CAREER
ODEL
It began in 1989 at age 24 when professional model Otara Gunewardene began selling factory surplus garments and apparel from her car boot to family and friends. In 1990 she opened her first store, Odel on Dickmans Road in Colombo.
Just over 5 years later, Odel had expanded to 9 stores in Colombo's shopping malls and tourist areas, establishing itself as Sri Lanka's premier retail fashion destination. As the brand grew in popularity, Otara Gunewardene acquired a gorgeous colonial home spanning over 10,000 square feet, which would become the flagship shop for Odel Unlimited (1995), Sri Lanka's first fashion and lifestyle department store. Customers now had a one-stop shop for fashion, cosmetics, art, craft, design, and genuine customer service and value.
In February 2010 Otara Gunewardene converted Odel into a public limited liability company and it became the first fashion retail business to be listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange. On 11 September 2014 Otara Gunewardene sold all her shares in ODEL PLC to the Softlogic Group, to concentrate on Embark.
EMBARK
Otara Gunewardene, the founder, proprietor, and proud Executive Director of Embark, has dedicated her entire being, voice, and many resources to the needs of Sri Lanka's street canines.
By debuting Embark on the runway at Colombo Fashion Week, Otara essentially rebranded the whole perception and identity of Colombo's street dogs, making them appealing companions accessible for adoption to secure homes, supervised with aftercare, and never abandoned again. Embark's activities are now island-wide, thanks to sterilisations, vaccines, and rescues, frequently courtesy of general public tip-offs, and they provide considerably more substance than their ultra-cute public image. Embark remains the Passion and pilot project of the Otara Foundation.
OTARA FOUNDATION
The Otara Foundation is dedicated to environmental and wildlife protection, as well as animal welfare in Sri Lanka. Founded in 2015 by leading entrepreneur Otara Gunewardene, the foundation strives to not only maintain Sri Lanka's rich biodiversity, but also to educate future generations on the need of taking immediate action to preserve what makes Sri Lanka really special - our treasured wildlife and environment. The Otara Foundation also works to improve the lives of Sri Lanka's street canines through the Embark program.