Dinali

de Silva

Senior Advisor

Dinali is a seasoned founder, entrepreneur and growth expert with over a decade of experience leading and scaling startups across various sectors in the U.S.

About

Dinali is a seasoned founder, entrepreneur and growth expert with over a decade of experience leading and scaling startups across various sectors in the U.S. Most recently, she founded a VC-backed company in the childcare space to tackle the care provider shortage and make childcare affordable. Prior to this venture, Dinali held leadership positions at several VC-backed startups, where she played a crucial role in growing and scaling businesses from the ground up to multi-million dollar businesses.

Dinali has extensive experience in the startup and VC ecosystems across multiple countries, including the U.S., Mexico, and Singapore, resulting in a deep understanding of diverse markets. She excels in identifying growth opportunities and driving innovation and business expansion.

Key Responsibilities

At TWC, Dinali utilizes her expertise in the startup and VC sectors to discover new investment and partnership opportunities to boost entrepreneurship and innovation in the Sri Lankan market.

Skills

Growth strategies, fundraising, GTM strategies, product development, deal sourcing, due diligence, investment strategy, portfolio management

Passions and Interests

Dinali is a former national tennis player, recently turned padel player, avid traveller (45+ countries and counting), salsa and bachata dancer and crossfit enthusiast

Quote / Fun Fact

“Fail fast, learn faster”

Professional Background

  • CARIBOU (backed by Atomic) - Founder San Francisco, CA

    • Founded the first marketplace in the U.S. for stay-at-home moms and families seeking childcare

    • Raised $2M venture capital within the first 7 months after building a product MVP and launching in the first market

  • ROO (backed by Floodgate Fund) - Head of Growth San Francisco, CA

    • Developed and implemented a customer acquisition strategy that increased acquisition by 60% through paid marketing channels within the first 2 months

    • Created a data-driven prioritization matrix and go-to-market playbook to determine the next 20 states for company expansion

  • SWING EDUCATION (backed by YC & Google Ventures) - Multiple leadership positions San Francisco, CA

    • Was the 5th employee

    • Helped the company grow and scale from the ground up to 100+ employees and millions in revenue

Educational Background

Bachelor of Arts from the University of Chicago (Davis Scholar)