BhanukaHarischandra

Bhanuka Harischandra is the founder of Sri Lankan digital media and consulting firm Surge and the co-founder of Watchdog, a fact-checking, open-source research collective of journalists, researchers, and software engineers. The team at Watchdog “hunt[s] hoaxes and disinformation, conduct[s] research into matters of interest to public welfare, and build[s] software tools that help operations,” according to itswebsite. A “self-taught” marketer, Harischandra started his career in media and technology when he was 19, with the launch of a YouTube multichannel network called “TheGamersCottage,” which he said has helped over 600 content creators monetize over half a billion esports video views. At Surge, Harischandra has led digital strategies for big brands, Fortune 500 companies, and even startups.