I’ I was trained to be a ‘divergent thinker’ very early on and while it left me living on the fringe, it gave me amazing insight and problem-solving capabilities. Instead of deciding on a single path to follow for my career, I decided to follow everything I was passionate about and studied many different things that I can now combine into more holistic models for solving big problems.
I’ve always been captivated by people. Growing up in apartheid-era South Africa sparked a deep curiosity about ‘the other.’ This led me to study Anthropology and Psychology, where I explored a range of topics that helped me in understanding of why people act the way they do. Influences by biological, psychological, and social factors, examining how cultures develop, interact, and influence individuals and societies and investigating cognitive development – how we think, learn, and remember throughout our lives – are all topics that help me with the work that I do.
After working in this industry for more than 20 years, I realised that traditional models often create future problems that we do not anticipate. Human values and principles of indigenous knowledge have always influenced my approach to developing solutions in technology and business but we now need a more broader perspective to foresee potential challenges and prioritise long-term welfare over short-term gains. By envisioning a world that benefits everyone, we can reverse-engineer solutions for a sustainable and inclusive future, ensuring our actions today support long-term well-being for all living things in our ecosystem.