Theme: Abundance

If you go with the dominant narrative of news media, you could easily conclude that our final catastrophe is imminent. Sell everything. Get the hell out. Run as fast as possible. This outlook is wired into our DNA. It’s how our species survived the African Savannah. A slight change in posture reveals a more positive reality: our lifespan has doubled in the last one hundred years; the cost of living has decreased many times over; more people can read and write than ever before; and we’re living in the most peaceful time in the history of humanity—fact. Furthermore, thanks to the power of exponential growth, the 21st Century has introduced us to the most awesome tools of wealth creation—mind-blowing technologies that will radically transform every aspect of our lives. For the first time, total eradication of poverty is a plausible possibility.

This is an extraordinary time. We’re living in the age of unprecedented abundance.

Riversands Incubation Hub
12-8 Incubation Drive
Riverside View Ext 15
Fourways, Midrand, Gauteng, 2012
South Africa

Akiva Beebe

Leadership Guru

Akiva Beebe is the director of business development for Center for Creative Leadership in Sub-Saharan Africa. He works with CEOs and senior executives of Fortune 500 organizations to solve highly complex challenges in a radically changing environment. He is passionate about unlocking latent economic and human potential in emerging markets by shifting limiting beliefs, thoughts and behaviours of leaders. He is currently testing breakthrough models and capabilities that can accelerate success in volatile markets. Twitter: @akivabeebe | LinkedIn: Akiva Beebe | Web: www.ccl.org

Angel Jones

Homecoming Revolutionist

Angel has been CEO and founder of the South African Homecoming Revolution organisation since 2003. Angel Jones has devoted her life to bringing back the talents and skills of African people back to Africa, Angel has channelled her passion for uniting all Africans on African soil into the Homecoming Revolution - a non-profit organization that has become a Pan-African Recruitment Firm, bringing skills back to a vibrant continent loaded with potential.

Arthur Goldstuck

Tech Journalist

Arthur Goldstuck is CEO of World Wide Worx, South Africa's leading independent technology market research organisation. He developed the first South African benchmarks for website strategy, and has represented South Africa as a judge for events ranging from the International Advertising Festival in Cannes to the Global Mobile Awards at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. World Wide Worx research is used by international, regional and local organisations, corporations and universities. Twitter: @art2gee| LinkedIn: Arthur Goldstuck | Web: worldwideworx.com

Ayabonga Cawe

Development Economist

Ayabonga is a development economist, speaker, columnist, activist and photographer with diverse interests in identity, power, race, policy and economics. He is a co-founder of youth policy advisory and advocacy organisation Rethink Africa; and has also extensively researched and consulted on value chain, urban design, youth and labour market policy, financial inclusion and social protection issues. He served on the National Minimum Wage Advisory Panel set up by NEDLAC and the Deputy President of South Africa. Twitter: @aycawe | LinkedIn: Ayabonga Cawe | Web: nonzaba.wordpress.com

Bailey Thomson

Education Thought Leader

Bailey is the SPARK Schools Director of School Operations and is part of the team responsible for ensuring that the school’s personalized learning models deliver high quality education at an affordable cost for all South African children. She led the design and innovation of the foundation (K-3) and intermediate phase (4-7) personalized learning models in each of SPARK's 11 schools. Bailey ensures that school operations in each of the network's schools facilitate student achievement and professional development of all staff.

Charles Savage

Fintech Pioneer

Charles leads the Purple Group – a fintech company and a pioneer in democratising the stock market for all South Africans. He holds a B.Com Accounting and Information Systems degree from the University of Cape Town. Charles was part of the team that broke new ground in CFD and spread trading in South Africa. In 2000, he led the development of the world’s first fully automated online Spread Trading platform.

Claudine Ullman

Actress, Improviser, Comedienne

Claudine Ullman is the founder and managing director of the Jittery Citizens. She is an actress, improviser, stand up comedienne, public speaker as well as expert facilitator. Having completed her Bachelor’s of Arts in Dramatic Arts at Wits University, Claudine travelled widely, refining her craft at top international performance schools. She has received specialist improvisation training at renowned American schools such as the Magnet Theatre, where she trained under Improv guru Armando Diaz.

Craig Rivett

Opera Singer

Economist turned social entrepreneur, Craig Rivett is dedicated to making cutting-edge technology accessible to all South Africans to help them live safer, healthier and smarter lives. He managed the deployment of the largest public Free WiFi network in Africa and co-authored “Be a Hero: Lessons for Living a Heroic Life." Craig is CEO of Happimo, working with government to deploy software to solve citizen problems, like Namola: a revolutionary “Uber for Police” service used by the City of Tshwane.

Gideon Potgieter

Tech Incubator

Gideon is an electrical engineer by training, and an MBA graduate from the Rotterdam School of Management. After years of experience in broadcasting, and a stint at Packard Bell, plus several entrepreneurial ventures here and in the Netherlands, Gideon joined Resolution Circle in 2014. Resolution Circle focuses on technology and product development for other companies. He is responsible for the business development, marketing and sales function of the company.

Jason Laing

3D Printing Specialist

Award-winning Jason Laing’ pioneering efforts in the jewellery industry have helped to make 3d printing systems in the trade user-friendlier and more commercially viable. Since then, he has been instrumental in introducing into the South African medical field CAD and 3D printing processes for guided surgical devices, and implantable and external prosthetics. Jason has further expanded his specialist scope into areas such as bio-scaffolding and product development.

