Presentations
Adversity, Resilience and Success
Bala will be discussing his life journey from refugee to CEO. Bala arrived in Australia in 2000 without money and unable to speak English. Twenty-four years on, he is a successful tech entrepreneur who has founded multiple companies employing hundreds of staff.
‘Bala’ grew up on Sri Lanka’s Jaffna Peninsula amid a civil war that lasted three decades. Caught in crossfire during the brutal conflict between Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan army, he was wounded several times. Bala lost his mother when he was just two years old and the war robbed him of any meaningful education and the chance of a bright future. Arriving in Australia as a refugee has allowed him to rebuild his life. Bala will share his story of starting a successful enterprise called GetMee; a world-leading artificial intelligence company that helps people learn the English language and core communication skills for employment.