We’d like to introduce you to the panel of industry experts that will be part of the Alinea – A Flux Masterclass Series.
Our facilitators for these masterclasses will be Dion Chang, founder of Flux Trends and Bronwyn Williams a partner at Flux Trends.
Our Retail Experts
Carl Wazen is the Co-founder and Chief Business Officer of Yoco, a financial platform for small businesses. He co-founded Yoco with 4 friends, Katlego Maphai, Bradley Wattrus and Lungisa Matshoba.
Within 5 years, Yoco has become the largest provider of payment solutions to small businesses in South Africa, with over 95,000 small businesses using its card machines and online payment products across the country. 80% of these merchants had never accepted cards before.
Company website: https://www.yoco.co.za/za/ (Yoco)
Preston Gaddy is a highly proficient Retail Property professional, with more than two decades of diverse property management and development exposure. Recognised in the Retail Property field as an Industry expert and regularly consulted for advisory services. He gained vast experience on the ground as a Centre Manager and has been able to apply this knowledge across the multi-faceted Managed Portfolio as well as key turnaround projects. Asset Management exposure has further enhanced his overall knowledge base.
His vision and goal is to reward young professionals in the SC Industry through mentorship and knowledge sharing programs.
Company website: https://www.excelleratejhi.com/ (Excellerate JHI)
Vusi Mthimunye is chief operations officer of eButler – a grocery shopping service with a difference. It reaches every community in South Africa: from townships and inner-city precincts to rural areas and informal settlements.
Mthimunye also heads up Operations and Innovation at The Connected Retail Group, which is the parent company of eButler and two other entities/partners: Lospepes Ibizo Group and Mmogo Media – of which he is CEO.
Company website: https://ebutler.co.za/ (eButler)
Bradley Kirshenbaum is a Johannesburg-based creative professional, who has vast experience in the advertising and marketing industry. In 2005 he created a stylised graphic of Johannesburg’s skyline which launched the Love Jozi brand. It started as a side hustle then got registered as a business in 2008. It was formed as a t-shirt company, but the offering soon extended into select gift and product ranges and design services.
Besides Love Jozi, Bradley has co-formed Market on Main with designer Jacques van der Watt(2011), published a book titled: “I love you, I hate you”(2019) and runs Walala Wasala (2019).
Company website: https://lovejozi.com/ (Love Jozi)
Our Marketing Experts
Kirsty Bisset is a successful tech entrepreneur recognised as Fast Company’s top 20 South Africans under 30 (2016) and featured in Destiny Magazines Power of 40 report. She has also been nominated as one of the finalists in the Santam FAIRLADY Women of the Future Awards (2018). At 33, has launched 5 businesses – of which 2 she still runs, 2 have been sold and 1 has failed. SwiftX and Stir are among her many business exploits and her broad business experience will be helpful to those who are willing to take a leap of faith into an uncertain future.
Company website: http://stir-digital.com/ (Stir) AND https://swiftx.agency/ (SwiftX)
Lindile Ndube has a very particular set of skills, skills that he has acquired over a long-ish career in curiosity. Skills that make him a nightmare for mediocre people. He believes the work He does is ‘Counter Strategy’ because he identifies gaps in brands’ strategies, aligns his platforms to bridging those gaps and then consult strategists to consider alternative ideas. In essence, to offer brand strategist solutions.
Company website: https://digitalfanta.co.za/ (Digital Fanta)
Mike Stopforth is an entrepreneur, start-up investor, author, global speaker, and disruption and innovation advisor on several corporate boards. He is recognised for his provoking insights into disruption-driven change, leadership and culture in the digital age, and—notably—building the new leadership skills and strategies needed to drive transformation and successfully navigate uncharted territory. He is also the founder and director of transformation specialist Beyond Binary.
Company website: https://beyondbinary.co.za/ (Beyond Binary)
Praise Majwafi is an agent of the creative economy, with a Bachelor of Commerce in Business Innovation and Entrepreneurship from AFDA, Johannesburg. He has worked as a marketing agent for property development companies and as a marketing contractor for Global Citizen Festivals and Unicef. When not looking for potential opportunity gaps, Praise enjoys studying brand behaviours and shifting consumer mindsets.
Our Innovation and Entrepreneurship Experts
Lesley Williams is the CEO of Wits University’s Tshimologong Precinct that aims to take African digital innovation to global markets through entrepreneurship and skills development. She also serves on the 4IR Advisory Panel for Gauteng Province. She has 20 years of international experience in curating innovation ecosystems and networks with a primary focus on social and digital innovation. Her career highlights include moderating dialogues on Nelson Mandela’s legacy and the Future of Africa between President Barack Obama and Graça Machel at the African American Museum in Washington DC.
Company website: http://www.tshimologong.joburg/ (Tshimologong) AND https://johannesburg.impacthub.net/ (Impact Hub)
Lee Naik is Chief Executive Officer of TransUnion Africa and is recognised as one of South Africa’s leading digital and technology transformation experts. He is a visionary and thought leader on real-world digital trends, challenges and solutions. Lee is responsible for a portfolio of businesses across eight countries on the African continent.He is a frequent speaker and commentator and was recognised as a global top 10 technology commentator in the inaugural LinkedIn Top Voices awards.
Company website: https://www.transunion.co.za/ (TransUnion)
Sylvester Chauke is Founder and Chief Architect of DNA Brand Architects, South Africa’s PR agency of the year 2018 and winner of the ICCO World’s Best PR campaign 2019. He was also CNBC’s All Africa Young Business Leader of the Year 2017. He is a passionate advocate for creativity, Member of the Advisory Council for the World Economic Forum Global Shapers, Board Member of the SA State Theatre, Top 100 Influential Africans 2018 and author of ‘Stand Against Bland’.
Company website: https://dnabrand.co.za/ (DNA Brand Architects)
Tshidi Morabi is the inventor of LocTransie, a mobile application that connects parents with their child’s school transport system. She established the business in 2014 and has over 20 years experience in the technology sector focusing mainly on Software Development. In February 2020, Tshidi was one of the inventors who participated in the Flux Trends inaugural Innovation Tour. LocTransie scooped up two MTN Business app of the year awards (2019). Awards won by Tshidi include the Best Women in STEM solutions and Best Incubated Solutions.
Company website: https://loctransie.co.za/ (LocTransie)
This masterclass series is designed not only to help your business survive the rest of 2020, but also to thrive in 2021.
Want to attend all of the masterclasses?
Stay tuned, more profiles coming soon!
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Image credit: Pixabay
