The Connecticut side was led by Professor Tim Dowding of the University of Connecticut who has proposed a number of projects in Sri Lanka, including bottling coconut water, which has gained wide popularity as an energy drink in the USA, producing hard board from coconut waste, exploiting an invasive species of sea grass found off Sri Lanka to produce fish food and fertilizer, encouraging distance learning using IT and a cooperative venture between the University of Colombo and U Conn. Benny Widayono, iss already a significant investor in Sri Lanka through his Leapard Fund. Samuel Holt, in the cinema industry, had his early education at Trinity College, and is proposing a film festival in Kandy. Loula Alafoyiannis is seeking opportunities for Greek investors in Sri Lanka. Ken Gilbert from the hospitality industry will travel to Sri Lanka this year. The other participants, Mughal, Pisani, Holt, Spreadbury, all expressed much enthusiasm for working with Sri Lanka.