Anoka Primrose Abeyrathne

Anoka Primrose Abeyrathne is a Sri Lankan conservationist, social entrepreneur, bestselling author, and activist focused on sustainable development, gender equity, and environmental restoration. Abeyrathne served as the Asia-Pacific representative to the United Nations Habitat Youth Advisory Board and was elected to lead the Environmental Working Group of the Royal Commonwealth Society, becoming the first Sri Lankan to hold this position. She is featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine Sri Lanka's 35 Under 35 list and is Sri Lanka's first female World Economic Forum New Champion.

Abeyrathne began her environmental work at age 13 after surviving the 2004 tsunami. She co-founded the eco-social enterprise "Growin' Money" to conserve Sri Lanka's mangroves, providing families with income opportunities through handicrafts, organic farming, and eco-tourism, as well as access to education and skills training. She also co-founded Sustain Solutions to run the "Growin' Money" mangrove tree project, which has expanded into a large-scale movement. The initiative has replanted more than 60,000 mangroves in over five countries and has trained over 50,000 women and youth.

Abeyrathne's entrepreneurial efforts address gender equality, social justice, education, communal harmony, and human rights in underserved communities. As the youngest panelist on Sri Lanka's first Social Innovation Forum and the Commonwealth Women's Affairs Ministerial Meeting, Abeyrathne is a founding member of the Commonwealth Gender and Equality Network and contributed to drafting the first Commonwealth Gender Agenda, linking gender equality, education, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development. She has delivered keynote speeches at the Clinton Global Initiative and the Commonwealth Asia Region Youth Ministers Meeting. Abeyrathne is also the co-founder of TEDxKandy, an independent event for "Ideas Worth Spreading."

Abeyrathne has received numerous honors, including recognition as a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, recipient of the Commonwealth Youth Award from Queen Elizabeth II, the Zonta Award for Environment, and British Council International Climate Champion. She is the first Sri Lankan featured in the EE 30 Under 30 list by the North American Association for Environmental Education. Abeyrathne has also appeared in the list of "Iconic Sri Lankan Women Who Have Shaped History" and was recognized as one of the 5 Young Women Changing the World.

In addition to her conservation and entrepreneurial work, Abeyrathne is an advocate and policy contributor. She is a United States Department of State IVLP awardee and has delivered keynote addresses for International Women's Day, including ringing the opening bell of the Colombo Stock Exchange. Abeyrathne initiated Sri Lanka's most signed petition to revive and advocate for the Animal Welfare Bill, gathering over 130,000 signatures. She holds an LLB from the University of London, a master's degree in development from the University of Colombo, and has pursued further studies at the University of Cambridge. Her experience spans more than a decade across the Asia-Pacific region, with a focus on environmental conservation, social entrepreneurship, and gender equality.