Nation Builder’s fourth annual In Good Company conference will be held on 21 August in Pretoria. It will highlight local social innovation solutions and fuel new, creative ways of doing business. We’ll hear from incredible South Africans who have alleviated social problems with innovative business solutions. Some of the phenomenal speakers include:
Dr Graeme Codrington
Graeme Codrington is an expert on the future of work and the disruptive forces that are shaping it. He is an author and researcher with five degrees, four best-selling books and a full-time research team at his company, TomorrowToday. Graeme works as a Board advisor, strategist, and as a keynote presenter and facilitator.
Dr Graeme Codrington will discuss trends in the workplace and how these trends can map the future. He will address the disruptive forces that are shaping the workplace, and will challenged delegates to embrace and adapt to change, especially when it comes to being corporate citizens who play a role in social upliftment in South Africa.
Nonhlanhla Joye
Nonhlanhla Joye is an Agri-Ecology Practitioner, Master Sills Development Facilitator and the Founder of Umgibe Farming Organics & Training Institute. Umgibe began when Ma’ Joye was diagnosed with cancer in 2014, and as a result could not work to provide food for her family. She decided to grow organic vegetables in her backyard and developed a growing system that enabled her to grow vegetables using diversified plastic bags from going to the landfills as growing bags. As a result, she was not only able to feed her family, but also her neighbours. Eventually a platform was born where poor communities started growing vegetables to feed themselves and collectively sell their surplus produce.
Nonhlanhla Joye will share her story of hope and innovation – a story of moving from growing vegetables in order to feed her family to being the founder of Umgibe an organisation with a huge social, environmental and economic impact.
Brent Lindeque
Carolin Gomulia is the Head of Strategy, Communications and Advocacy at the Institute for Justice and Reconcilliation. Carolin has worked in the Western Cape Department of the Premier, leading the design and implementation of the Social Transformation Programme to address socio-economic development issues in the 27 poorest communities in the Province.
She started at the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation in Cape Town in 2010 to establish and manage the Strategy and Communications Unit and is now an independent consultant. She has a Master’s degree in Development Studies, and one in Development Management. She is deeply committed and passionate about social justice and transformation.
Carolin Gomulia will discuss social capital and social transformation. She will share her insights on how business (in partnership with civil society and government) can activate social transformation by designing audacious and top-rate solutions that understand the complexity and intersectional nature of the issues at hand and in doing so, make a positive and lasting impact on South Africa’s future.
Tashmia Ismail-Saville
Tashmia Ismail-Saville is the CEO of the Youth Employment Service(YES), which is a joint initiative between business and government that aims to address South Africa’s youth unemployment challenge by creating one million work experiences in the country.
Tashmia will explain her innovative work with YES in creating opportunities for the youth through a business-led partnership with government, labour and civil society. She will share her views on how businesses, and especially business that come up with innovative plans, can be a solution to inequality, poverty and privilege.
Samantha Jack
Mark Sham is a passionate entrepreneur who speaks to audiences around the globe about being better prepared for the future. He runs a much-loved social enterprise called Suits & Sneakers. He is currently working on a new type of education system that young people can use at no costs because he believes that everyone deserves a shot at being somebody.
Mark Sham will touch on his diverse and innovative business ideas, as well as the massive success of Suits & Sneakers. He will give insight into blockchain technology and how it can influence society and business. He will explore how blockchain could be the solution to inequality, poverty and privilege.
Lungi Tyali from Solar Turtle
Winner of the Nation Builder Social Innovation Challenge, the SolarTurtle is a Solar Kiosk designed for unparalleled security and maximum portability. These container based solar kiosks are assembled off site then deployed by simply offloading the container and unfolding the panels towards the sun.
The SolarTurtle feeds just like a turtle. In the morning when it is safe the panels unfold from their secure location to feed from the rays of the sun. In the evening when it is unsafe the panels fold away into the hard shell of the container.
The SolarTurtle sells electricity by the bottle. A Recycled plastic bottle is cut in half and a battery is inserted. The lid of the bottle is converted into a 12V cigarette lighter socket. This simple design allows communities to build and maintain their own battery packs.
The SolarTurtle’s unique design not only addresses the problem of cumbersome community installations in remote areas but also the vandalism that’s a harsh reality of many off-grid communities. The SolarTurtle is scalable and portable allowing it to fit any customer’s needs. However, the true beauty of this business model is the enterprise development options available. They do not just give power; they empower! Through community engagement they ensure that the product is protected by the locals as they are the true beneficiaries of the SolarTurtle.
Dr Michael Mol
Dr Michael Mol is a medical doctor, an executive TV producer & presenter, an international speaker, business consultant and a founding director of a multi-national company called Hello Doctor.
A trauma doctor turned TV personality with a Mr South Africa title in the mix, Michael anchored Top Billing for more than a decade. Then as Executive Producer and presenter he melded his passion for medicine and media and produced two TV series: “Hello Doctor” and “The Dr Mol Show” with a vision to educate, entertain and inspire people to live their best life, by being the healthiest they can be. The show was part of a bigger vision to give every South African access to personal, affordable and quality healthcare through their mobile phones. Now a mobile health company, Hello Doctor’s game-changing approach to healthcare, using mobile phones to give anyone access to doctors anytime, anywhere – has spread globally.
Join us on 21 August to be inspired and equipped by these and other dynamic people. Buy tickets here.
