Fellow Fridays Featuring Krystle Reid Wijesuriya
Inclusivity, equity and policy with Krystle Reid Wijesuriya

Ketaki Varma, Director, Programmes, spoke with Krystle Reid Wijesuriya, Co-CEO of We Are Team Rocket, about her journey as a diversity and inclusion strategist. Based in Sri Lanka, Krystle brings expertise in strategic planning, risk management, and disability inclusion. Her work extends beyond business operations, advocating for policies and cultural shifts that promote equity and representation.
In this conversation, Krystle reflects on her leadership philosophy, the role of mentorship in her journey, and the importance of creating inclusive environments that go beyond policies to inspire lasting change.
To begin with, maybe you could briefly introduce yourself and tell me a little bit about your work, both the business side but also as a diversity and inclusion strategist.
My name is Krystle Reid Wijesuriya, and I come from Sri Lanka. I'm a Co-Chief Executive Officer at a company called We Are Team Rocket. We are a startup Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) and a remote workforce provider. We specialize in B2B growth marketing and lead generation, with multiple other facets. While we are headquartered in the UK, our operations run out of Sri Lanka. I'm an experienced strategic planner and my focus areas are process improvement, risk management and new product development. I’m also one of the youngest and currently the only female non-executive independent director at a non-banking financial institution in Sri Lanka, which has a legacy of about 40 years.
Being an ethnic minority myself, diversity and inclusion are topics that are very close to my heart. Since childhood, I have been on the receiving end of being a minority; there were fewer opportunities for people like me. There were a lot of preconceived notions that people carried about my community. A lot of doors were closed to me. So, in a later part of my life, I realized that I needed to become an influential person to break the stigma and discrimination around minorities. I guess that’s been the foundation for me being an inclusion specialist. Diversity and inclusion go beyond simply doing the right thing. There are strategic advantages to doing it. When effectively implemented, they contribute to smarter, more resilient operations. Companies with strong DE&I policies are consistently better prepared to navigate challenging times, and the results speak for themselves. This proven impact is why many leading corporations are now investing in robust diversity and inclusion programs.
But here in Sri Lanka, I feel like we are still playing catch-up. There's a real need for people with diverse backgrounds to help businesses step up their DE&I game. There is a rising demand, so people like me, and many other DE&I specialists, are coming into play to help these businesses and organizations set up these policies. I’ve spent the last 10 years learning the ropes and trying to apply the knowledge I have gained through my experiences to help organizations find their purpose and marry them to the company's overall vision and the objectives they have set.

I want to pick up on this last bit: about helping organizations or companies develop policies as a DE&I specialist. I'm curious to know if you could share examples of when you have worked with an organisation and seen how policies have been developed and implemented successfully. And I have a follow-on question here. Though policy-making is a prerequisite, it is just one part of the game. Beyond policies or policy implementation, how can you as a diversity and inclusion specialist also facilitate a change in culture and attitude: where the policies are not just policies, but you're seeing actual change in people and work? I’m sure that’s a more challenging thing to implement and track.
That's true: it's not just about the policies, it's also the programmes that you implement because not everything can be captured under one particular policy. And this is what companies must do. More often than not, you've seen policies just lying on shelves and nothing really happening. So, it's important that policies come to fruition through a robust programme that you can practically implement. One way is to encourage companies to start building awareness, that's key.
If I take my line of work, for example, my speciality is in disability inclusion. With disability inclusion, even before you even develop a policy, it's very important to make people aware and understand what it means to be more disabled-friendly in the work environment because there is still that awkwardness and stigma around being a disabled person. And it can also be a double-downing situation. Because say you're a woman with a disability: you’re now not just in the frame of a woman, you're in the frame of someone with a disability. So where do you really fit in this equation? Are you considered someone with a disability? Or is it a woman's angle that you are given? A lot of people forget that there is also this intersectional philosophy that we need to keep reminding ourselves of.
And that's the first step we take in a company. We begin by trying to understand the company: apart from putting a policy out there, what are the areas that you can improve on? A policy can talk about inclusive recruitment, but if the interviewer, for instance, doesn't know how to approach it, or knows the basic etiquette when it comes to interviewing someone with a disability, or even understand how to make reasonable accommodations for them, it's a completely futile exercise from the get-go.

