Lihini Fernando Chosen for Eisenhower Fellowship 2026

• Lihini Fernando has been chosen as one the 24 global leaders for the 2026 Eisenhower Fellowship, a six-week US immersion program.
• The Fellowship is an initiative to bring together professionals from 24 countries for exchange of ideas. It has a legacy of training 2, 600+ leaders from 115 nationalities.

Attorney at Law and Velox Partners Co-Founder Lihini Fernando was one of the 24 global personalities who had been picked by the Eisenhower Fellowship (EF) for 2026.

EF has picked 24 global personalities from government, business, and civil society to experience a six-week immersion in the US, where they will exchange knowledge and ideas with the best professionals in their fields.

These Fellows, who come from 24 countries including those in the Asia and Africa regions, will be members of EF's spring Global Program from 5April to 14 May.

The EF is steeped in a rich tradition and originally started as a one-of-a-kind birthday gift commemorating the 34th President of the United States. Presently, the nonprofit is offering a broad spectrum of progressive leadership development programs for 115 nationalities worldwide. Till date, more than 2, 600 men and women have been trained for excellence in their respective areas through EF.

EF's mission statement is to discover and uplift creative leaders who upon transformation of their fellowship experience will continue engagement lifelong in the global network of vibrant change makers dedicated to manifesting the world that is more peaceful, prosperous, and just.

Fernando, a politician and a Member of the Council, a Founding Member of NextGen Sri Lanka, and a Co-Founding Partner at Velox Partners, a Sri Lankan law firm and legal process outsourcing company that provides tech-enabled legal services throughout Asia, has been a strong voice for women's representation in politics and the rule of law.

Fernando is also a contributor to policy reforms and political training programs run by the Republican Institute and Westminster Foundation for Democracy.

During Fellowship, Fernando aims to set up community-based legal aid centers where free legal assistance will be offered to disadvantaged individuals who are unable to access formal mechanisms of justice. She will also use communication and advocacy tools to promote women's empowerment, participation, and representation in politics.