Max is passionate about market based solutions to Africa’s problems and developing High Impact, High Growth businesses. He graduated from the University of Cape Town with a BCom Finance, Economics degree before moving to London. Max spent over 5 years in Corporate, Business and Investment Banking, starting his career as a Business Consultant at Lloyds TSB and ending up as an analyst at Schroders Asset Management.

In 2006, Max returned to South Africa seeking a more purpose driven career, and went on co-founding Africa’s first social enterprise incubator alongside setting up an innovation hub for small businesses. He was also responsible for establishing the South African ANDE (Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs) Chapter, part of the Aspen Institute in Washington DC. ANDE is a global network of organizations that invest money and expertise to propel entrepreneurship in emerging markets.

Tanner has been working in the field of Social Innovation for the last 20 years assisting private, public and not-for-profit organisations to build a more environmentally conscious, socially just and abundant world.

In Los Angeles, California Tanner served as Managing Partner in Phillips & Associates a management consulting practice and the Executive Director of LA Works, a volunteer action centre, which develops and implements community service projects. Upon arriving in Cape Town, in 1998, Tanner became the Director of Source Consulting, a management consulting firm whose clients included the Independent Development Trust, Paraffin Safety Association, Cape Metropolitan Council, and the Jazzart Dance Company to name a few.

In 2008, he formed Earth Capital a consulting and asset management firm focused on: assisting the private sector transition toward a more sustainable approach to business; incubating impact businesses; and managing a portfolio of impact investments. His clients and assets under management have included: Spier, Nando’s, Africa Centre, iShack, Biolytixs, African Roots, Biogreen, and Greencabs, Presently, he is both a Director in Earth Capital and a Partner in Impact Amplifier. He currently sits on several boards including: African Roots, Biolytix, GreenCabs and the Africa Centre. Tanner achieved a Bachelor of Arts degree at Vassar College in New York and a Masters of Business Administration from the Drucker School at the Claremont Graduate University, in California.

My passions are in finding sustainable solutions to environmental and socio-economic issues whilst enabling economic growth, supporting societal development and improving livelihoods as a whole. I have an academic background in environmental and geographical studies from the University of Cape Town and my interests in current societal and global issues led me to further pursue a Masters degree specialising in Climate Change and Sustainable Development from the same institution.

I am interested in efforts towards transitioning to a greener, circular economy as well as establishing sustainable and ethical supply chains and networks particularly in the global South.

Originally from the DR of Congo, Papy studied Mechanical Engineering at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Papy worked for Lufthansa In Touch as well as MindPearl for the airline department for 3 years before joining Impact Amplifier in May 2018. At Impact Amplifier, Papy aims to shift from pure corporate work to more socially conscious work across a range of social enterprises.

Priscilla has more than 20 years’ experience, manages various administrative duties for Impact Amplifier together with all financial and operational support processes within the company ensuring a seamless and high quality of work.

Nnamdi is an entrepreneur and investment professional with a Bachelors of Engineering degree in Civil Engineering and a Masters of Business Administration from IE Business School, Madrid. Over the past three years, he has actively worked with start-ups towards building MVPs, fundraising and early stage business development; ranging from a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) distribution venture that provides clean energy to homes, to a mobile based microfinance platform for SMEs and, most recently, a robo-advisory to enable young Africans invest in local and foreign bonds.

Sandra has an in-depth understanding of challenges faced by entrepreneurs and SMMEs given her extensive experience in Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment “B-BBEE” and Corporate Social Investment “CSI” consulting. She engaged with entrepreneurs/SMMEs, evaluated various SMME programmes, and advised clients on how best to grow and develop their beneficiaries. As part of her MBA programme, Sandra did a consultancy project whereby she helped devise an appropriate strategy for a UK firm seeking to support SMMEs in South Africa. She is also currently enrolled in the final level of the CFA programme (i.e. level 3 CFA candidate) and looking to facilitate impactful SMME investments and support by leveraging learnings from her consulting and academic experiences; particularly critical, technical, and economic thinking in a way that adds value to entrepreneurs & SMMEs.

Lorryn has been working in the social science research field for the past 7 years.  Her previous research  experience lies in the higher education sector, financial  services sector as well  as the South African non-profit sector. She has conducted institutional  transformation research at  Stellenbosch  University related to promoting a healthy institutional culture and the promotion of gender equality in the career progress of female staff. In 2017 she started her career as a research analyst in the financial services sector  where she worked as part of an in-house research team at  MMI Holdings (MomentumMetropolitan) studying financial advisor productivity, conducting product  landing evaluations and competitor research. She is currently conducting a doctoral research study on the emergence of the social  enterprise model in South  Africa with a strong focus on impact measurement for social  enterprises. She has a burning passion for the non-profit sector and  has been voluntarily serving  on the management committee of George Child and Family Welfare for the past  two years. Lorryn is a very  curious researcher who has accrued experience in a variety of research methods including both qualitative and quantitative analysis.  She also enjoys teaching social theory to university students who  are interested in pursuing a career in the social  sciences. She currently holds a MA (Sociology) from Stellenbosch  University.

