Praveena Joseph de Saram is a scientist, entrepreneur, and social innovation leader with extensive experience spanning scientific research, management consulting, entrepreneurship, medical technology, and nonprofit leadership.

Educated at the University of Oxford, where she studied Physics, and Princeton University, where she pursued graduate studies in Molecular Biology and Neuroscience, Praveena brings an interdisciplinary and analytically rigorous approach to addressing complex social challenges.

Her professional career has included management consulting at Kearney, founding a socially responsible consumer products business, and serving as Chief Operating Officer of a medical technology startup in the United States. Alongside her executive experience, she has served on nonprofit and educational boards in the United States and Sri Lanka, contributing to organisational strategy, governance, fundraising, and institutional development.

As Managing Director of SJDSF, Praveena has led the expansion and transformation of the Foundation’s programmes, pioneering a structured Supported Employment Programme for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, strengthening family support services, and developing partnerships with leading corporations, educational institutions, and community organisations.

She is also committed to advancing systemic change through research, advocacy, and public policy. Working with Princeton University’s Program for Community-Engaged Scholarship (ProCES), she has supported collaborations connecting Princeton students and faculty with disability-related policy challenges in Sri Lanka. These initiatives seek to translate research and international best practices into practical policy recommendations, including approaches to early identification, educational inclusion, and improved support for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.

Praveena’s leadership reflects a conviction that meaningful social change requires both direct service delivery and systemic reform. Her work focuses on building scalable, sustainable models that empower individuals and families while advancing disability inclusion at institutional and national levels.

In recognition of her contributions to social entrepreneurship, she received the Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the WCIC Prathibhabhisheka Women’s Entrepreneurship Awards 2024.