You also asked was about whether companies have really changed, whether they have really applied these things. Yes, many companies that we have worked with have very seriously taken this forward. Because one thing in Sri Lanka is that, unlike in India, we have an aging population in Sri Lanka. As per recent statistics, by 2041, one in every four persons in the Sri Lankan population will be an elderly person. So accessibility is non-negotiable at this point. So, we are not just talking about today's context, we are talking about investing in the future - how do we make sure these businesses sustain? If we don't have businesses that are going to be inclusive, how are we even planning to run these businesses in the future? Something else that I've seen in Sri Lanka is we keep on increasing our retirement age. But at some point, we need to stop, we cannot keep pushing for it. We must have a plan to make sure these people can be brought back into the workforce, but in a systematic way, where there is more accommodation provided for them.
In the grand scheme of things, there is still much that needs to be done. For businesses, profit naturally takes priority, with other concerns following behind. This is why a strong push or external pressure is necessary to drive meaningful change and without it, moving the needle becomes incredibly challenging.
Now maybe you can tell me a little bit about Enable Lanka Foundation. What was the impetus to set it up, and what is the work? Also, where does Enable Lanka fit within the landscape of diversity and inclusion advocacy in Sri Lanka? Are there many others like you?
Enable Lanka was an idea that emerged from a three-hour bus to Colombo, about 10 years ago. And the reason was that we realised that the predominant approach towards disability inclusion in Sri Lanka is that of either a charity model, or a medical model, where people feel the need to cure it. But these approaches are far removed from what we as diversity and inclusion specialists are trying to achieve, or even people with disabilities are trying to achieve. Because of the charity model, it's more about sympathy and not about empowerment. So, it has become rather challenging for people with disabilities to coexist within society as equals, because of all the barriers that we have created as a society.
I also want to mention something here that is culturally specific to Sri Lanka and other South Asian countries, something that compounds this issue: the ideas of ‘karma’ that we keep on talking about. Every time one comes across someone with a disability, one attributes it to some karmic act, either a consequence of something that happened in their previous birth or something they did in this life, and that forms a part of one’s sympathy towards them. This is something that is common in Sri Lanka, especially in the rural parts.
Although many individuals and organizations are working hard to bring the disability inclusion agenda into boardrooms, prevailing mindsets - such as the charity mindset or the karma effect - often reduce disability inclusion to an afterthought. As a result, advancing in this area has been a particularly challenging journey. However, because of our efforts to show results in our initiatives, there were a lot of people, especially young disabled people, who galvanized around our vision and the ideas that we had, because they suddenly felt there was this level playing field that they could create because of this movement. Be it in universities, in their workspaces, or even at home, young people came together, and that's how we built our volunteer base, and how we moved from being an idea to a fully established organization.
And I want to add something here: early last year, after ten years with Enable Lanka, I made the decision to step back. Building something like this has been an incredible experience, but I also recognized the need to create successors and ensure sustainability. For the organization to continue thriving, it’s crucial to pass the baton to the next generation. So, after a decade of dedication, handing over the reins felt like the right step forward. It’s akin to watching your child grow up: you nurture and guide them, and eventually, you trust them to find their own path.
Enable Lanka will always be a part of what I am and what I do. But there are also multiple other youth-led initiatives that want the kind of expertise and knowledge I have. So now I'm working with other youth organizations on their founding board.
How exciting. Could you tell me about one or two?
You know, soon after the [recent] economic crisis, we saw a lot of youth losing hope and we cannot blame them. The systems of this country were completely against what they were standing for: against their growth, their career and the trajectory they were planning for. Yes, my generation has our own set of challenges but comparatively, we have somewhat stability. But when you look at the people in their early 20s, who have entered a period of crisis right after school, they are helpless and many of them have lost faith. This highlighted the need for more youth-focused initiatives that support different areas of their work and help restore hope and trust in the system. We need to rebuild this country, not just for ourselves, but for those who may not have had the opportunities we’ve been fortunate enough to receive.
