Samanthika Tate
Board Chair
Samanthika immigrated to the United States from Sri Lanka when she was just eight years old. When she arrived at the US, Samanthika only spoke two words of English; however, within just a few months, she not only picked up the language but also learned to integrate within American culture, merging some of her Sri Lankan upbringings.
Samanthika graduated from the University of California Davis, and spent her free time in college participating in student organizations, identifying ways to find commonalities and solidarity with other students from minority communities. In the spirit of this, she joined a Chicana/Latina sorority, which she used as an opportunity to not only educate her college peers about Sri Lanka, but also to learn about Latin culture.
Today, Samanthika is the VP of Retail Services for a financial institution, and is also a mom to a wonderful three year old boy. She loves fashion, reading, traveling and spending every moment possible with her family. Samanthika is honored to serve on the Board of SLYO, and uses the opportunity to give back to the less fortunate in her community.
Suranga Ganewatte
Suranga is a Vice President for JPMorgan Chase. Suranga has had an over 20 year career at JPMorgan Chase, where he has become a proven leader in growing and building various lines of businesses within the bank. Suranga brings his wealth of experience and strong leadership and management skills to SLYO, where he uses his talents to have a direct impact on the youth and community around him.
Suranga grew up in Sri Lanka, where he attended St. Sebastian’s College. He then immigrated to the US and completed his degree at Pepperdine University in California, and is also a proud member of The United States Air Force. Suranga’s vast and diverse experience across management, entrepreneurship, and finance have contributed to a successful career in the corporate world, and he is excited to lend his capabilities in a different way as a Board Member at SLYO.
In addition to SLYO, Suranga is an active member of many other non-profit organizations and business resource groups, such as the US Global Business Forum, SRAR, NAHREP, and AREAA. When he is not working or giving back to the community, Suranga loves to spend time being active outdoors with his
family and friends.
Anushad Liyanagoda
Anushad Liyanagoda boasts an impressive 30-year trajectory in the aviation sector, commencing his career as a Station Assistant in Dubai, then rapidly progressing through a series of instrumental roles from Cadet Pilot to Captain and Management Pilot. Throughout his tenure with Sri Lankan Airlines, Anushad has been pivotal in driving operational quality, streamlining crew management, and leading pioneering initiatives in aviation fuel conservation and flight safety. An accomplished pilot, Anushad’s flight credentials speak volumes, with over 16,000 hours logged on Airbus aircraft alone and an additional 11,000 hours as a commanding pilot. Beyond his hands-on flight expertise, he has expanded his competencies with an MBA from Edinburg Napier University. Currently contributing to Boeing as a Flight Data Technical Specialist, he collaborates closely with tech pilots and engineers to ensure optimal flight operations. With a unique blend of operational, managerial, and technical skills, Anushad is a valuable asset to the aviation industry.
Raj Ponniah
Raj Ponniah grew up a non-traditional Tamil in a somewhat traditional household. Starting out as an entrepreneur at the age of 19, Raj struck out on his own trying his hand at a variety of industries, ranging from legal services to the technology industry. After a career in business, Raj recently decided to go back to further his higher-level education by following his heart in Psychology.
Born in Colombo, Raj left Sri Lanka at the age of 8 during the beginning of the riots. He went directly to California with his family. Raj spent some of his most formative years in San Bernandino county, where, at the time, the Sri Lankan community was quite small. Having grown up in this way, Raj sees the power of SLYO as a force that unites youth from the Sri Lankan community and other minority groups around high-impact social causes.
When approached by SLYO’s founder, Aruni Ganewatte, 9 years ago, to take on an advisory role at SLYO, Raj immediately jumped at the opportunity.
Ramya Balasingam
Ramya was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, and is a first-generation Sri Lankan-American. She graduated from Stanford University with BS and MS degrees in Materials Science & Engineering and Electrical Engineering, respectively.
Ramya is currently an Associate Consultant at ZS, a global management consulting firm. At ZS, she specializes in strategic marketing, market research, and market opportunity assessments. In addition to client work, Ramya leads the San Francisco office’s philanthropic arm offering pro bono consulting to local non-profit organizations.
Ramya is passionate about working with SLYO to find solutions to challenging global justice issues. She joined SLYO in 2020, and has since spearheaded many initiatives, including helping to plan, organize, and host the International Women’s Day Conference in March 2022. She’s excited to join the Board of Directors to further her impact and contributions, particularly at a time where Sri Lanka could use our support.
In her free time, Ramya enjoys reading, baking, and hiking.
