Founder – Mr. Manik Jayakumar
Mr. Manik Jayakumar – Founder and Lifelong Supporter of Two Leaves Trust – Two Leaves for Life Foundation
Mr. Manik Jayakumar is a respected global figure in the tea industry and is a humble, generous human being with a deep heart for community service.
He is born in Sri Lanka and grows up with strong values of discipline, compassion, and service to others. He studies at Royal College, Colombo, one of the island’s most prestigious schools. During his school years, he excels academically and shows his talent as a rugby player. He leads the Royal College rugby team as captain, demonstrating leadership, courage, and team spirit from a young age.
In 1955, he begins his journey at Royal College with his five younger brothers, creating a rare family legacy. In 1963, he serves as Senior Cadet Sergeant of the 1st Platoon when the school wins the Herman Loos Trophy for the first time. He captains both the Under-17 and First XV rugby teams and represents Colombo Schools and Public Schools rugby for three consecutive years. He also serves as a School Prefect and Captain of Marsh House.
After completing school, he is selected by Whittall Boustead Ltd, a leading plantation management company, and starts work at Brunswick Estate, Maskeliya, under British planter David Perkins. This marks the beginning of his career in the tea industry. Over the next two decades, he manages estates across Dimbula and Uva, becomes a Visiting Agent to over a dozen plantations, and rises to Group Director of Poonagala Valley Estates in Bandarawela.
Rugby remains close to his heart. He plays for and captains Dickoya and Dimbulla clubs and represents both the Upcountry XV and the President’s XV, competing against top international teams like the London Welsh and the All Blacks.
In 1966, he joins the Sri Lanka Volunteer Force, graduates as Best Officer Cadet, and is commissioned into the Sinha Regiment. He rises to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and commands the 3rd Battalion in Nuwara Eliya from 1987 to 1989. During this period, he serves as Coordinating Officer for the district, demonstrating remarkable leadership during a challenging time in Sri Lanka’s history.
By the end of 1989, he steps away from both military service and plantation life. At the age of 50, he migrates to the United States to begin anew. In 1991, he founds QTrade Teas & Herbs in Los Angeles as a modest quality control consultancy. Over time, it grows into one of North America’s leading organic and specialty tea suppliers. QTrade champions smallholder farmers, promotes organic agriculture, and introduces traceable, sustainable teas to the global market well before these practices become industry norms.
The company earns over 110 international tea awards. In 2019, he receives the prestigious John Harney Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contributions to the tea industry and social development.
Although he builds a successful business abroad, his heart remains in Sri Lanka. On September 7, 2015, he co-founds Two Leaves Trust – Two Leaves for Life Foundation with his missionary associates, the late Mr. Godwin R. Samuel and Mr. R. Gnanasekaran, who now serves as Chairman.
The Foundation focuses on plantation and rural communities in Haldummulla, Idulgashinne, and Haputale. It conducts small but meaningful initiatives such as:
- Home visits to support the elderly, differently abled, and isolated individuals
- Distribution of dry rations to struggling families
- Women’s empowerment through home gardening and skills training
- Support for children with disabilities and community health outreach
Mr. Jayakumar believes that even a small act of kindness creates a big impact. His immediate and extended family, close friends, business partners, and well-wishers actively support the Foundation’s mission with love and generosity.
Through his leadership, the Foundation today stands as a symbol of compassion, connection, and shared responsibility. His life proves that true success lies not only in business but also in service, showing how one person’s vision brings lasting change to many lives.
Service Beyond Business
With the Foundation, Mr. Jayakumar returns to the same plantation communities where he once serves as a planter and officer. He provides essential support to low-income and abandoned individuals through:
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- Monthly food parcels and dry rations
- Wheelchair donations and mobility support
- Health stipends and medical camps
- Home-based caregiving education
- Emergency housing aid
- School books and shoes for underprivileged children
Family Legacy
Mr. Jayakumar takes pride in seeing his values of discipline, service, and perseverance carried forward by his family.
His son, a Harvard graduate, leads QTrade Teas & Botanicals as CEO, expanding the company into a global tea supplier rooted in Sri Lankan values. He is married to a fellow Harvard alumna, and together they raise a daughter who grows up surrounded by curiosity and purpose.
His daughter works as a dedicated schoolteacher and is married to a certified public accountant who runs his own auditing firm. Both are passionate runners—he competes in marathons while she participates in half-marathons. Their daughter graduates as valedictorian of her high school and earns a degree from UCLA. Their son, also a valedictorian, studies accounting and joins a summer training program with the global firm KPMG.
These achievements remind Mr. Jayakumar that values like education, service, and perseverance endure across generations when they are nurtured and shared.
Looking Back, Looking Forward
From rugby fields at Royal to tea trails in Dimbula, from command bunkers in Nuwara Eliya to the boardrooms of Los Angeles, Mr. Jayakumar’s journey reflects discipline, dignity, and service.
He shares one message with everyone: “It’s never too late to begin again, and it’s never too early to serve others.”
He remains grateful for the life he lives, the people he works alongside, and the communities he continues to serve. His mission of compassion and service is far from finished.