So, one organization I am working with is called GenUth Initiative, a project that I'm very, very passionate about, short for Generation Youth. It is a group of incredible young people, who have come together to focus on and give better opportunities for children, youth, for communities, and are looking at a holistic approach, with the fundamental pillars of diversity and inclusion. In the wake of the Aragalaya (the People’s Struggle Movement), the youth demonstrated immense potential and passion. However, the economic crisis left no other option for many of them, and we faced a significant brain drain in our country. At GenUth we are committed to reversing this trend and empowering the next generation of leaders to rebuild our nation through a strong civic participatory approach.

Is GenUth something that you have initiated, or it's something that existed already, and you kind of joined in?
No, we initiated it last year. A group of young people initially reached out to me, expressing interest in doing something and asking me to take on an advisory role. However, as we began to develop the idea further, I realized I could contribute in a much deeper and more impactful way. That's when I decided to invest more of my time and energy into it.
This segues very well into the next question about leadership. Asia Society’s Asia 21 Fellowship recognises leaders who have the power to shape the future through innovation, entrepreneurship and social change. In your experience across different fields and disciplines of work, what according to you makes a good leader?
As the saying goes, ‘Do not be ashamed of your privileges; be ashamed if your privileges do not serve a purpose.’
The most important thing is to lead and serve with purpose. Whether you're in the private sector, development sector, or working as a volunteer or freelancer, having a greater purpose is essential. I've come to realize that, in the end, it’s about the bigger picture and the legacy you leave behind.
I believe leaders don’t always need to have all the answers. This is another thing people expect from leaders: to have that perfect right answer all the time. But what’s more important is for leaders to have that team of diverse experts coming together. That's why a leader cannot be a leader without a team.
As I mentioned earlier, empowering the next generation is a key aspect of being a good leader. For me, handing over the organization to new leadership brought immense happiness and fulfilment. Letting go of something you’ve built is never easy, but it was incredibly rewarding to see that they were fully prepared to take on the responsibility. The sense of achievement I felt was truly amazing.
Apart from these, the usual things that matter are acceptance, making sure there's equality, respect for each other, and an atmosphere of appreciation. Often, we become so focused on meeting targets that we forget to acknowledge the effort with a simple, ‘Great work.’ A genuine pat on the back is crucial, as it provides motivation, empowering individuals to move forward. And as a leader, possessing emotional intelligence, and authenticity is equally essential.
I know I’ve mentioned a lot of things, but being a leader means you have to carry on all of these things! It's just not one thing that can be pinned on. These are some of my mantras to go by.
Common narratives and stories about good leadership that we hear globally often privilege a Eurocentric framework of understanding. But we are sitting in South Asia: I'm in India, you're in Sri Lanka. And of course, we have our differences, but there's also a lot that unites us culturally and socially. So do you think there are any values, instincts or challenges that are specific to the South Asian context, or to the global South in general?
I look at this in two ways. One thing is that there are certain situations which are incredibly sensitive from a cultural standpoint, especially in the South Asian context - issues that are so deeply rooted that there is no one answer to them. And unless you properly address them in a way that you see a complete paradigm shift, it's very difficult for us to really find an answer. There has to be a complete shift from being a welfare-driven society to a more participatory, inclusive society, a recognition of everyone's inherent dignity. One needs to help people break free from feeling helpless and give them the tools and strategies to create that change. This particular issue is such a deep-rooted cultural inheritance that this is not something you or I as individuals, or even a small youth organization can do; there has to be a complete shift in society as a whole.
Then there are other situations where culturally being sensitive is important in the overall solution. Let me give you an example from the Sri Lankan context. There were evictions of residents of low-income communities in Colombo, and over the years those areas have been subject to large-scale development projects. However, the urgency behind these relocations wasn’t about improving the lives of the residents but about clearing land for high-value commercial development. Imagine being asked to pack up your belongings and leave the place where you've built your life for decades. While their belongings may not seem valuable to those investing in massive projects, the reality is that these people have shaped their entire lives around that environment. I understand this personally, as I grew up in a housing scheme (which too was partially taken for commercial projects later) and witnessed firsthand how my grandparents invested the little they had to make it a home for our family.