Narique graduated from Vega School in 2010, with a BA in Creative Brand Communication, specialising in Copywriting. Narique’s experience spans creating compelling concepts and content for household names and big retailers, as well as niche, boutique brands in a variety of industries.

Kim Filies has more than 20 years’ experience in the field of strategic and operational HR. Kim is no stranger to being an entrepreneur and has toggled between the corporate world and running several HR consulting businesses over the past 15 years. She is an internationally certified Agile for HR practitioner and holds a Master’s degree in Industrial Psychology from the University of the Western Cape. Kim’s expertise includes working across a variety of industries such as Information Technology, Retail, Supply Chain and Logistics, Academia either on special projects by augmenting existing HR teams with her expertise in organization development and change management or setting up and managing the entire HR function on behalf of clients. Kim also lectures at a post-graduate level on the topic of employment relations and has been assisting the University of Stellenbosch with the design and implementation of the Employment Relations blended learning module for their Post-Graduate Diploma in HR.

‍

Mojabeng is a food business and sustainability enthusiast, with over 10 years of combined work experience in Project Management, Business Development, IT Business Process Analysis and Sustainability. She has worked in complex corporate environments including in sectors such as FMCG, Financial Services, Transportation and Business Development and Consulting. Mojabeng is also an experienced and certified IBASA (International Business Advisors Southern Africa) Business Advisor. She has international work experience obtained in the field of public affairs and sustainability. She recently completed a Master of Science in Cooperatives, Agri-Food and Sustainable Development in Ireland, and holds two other degrees, a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Financial Accounting; and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management Information Systems with a focus on Business Analysis and Systems Analysis. She is passionate about sustainable food business and enjoys creating solutions for organizations to make processes and supply chains more innovative, cost-effective, efficient and sustainable.

Thaven is multi-skilled and prepared to go the extra mile in his assignments, bringing into play all his skills and networks, with a keen awareness of cultural sensitivities.  

As the recent Southern Africa Coordinator for the Private Finance Advisory Network (responsible for the 16  SADC states, the Indian Ocean Francophone SIDS and the Atlantic Lusophone SIDS), Thaven has been actively involved in sourcing projects for the PFAN development pipeline as well as expanding the network in the region and managing relationships with key partners, including companies in the green economy,  international organizations, state enterprises, development finance institutions and private sector equity funds and institutions. 

Thaven has experience as a renewable energy project developer, working on both large and small-scale projects,  and draws experience from a range of industries, including art, crafts, architecture and building construction,  entertainment, and media – print, radio and television. As a practicing farmer working without chemicals in a low-carbon, low-input, sustainable farming system using innovative technologies and indigenous knowledge systems, my experience and knowledge contributes to the teams I work with, supporting the intensification of small-scale agriculture in the Southern Africa region.  

His contribution includes project conceptualization, project management, strategic management, and various aspects of training, in sustainable development, renewable energy, waste recycling, agriculture,  climate change adaptation and access to finance, with a special interest in innovation and how innovations are mainstreamed. In his previous position, he led the PFAN process of supporting adaptation projects secure private sector finance from the conceptualization of the program through the implementation of the pilot project and now in collaboration with UNIDO, developing the expanded work program and a dedicated fund.  

While he is intrinsically drawn to innovation and has an enduring love of agriculture, his areas of greatest interest are around climate adaptation and building resilience, the circular economy, future carbon markets in Africa and the race to Net-Zero. 

Thaven has a degree in sustainable development and renewable energy (BPhil) from the Sustainability Institute of the University of Stellenbosch and a degree in architecture from the University of Cape Town (BAS).

‍

Joy is an EdTech and education entrepreneur passionate about applying research to drive efficacy and impact in education and business. She has 5 years of experience working as a digital learning specialist and holds a B.Eng. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Port Harcourt and a Diploma in Software Entrepreneurship from Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology. She co-founded a startup focused on making STEM resources and tools accessible and affordable to schools in low-income communities.  

She is interested in expanding her knowledge and skills in subjects that involve a convergence of technology, policy, education, and business.

Nothando holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Brown University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Cape Town, focusing on social innovation and impact. With experience working across global corporations such as Procter & Gamble, and start-ups in South Africa, Nothando feels most at home working on strategic problem-solving, supply chain management and stakeholder engagement. Passionate about sustainable development, she believes in public-private sector partnerships, mutual learning and collaboration to develop solutions that positively impact communities and the environment.