Sajani Amarasiri was born to launch her own business. She was entrepreneurial as a child growing up in Sri Lanka, studied supply chain management in college, and pursued numerous side hustles as a young adult. While working at Microsoft, she had the idea to launch the first networking and co-working space in Sri Lanka. Called Colombo Cooperative, the concept was embraced by the emerging entrepreneur community in her native country. Around the same time, back in the U.S., Sajani couldn’t help but notice how Southeast Asian traditions and ingredients were influencing the wellness world, so she decided to launch her second bootstrapped brand, one that would pay homage to the Sri Lankan practices she and her family hold dear. That brand, Kola Goodies, earned Sajani the Cherry Bombe Women in Food Award as part of the Foxtrot Market 2022 Up & Comers competition. Her prize includes a monetary award, marketing support, and a spot on Foxtrot’s shelves. Sajani joins host Kerry Diamond to talk about her journey, the situation in Sri Lanka, how to survive and thrive in a corporation, and what’s next for Kola Goodies. To learn more about Kola Goodies and try them for yourself, visit Foxtrot’s online store. Radio Cherry Bombe is recorded at Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center in New York City. Our theme song is by the band Tra La La. Subscribe to our newsletter and check out past episodes and transcripts here! More on Sajani: Instagram, Kola Goodies More on Foxtrot: Locations, Online Shop