishing mentor-mentee relationships. Already a qualified member has volunteered to design the database and mentor a student who can assist and learn from this project. 

SLAKE would appreciate any guidance in developing a self-sustainability plan so it is not only reliant upon donations and grants to overcome financial barriers. Furthermore, SLAKE appreciates any individual or organization within the Solve community with expertise in legal, financial, or technological processes to help us navigate the multi-dimensional aspects involved in deploying SLAKE’s solution.

SLAKE plans to register as a non-profit organization both in the U.S. and Sri Lanka in alignment with SLAKE’s core value that SLAKE be driven bi-directionally both by the U.S. and Sri Lankan community, not by one country unidirectionally driving the other.

SLAKE is proud to be expanding its team of over 12 volunteers. No staff are employed by SLAKE and no volunteers receive any payment.

Within a short 1.5 years, SLAKE has evolved into a recognizable force spearheaded by a committed team representing an array of strengths from the US and Sri Lanka. The team brings to the table STEEMM expertise, exposure, and strong multi-country networks in the U.S., Sri Lanka, and beyond to create strong value chains. 

Perhaps the SLAKE team’s greatest advantage is its unique combination of members of the Sri Lankan diaspora working directly with those in Sri Lanka. The team includes those of Sri Lankan heritage raised in the U.S., Sri Lankans who came to the U.S. seeking education, and those raised and educated in Sri Lanka. Their collective knowledge includes native understandings of the Sri Lankan context, U.S. context, and intercultural space. Within the team and network are speakers of English, Sinhala, and Tamil who can communicate technical information in the preferred local language. Additionally, the team hails from different hometowns in the U.S. and Sri Lanka; with this local knowledge SLAKE’s team is ideally positioned to reach beyond the urban areas of Sri Lanka where opportunities tend to concentrate in order to engage marginalized communities in rural areas. Committed to being an organization rooted in the U.S. and Sri Lanka, SLAKE’s team is comprised of individuals located both in the U.S. and Sri Lanka. Since the organization is virtual, no physical headquarters is maintained. 

SLAKE is optimally positioned to navigate the intricacies of working across the U.S. and Sri Lanka.

SLAKE has already leveraged its cross-country strengths while partnering with the International Movement for Community Development and the Rotaract Club of Ratnapura who are reputable community-based organizations in Sri Lanka who strengthen the value chain. SLAKE was able to facilitate community engagement and support from the U.S. and Sri Lanka during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown to help marginalized communities in Sri Lanka receive essential food assistance.

Our value proposition for our beneficiaries can be framed as providing a source of income for marginalized communities in Sri Lanka while promoting STEEMM collaboration to address national research problems in Sri Lanka. Our key customers will be individuals in the US or overseas who are socially conscious. We will be providing an E-Commerce Marketplace for the marginalized communities to reach an export market and also provide knowledge transfer sessions for them whilst providing accessibility for STEEMM collaborations between Sri Lanka and the US. The channels we will use for these activities will be the SLAKE E-Commerce Platform and our academic alliances/strategic partnerships in the US. Our value proposition to customers would be promoting locally sourced artisan products from Sri Lanka which conform to export quality standards and allowing researchers in the US opportunities to assist in solving problems endemic to Sri Lanka with US and Sri Lankan collaboration. Our revenue model will consist of a share of profits from the E-Commerce Platform Sales and optional donations to be reinvested to scale our social enterprise.

Within the next five years, SLAKE would like to implement a plan to be financially sustainable, possibly by charging a reasonable fee for services involving established businesses seeking international connections or a minimal membership fee that will also promote ownership and engagement among members. All fees will go into maintenance of SLAKE’s activities, never for individual profits. SLAKE is committed to transparency and anti-corruption; we aim to make all financial activities reasonably transparent to our network.

Ma Lanka is an example of one community-based organization SLAKE aspires to partner with during Phase 2-3. Ma Lanka is a handloom clothing brand that has been originated by a community living in Shafi nagar, Muttur, a town that was swept away by the unfortunate Tsunami waves during 2014. This initiative was started as a women empowerment project to uplift the underprivileged women in the vicinity aided by the Muslim Aid organization. In 2013, Ma Lanka clothing brand was initiated and since then it has been supplying handloom clothing to a limited consumer group who are living around the Muttur area. Even though the brand has been in existence for around 7 years, they have been retailing through a limited distribution network. Currently, they do not have any online/digital presence. In terms of the brand elements, they currently have a logo that has been used for initial registrations and labeling purposes. Other than that, very limited marketing and branding activities are being carried out in the current context. If SLAKE successfully partnered with Ma Lanka, SLAKE’s professional connections, mentorship system, and Marketplace could assist Ma Lanka in 1) Re-imagining the identity of their online brand by developing a storefront on the SLAKE Marketplace; 2) Positioning the brand to better reflect its ideals and purpose and reach its target audience; 3) Improve digital brand awareness by communicating the brand story to its potential consumers.