Shirona A Gunawardhana has had broad exposure to computers starting with the Commodore PET in 1979, when programs and data were still being stored on audio cassettes. In 1982, at age 15, he purchased his own Sinclair ZX81 computer with money saved from helping with his parents’ business. Shirona started using e-mail on a regular basis as a Computer Science student of Indiana Institute of Technology in 1987. In 1989, while in pursuit of a degree in what was then called Interactive Telecommunication & Technology (now known as Information Technology) sought an education at New York University (NYU). As a student of NYU he was exposed to pioneers of the commercial Internet and the greatest programmers, movie makers, graphic artists and animators in the world. Shirona returned to Indiana’s Ball State University in 1991 to continue with his Computer Science major.

The entrepreneurial spirit, handed down from generations, led him to start Consumer First, a company focused on delivering simple technologies to the masses – especially residential users. In 1999, Consumer First joined with Info Tech Group Works (ITG Works), a national company, and started operating as Info Tech Group Indiana (ITG Indiana). The new company focused on “Y2K” solutions and business information technology. In 2002, ITG Indiana became strictly a business-to-business (B2B) company focusing on Information Technology Consulting, Internet Based Solutions, and Multimedia Publishing.

As the owner of Consumer First, Shirona provided IT solutions to over 700 individuals and small businesses, trained over 200 individuals on home and office software applications and educated customers to make better purchasing decisions. As a partner of ITG Works and president of ITG Indiana, he has tested over 2000 computers for Y2K compliance, has been involved in developing over 1000 websites. Additionally, Shirona has been a computer hardware and software sales specialist in the state of Indiana, has implemented training, and sold hardware and software solutions throughout the United States. After negotiating with hundreds of vendors in advocacy for ITG Indiana clients, ITG Works began hosting its own websites in 2002 in order to better serve the customers without using a third party provider.

As a volunteer, Shirona has been a technology counselor for the Small Business Development Center of Fort Wayne, IN since 2000. He has helped raise funds to provide academic solutions to underprivileged schools in Sri Lanka and contributed time and energy to the most popular Sri Lankan online newspaper www.theacademic.org, helped start Sustainable Economic Enterprise Development Social (SEEDS) Fund to support underprivileged individuals starting businesses, and he has involved himself in teaching and educating children about web design, Information Technology and business. Shirona has also helped his wife of over 10 years, Dorinda “Dodi”, to raise over $27,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Shirona has been a member of the Fort Wayne Community since 1987. Listed in the National Register’s Who’s Who among Executives & Professionals 2004-2005, Shirona has interests to build a Design a Digital Nervous System (DNS) for small businesses to help bridge the “digital divide” and educate businesses about utilizing better technology to understand each other and their customers.