Theme: Disruptors

Can business change the world? Can the world change business? For a new breed of social entrepreneurs, striving to build and grow enterprises that fight social ills, foster opportunity, and help to improve society, the answer is not can, it’s must. impassioned by purpose, driven by dreams, emboldened by ideals, social entrepreneurs imagine a better way to a better world. And then they go out of their way to bring it to life. In the process, they shake the dust off old ways of thinking and disrupt the way business has always been done. Through tales of daring, struggle, triumph and innovation, you’ll learn their secrets as they been business principles with social change. From healthcare to mobile gaming, from education to recycling, from dancing to gardening, these are the game-changers, the difference-makers, the doers of good.

GIBS
26 Mellville Road
Illovo
Johannesburg, Gauteng, 2196
South Africa

Fikile Moeti

Radio Presenter

Fikile, aka DJ Fix, came to prominence when she won a nationwide competition to join MTV Base as a presenter in 2006. In doing so, she made history by becoming the channel’s first female VJ. Fikile went on to study Small Business and Arts Entrepreneurship at Columbia College Chicago and New York University, and Social Entrepreneurship at GIBS. In a unique partnership with GIBS, she established the Fix Scholarship, which has since funded nine social entrepreneurs that have gone on to put their dreams into action. She currently hosts on the Forbes & Fix Show on 5fm, Monday to Friday, 1pm to 4pm.

Garth Japhet

Medical Doctor / Story Teller

In 1992, Garth combined his interest in story and health to found the NGO Soul City: the Institute for Health and Development Communication. In 2002 Garth established Heartlines, the Centre for Values Promotion, an NGO that uses a values/moral lens through film and print stories to tackle society’s big issues. In 2014 Garth established forgood, a for profit web based platform that connects people to approved causes so that they can give of their skills and goods to real time needs. Garth is a Schwab fellow of the World Economic Forum and is a Senior Ashoka fellow.

Greg Maqoma

Coreographer / Dancer

Greg founded Vuyani Dance Theatre in 1999 when he was on scholarship in Belgium, under the direction of Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker. Born in Soweto, he had become interested in dance in the late 1980’s as a means to escape the political tensions of the time. He has since established himself as an internationally renowned dancer and choreographer, and has collaborated with many of the world’s top names. He counts the Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Dance (2002), the Rolex Mentorship Programme (2003), and the Tunkie Award for Leadership in Dance (2012) amongst his many accolades.

Kerryn Krige

Author

Kerryn heads the Network for Social Entrepreneurs at the Gordon Institute of Business Science, which focuses on achieving both social and economic change through social enterprise. She has worked in the social sector since 2001 with numerous UK charities, and began her career as a journalist for business news channel Summit TV. She holds a Masters in Development Studies. Together with journalist Gus Silber, she co-authored the ‘The Disruptors,’ the book that inspired the theme for this event. Kerryn teaches social enterprise at GIBS and writes regularly on the topic.

Kovin Naidoo

Optometrist/ Public Health Advocate

Kovin is CEO of the Brien Holden Vision Institute. He is also chairperson of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness in Africa, and associate professor of optometry at the University of KwaZulu Natal. A former student leader and political activist, Kovin has been revolutionising the delivery of eye care in disadvantaged communities all over the world. He is dedicated to developing research capacity in Africa, and to this end, founded the African Vision Research Institute, which has supported 70 post-graduate students to date.

Kumi Naidoo

Human Rights Activist

Kumi Naidoo is currently serving as Launch Executive Director to the African Civil Society Initiative, an ambitious and evolving new effort seeking to unite civil society across the continent around the issues of corruption, inequality, shrinking democratic space, climate change, poverty and gender equality. Formerly head of Greenpeace International, Kumi has taken up leadership roles in countless other global human rights initiatives. Kumi has campaigned on issues ranging from Apartheid at the age of 15, to adult education, and on violence against women.

Pat Pillai

Teacher / Former News Anchor

Pat is the Founder and CEO of LifeCo UnLtd SA which has 60 institutional partners and, over 18 years, has benefitted 80 000 people. LifeCo has an asset base of R110m and is wholly owned by a public benefit trust. All proceeds finance the mission of developing, funding and supporting 300 entrepreneurs by 2020. LifeCo was voted amongst the top 10 most trusted NGO’s in South Africa. Over 4000 students have undergone its programmes. 108 young adult entrepreneurs are now actively trading - with turnovers ranging from R600k to R5m p.a. Pat is an Ashoka Globalizer Fellow.

Sharanjeet Shan

Teacher

Sharanjeet is Executive Director for the Maths Centre, and has championed Maths, Science and Technology education for children in South Africa for 22 years. Born and brought up in India, her education was interrupted many times for various reasons until a traditional clash threw her out of family and country. She went on to spend a large part of her adult life in England, studying, working and writing, before coming to South Africa in 1995. She has written several books, including her autobiography ‘In My Own Name’ and is a recipient of the Social Entrepreneur award from Schwab Foundation.

Yusuf Randera-Rees

SME Investor

Yusuf is co-founder and CEO of the Awethu Project. Amongst the top matriculants of 2000, he studied Economics at Harvard, and later completed two Masters degrees as a Rhodes scholar at Oxford. Here, the idea for the Awethu Project took root. Since moving back home in 2010, he has grown Awethu from a R60 000 startup into the most innovative SME investment company in South Africa, raising over R160 million, and creating nearly 400 jobs. His work has been recognised by the National Treasury’s Jobs Fund, the Clinton Global Initiative, the Echoing Green Foundation, and the Skoll World Forum.