Communities must be involved, they must co-design for their own future - that's the ideal solution. In a context like this, you have to be culturally sensitive. And you can make a difference by embedding cultural significance into the solution.
What a brilliant way to approach the nuances and complexities of leadership, and work in general, in our South Asian context. I want to ask you about mentorship now, which is such an important part of the journey of a leader. Have you had any mentors that have shaped who are, or any other influences that have inspired you?
I wouldn’t say I have a particular mentor. I always try to find mentorship from different people in different stages of my life. It’s always good to listen and hear from different viewpoints because that’s the only way you’re going to learn about different personalities and how you would adapt to different situations. What matters is what they bring to the table and what you can learn from them. So, who I am today is a collective of various kinds of mentors and inspirations I’ve had from the beginning, that have impacted me.
But initially, the person I was most inspired by was my grandmother – and I didn’t even know that that was mentorship! I came from an almost all-female family, so it was through my grandmother that I saw a woman being strong, a woman being resilient, multitasking, being a caregiver for a family of six. That was something that amazed me. It wasn’t until I started working that I realized there is a division based on gender. Up until that point, I had seen women take on roles as breadwinners, homemakers, and caregivers, without being confined by gender labels. Even in school, I attended an all-girls institution, so I only understood competition in terms of skills and competence, not gender.
When I reached my early 20s, two individuals led me into the sphere of diversity and inclusion. One is the late Mr. Senarath Attanayake, who was a Sri Lankan politician and lawyer, and the first Sri Lankan with a disability to become an elected representative. And the other is his wife Ms. Lasanthi Daskon, who is also a lawyer and who today works as an inclusion consultant. In fact, these two individuals are solely responsible for my first international dialogue experience in 2015 – it was thanks to them that I got that opportunity.
In my mid-20s to 30s, I was fortunate to connect with numerous individuals and networks, such as Asia Society, that came together much like a village supporting a child. They played a vital role in my leadership journey, helping me reach where I am today. Looking back, I realize that mentorship has been a constant in my life, whether I recognized it as such at the time or not, and it has been a significant source of growth for me.

Is there anybody from the Asia 21 network, from your batch or otherwise, that you have been inspired by?
Our entire class of 2023 is incredibly inspiring, and I was thrilled to meet everyone.
But if I had to pick, I would pick Lima Halima from Afghanistan. I think her story is so moving, I truly felt connected to her. Experiencing an extremely violent situation [in Afghanistan], how it personally impacted her and her family, how she came out of it, and the work she’s continuing to do bringing vulnerable people out of the situation – all of this truly resonated with me. Lima’s resilience to keep going back to it again and again, and all that trauma it carries is what makes her an exceptional human being.
Another person that I was truly inspired by was Ashutosh Kumar, the CEO of Jagriti Yatra in India. The Yatra is such a beautiful concept. And that's something that I want to implement here in Sri Lanka as well. It requires a lot of logistics and approvals, which is challenging, but apart from that, it's so novel.
And to end, tell me, what's next for you professionally? Anything you're working on? Anything you're excited about?
Professionally, I'm focused on exploring new opportunities to grow our existing business while remaining open to exciting new ventures should they arise. Our economy needs to grow, and by doing so, it will also create job opportunities for those seeking work. With a young team, I feel a deep sense of responsibility in shaping their futures, including the well-being of their families. I’m trying to see how we can put Sri Lanka on the map by taking our services to the world.
Another initiative that I'm personally working on with the GenUth team and the other multiple networks that I'm a part of is building an entrepreneurship hub, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (MSME), to help them access the market. During the crisis, we encountered many small businesses that had the potential to scale but lacked the opportunities or access to strong business networks. This year, I'm actively working on creating pathways to support these businesses and help a few of them reach their desired growth.
I can also share very lightly that I do have my political ambition in place. And that's something that I'm working towards right now, but I think it will take a little bit of time. As I said, coming from that mixed-race Anglo background is challenging, especially in a society where it's not common to see women of my background in active politics. But I'm optimistic and hoping that whatever I invest right now, I will see the ROI one day, maybe, and be able to serve my country, should that be my calling.