Jittery Citizens

Improv Comedy Troupe

Jittery Citizens brings sharp-as-a-tack, short-form, long-form and Sinpgprov improvisational comedy to the South African stage. Their act is guaranteed to invoke spontaneous laughter from even the most serious audiences. Armed with a slick-hot format straight from New York stages, their shows feature a lineup of talented and quick-witted South African top performers. The ever-growing Jittery Citizen troupe, collectively decided on the name because “we feel it is a good description of South African citizens”.

Johnny Miller

Photographer

Johnny Miller is a photographer and filmmaker specializing in documentaries. He is based in Cape Town, and has extensive networks on contemporary African and world issues. His focus is on the urban, cultural, and social issues facing humanity in a fast-changing world. He has recently received worldwide acclaim for his project “Unequal Scenes”, an exploration of inequality in South Africa via drone photography. Johnny speaks three languages, loves to rock climb, and has a lovely dog named Lion

Leomile Motsetsela

Vocalist

Borrowing from multiple genres, including jazz, Leomile’s African folk music is a modern sound with curious mysticism, and storytelling. A soulful songstress, she incorporates spoken word elements into her performances.

Leomile 1 Motsetsela

Vocalist

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Lionel Bisschoff

Serial Entrepreneur, Visionery

Lionel has founded multiple organizations, from an Agile and Lean training and consulting company, a collaborative social platform; an artificial intelligence and machine learning organization. He believes that there are fundamental problems to how South Africa currently works, and that the future the world is rapidly heading to exacerbates the impact of these problems on its present and is calling for a change in the economic, monetary and political policies to meet these challenges to realise the Joy economy by 2030.

Mthetho Tshemese

Clinical Psychologist

Mthetho Tshemese is a clinical psychologist, Clinton Democracy Fellow, social commentator, expert panelist and associate lecturer. He believes in the broader relevance and availability of professional psychological services to marginalized and vulnerable communities. His interests are reconciliation, identity, healthy masculinity, racism and social justice. Mthetho is the director for several ongoing creative endeavours to promote healing through music.

Nthabeleng Likotsi

Co-operative Banker

Nthabeleng Likotsi is founder and executive chairperson of Young Women in Business Network Holdings (YWBN). She is in the process of starting the first women’s co-operative bank in South Africa that will focus on professionals, entrepreneurs and business people, and has over 250 shareholders that have collectively invested over R2.5 million towards the formation of the YWBN Co-operative Financial Institution. 

Nthabiseng Legoete

Medical Doctor, Entrepreneur

Dr Nthabiseng Legoete’s unique, primary healthcare model aimed at underserviced areas is helping to reduce medical bills and to cut down on queues. Based broadly on the Indian healthcare approach, the model relies on technology to provide a paperless system that delivers an efficient, convenient service where it’s most needed. Nthabiseng’s self-funded Dieplsloot-based facility is already attracting the attentions of local and foreign investors interested in taking the service countrywide.

Siphumelele Zondi

TV/Radio Producer & Anchor

Siphumelele Zondi is the creator, senior producer and anchor of Network - a technology news programme on SABC News on DSTV 404. The show covers technology and social media inventions, innovations and tech news from the African continent. He also presents current affairs for Channel Africa Radio, a continental radio station that is part of the SABC. He has a Master of Arts in Media and Cultural Studies from Sussex University in the United Kingdom.

Stephanie Cowper

Tech Entrepreneur

Stephanie Cowper is a South African tech entrepreneur who's channelled her passion for technology and improving the world into accessible technology and global disability advocacy. Her company BeSpecular—often referred to as the Uber for Eyes—is connecting people who can't see with those who can and was rated in the Top 10 Start-ups Most Likely to Improve Lives at TechCrunch Disrupt London. Stephanie’s vision is empowering those without one and making it easy for willing volunteers to help.

Thuto Gaasenewe

Poet, Actress and Writer

Thuto is a young, innovative mind aspiring to be a writer, director and performer in the film and theatre industries. She graduated from Mmabana Arts Foundation where she emerged with a number of accolades, including best actress and most outstanding student, and has two accredited awards with distinctions from the Trinity Guildhall College in London. Her poetry has gone viarl on the web, and has reached national and global audiences. Twitter: @_ThutoVEN | LinkedIn: Thuto Gaasenwe | Web: facebook.com

Yasaman Hadjibashi

Data Alchemist

Yasaman Hadjibashi leads the innovation agenda for the Barclays Africa Group including the bank’s accelerator program with Techstars after having been the first ever Chief Data Officer for the Bank. She joined Barclays after completing her MBA at Harvard Business School in 2010. She led the end-to-end pan-Africa big data transformation, pioneering an internationally award-winning portfolio of data-led products and customer experiences, including Africa’s first ever AI-enabled chatbot.

Zandile Mzazi

Opera Singer

Opera soprano Zandile Mzazi grew up in rural Eastern Cape. After winning the Tirisano Schools National Eisteddfod in 2002, she enrolled at the University of Cape Town, where she studied Performance Degree in Opera under Prof. Virginia Davids. In 2007 she achieved a Post Graduate Honours in Music and Performances, with distinction, and then went on to study voice with Emma Renzi. Zandile has performed throughout South Africa and around the world, including in Germany, France, Austria and Italy.