At just 24 years old, Hashma Imnisar is already a seasoned entrepreneur making waves across Sri Lanka’s business landscape.
Hailing from Colombo, Hashma’s journey began in her teenage years with a passion for problem-solving that quickly transformed into action. Today, she stands at the helm of several ventures spanning education, healthcare, and tech recruitment – each one rooted in a deep desire to create a meaningful and lasting impact in her home country.
With a bold vision and a drive to uplift communities through innovation and purpose, Hashma is redefining what it means to be a young changemaker in South Asia.
What inspired you to focus your entrepreneurial energy on tackling Sri Lanka’s brain drain, especially among tech and medical talent?
It honestly started with frustration. So many capable, brilliant people around me were either planning to leave or had already gone.
I couldn’t help but wonder: what if we could create better opportunities here? That question stayed with me and slowly turned into action.
You have said over 400,000 people are expected to leave Sri Lanka this year. What do these numbers mean to you personally?
It’s heartbreaking. I have close family and friends who have left, leaving behind their lives, their communities, and everything familiar, simply because they felt they had no choice. Many of them would have stayed if they could.
That number isn’t just a statistic; it’s deeply personal. It’s a reflection of how urgent things are. And it motivates me to keep doing whatever I can, even if it’s in a small way.
Tell us more about your startup creating remote job opportunities. How does it work and how is it different from typical outsourcing platforms?
Most people leave Sri Lanka because they are chasing better-paying jobs and stability. What if we could offer those same opportunities right here, without them having to uproot their entire lives? At Talent Global, we connect local tech professionals with international companies looking for long-term, remote team members.
But unlike typical outsourcing platforms, we are not just handing out short-term tasks or one-off freelance gigs. We focus on building lasting partnerships. We help Sri Lankan talent get trained, integrated, and valued as real team members, not just hired help.
It’s about giving people the chance to grow their careers globally while staying rooted at home.
Why did you choose to focus on tech talent first? What has the response from Sri Lankan developers and engineers been like?
Tech talent is already in high demand globally and we saw a real opportunity to bridge that gap. The local response has been incredibly encouraging. People are hungry to learn, work, and grow. It makes me hopeful about what’s possible when we support them properly.
Sri Lanka has one of the highest literacy rates in the world. Our people can do anything. Literally.
You also support medical students with a vital MCQ question bank. How did that project come to life and what results are you seeing?
That started very organically. I saw how stressed my very close friends who are medical students were during the pandemic, with limited access to proper revision tools. So I started building a question bank with my co-founders. The reach surprised me; within weeks, it was being shared across universities with 80% of final year medical students using them.
It’s still growing and I’m grateful it’s helping. To this day, we have kept the prices as affordable as possible to ensure it remains accessible to everyone.
How do you balance running a startup with social impact goals, particularly in an economy facing so many challenges?
It’s definitely a balancing act. I try to stay practical; every idea needs to be sustainable to last. But at the same time, I constantly remind myself why I started, not just to build businesses but to solve real problems as well. That keeps me grounded, even when things get tough.
What was your experience working with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and how did that partnership align with your mission to retain Sri Lanka’s top talent?
It was a really encouraging experience. The partnership gave us access to networks and resources that helped us scale our work.
More than anything, it showed me that even international institutions see the value in investing in Sri Lankan talent, which validated a lot of what we were trying to do.
In your view, what needs to change – politically, culturally, or economically – to stop the mass emigration from Sri Lanka?
It’s complex, but I think a big part of it is restoring people’s trust – in the system, in leadership, and in the idea that they can build a future here. That takes transparency, investment in youth, and a lot of listening. We don’t lack talent. We lack a reason to stay.
Have you faced resistance or scepticism for trying to ‘solve big problems’ at just 24? How do you deal with that?
Definitely. I’ve had people doubt my age, my approach, even my intentions. But that’s part of the process.
I try to focus less on convincing people and more on doing the work and letting the results speak for themselves. I also surround myself with people who believe in what we are trying to build.
What’s next for you? Where do you see yourself and your impact five years from now?
I don’t have all the answers, but I hope I’m still building and still solving problems that matter. If, in five years, more young people in Sri Lanka feel like they have a reason to stay, and we have played even a small role in that, I will consider that a success.