Chanchala Gunewardena
Hello, I am Chanchala Gunewardena, CEO & Founder of Kimbula Kithul.
Born and raised in Colombo, Sri Lanka, I studied in the USA (Clark University). I worked [in the US] and also in Chittagong, Bangladesh before returning home in 2015. I'm an English Literature major, with an interest in the socio-political, and as well as having worked in communications, advocacy and education early on. I love to story-tell and champion for those who should be seen and heard (case and point, at Amnesty International in New York and for the amazing women of the Asian University for Women in Bangladesh where I headed the Careers Office). I took this background back to Sri Lanka and did creative communications and PR advocacy, winning the chance to represent Sri Lanka at the Cannes Creativity Fest Young Lions and at Spikes Creativity Fest in Singapore.
Then in 2018, all my interests came strangely together as I decided to go on an entrepreneurial limb in founding Kimbula Kithul, a agri-food startup centered on advocating for a uniquely Lankan unsung smoky-sweetener called kithul syrup, and the undervalued community that had preserved it for centuries. Now I am working to expand that idea to a larger food brand of smallholder and small farm sourced goods comprising a Kimbula Kitchen :). Oh and this June [2021], we had Kimbula Kithul featured in the Washington Post and will soon start our first USA retail with MilkStreet!
Company Name: Kimbula Kithul (formally Kimbula Kithul Lanka Pvt Ltd)
Location: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Operating since: 2019
Website: kimbulakithul.com
Instagram: @kimbulakithul
Tell us all about your company.
Pure Kithul Syrup is our primary product and it is oh so exciting! It's smoky-sweet, earthy and umami - so excellent for everything from topping and making desserts, to cooking (think sauces, marinades or added in curry), mixing into smoothies (it's also very Low-GI, so healthy!!) and also for distinctively mixing into cocktails.
How did you get the idea or concept for your company? What was your mission at the outset?
The Kithul industry has been left to go astray for centuries, leaving it with many challenges (primarily, supply chain disconnect and refined sugar addition). Knowing this, I saw it as a space where there was a chance to do something truly innovative, impactful and meaningful – re-envisioning possibilities not just for the product but for the globally unique farming community that has preserved it.
I would also add, that I am an unlikely entrepreneur in the industry – young, female, and previously unexperienced in the field. But I am also passionate, willing and able to learn and connect dots, fresh-thinking, sustainability conscious and inclusivity-minded. Fans/customers and business leaders who know our brand and the vision I have for it, and even the competitors (established and new) who follow our lead would confidently attest that we are doing something worth paying attention to, supporting, and copying for its best attributes.
How have your past personal & professional experiences helped you to run your company?
I think my move to Bangladesh especially showed me that I can get out of the zone of everything I thought I was defined by and felt comfortable doing and build crazy impossible things where others hadn't tread. For instance, I organized the first ever large scale career fairs to be held, with corporate sponsors to back, that had ever been done outside of the capital of Dhaka. And we broadened it to extend and support students at universities outside the one I worked at. That said, even in university, I really loved the university's largest student-led organization which hosted it's largest student led event, the International Student's International Gala. And while I didn't get the post I wanted freshman year, I closed 4 years later as President of the organization, pulling off several years of the best of the event. My approach isn't linear or organized, but I do dream and somehow, do :).
What's your definition of success? Do you consider yourself a success? If not, when will you?
Yes and no. There's a lot that I've done that, if I give myself a minute - is pretty amazing and out there. That said, there's also, I think, a lot more potential to realize. I think I'd like to see one thing that's mine to its full capacity and I think Kimbula has more good things to come. That said, I try to remind myself that being content in a moment isn't somehow going to slow my ambition. It's a balance to do your best, to push for more, but also know life and success can be unique to you and measure yourself accordingly.
Have the women around you helped you to rise? How?
From my grandmother, to grand aunt, to mother, to the women who have advised and looked out for me, to the ones I've mentored and advised me - there is no way I am not constantly grateful and inspired by women. And even when I feel they are competition, I always remind myself to step back and see them for being amazing competitors. Women spur me on, and first and foremost I am so proud to be one.
What advice would you give to a woman starting out in your industry or starting her own company?
Don't worry about perfection, not knowing everything, don't beat yourself up for taking time to learn something, call a therapist if you need it, and don't compare or worry about competitors. Know what you want, chase that, innovate, and just be proud of your vision and how you play the game. Ha! That's a lot :).
Describe yourself in ONE word. Lightning
If you enjoyed reading about Chanchala Gunewardena, you can follow her on LinkedIn.