Deshani Gamage Founder and Managing Director of APEX Business Academy who revolutionised the field of Education in the Southern Districts of Galle, Matara and Hambantota.

Winner, Woman Entrepreneur of the Year in Education Sector Sri Lanka at the 14th Professional Woman and Career Global Awards 2024 Malaysia organised by the Women Top 50 Women In Management Malaysia.

Words - Indika Madapatha Sellahewa
Location - Uga Residence - Colombo 
Hair & Makeup - Mandy Amanda Suduweli Kandage
Photos - Jagath Dharmakeerthi

Hailing from Matara, the most prominent and historic seaside city in the South of Sri Lanka, Deshani Gamage has revolutionised the field of education with her innovative and scientific approach to uplifting knowledge amongst the younger generation, in not only the District of Matara, but students joining her learning centre  Apex from Districts of Galle and Hambantota with 18,000 students joining annually including online learning. Starting from the humble beginnings of her parents’ garage as an Advanced Level student, Deshani now offers students further and professional courses in many subjects including English language learning opportunities in primary, secondary and professional education from Apex Institute in Matara, tying up with professional bodies such as the British Council and CIMA Institute giving students from the Southern Regions an opportunity to study from the comfort of their own home grounds rather than travelling all the way to Colombo. Deshani’s entrepreneurial and winning spirit was evident from her school days at Sujatha Vidyalaya in Matara with her energy and vigour resulting in her high achieving academic studies as well as being an energetic sports student, who was engaged and excelled not only in sports but all other extra curricular activities, resulting in being awarded the school’s Most Popular And Exemplary Student Award in her final year at school. 

Please tell us about your beginning and younger days. How did you enter into this field?

Growing up in Matara, I was a curious and determined student at Sujatha Vidyalaya. As school Head Prefect, I honed my leadership skills and passion for service. I excelled in academics, extracurricular activities, and debating, setting the stage for future endeavors. I was actively engaged in sports activities too, being awarded the best player award for both netball and volleyball, and received the award for the school’s most popular and exemplary student in my final year, an award I will treasure for life. The birth of Apex was in fact only a coincidence. While preparing for the G.C.E Advanced Level Examination, I organized a few support classes for my friends and myself. This sparked the idea for Apex, in my family garage with just 10 friends. While finishing my B.Sc. in Human Resources, I saw a need to bridge the gap between education and job market skills. Joining Nations Trust Bank and Jinasena Group solidified this vision.