Future Minds with Phil

In episode 16 of the Future Minds podcast, we spoke with Pete Le Roux.

Pete Le Roux is the CEO of Stone Dragon and a proud educator of 29 years. He holds a master's degree in Marine Ecology and an HDE from the University of Cape Town. Pete is proudly married to his lovely wife, Sue, the head of Emergency Medicine at a secondary hospital in Cape Town, and father to Cami, his 17-year-old daughter.

In this episode, we discuss:

- Pete's unique and powerful views on education.

- The importance of shouldering responsibility at a young age.

- The raw potential that lies within each student.

When Pete was in Grade 10 he made a choice to teach and has never regretted it.

"Along the way I have learned to believe in the humanity and the raw power of adolescents. I believe in their capacity to make a change, their open-hearted compassion, and their devil-may-care courage. I have learned to love the liquid joy of being in their company and the blunt satisfaction of fighting for them. I have spent years fighting alongside them too, on behalf of others far less fortunate. In each young person I see the dormant dragon; glittering, gleaming, moving softly in the half-light."

Join Pete's NPO by signing up here: https://forms.gle/WXPg2wErPdjbyjqX9

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In episode 15 of the Future Minds podcast, we spoke with Tanaka Mutakwa.

Tanaka is a senior software developer and the VP of Engineering at Names & Faces, a Cape Town-based technology company. He's the founder of a lifestyle brand called NoDaysOff, and a partner at Pahari African Restaurant. Tanaka started Tech Leadership Community in South Africa, a community of long-time, new, and aspiring technology leaders. Their mission is to help each other learn through conversation, collaboration, and ideation.

We uncover Tanaka's experience as a software engineer, the value of coding and math, how to lead a team in the workplace, books that everyone should read, and a range of other topics. What a privilege to have such an incredible mind as a guest on our show!

Sponsored by Smartick: https://lp.smartickmethod.com/instagram/

Click to redeem 15% off your first Smartick subscription: https://smartickmethod.com/TheFutureMindsPodcast.html

Names & Faces: https://www.namesandfaces.com/

In episode 14 of the Future Minds podcast, we hear Lorna Cobbett's moving and unique story of being a mother. We were so inspired by her philosophy of kindness, inclusivity, love, and perseverance.

Lorna is currently the Managing Director at Hawthorne Advisors and became a Strategic Communications Advisor after a successful career in investment banking.

At Goldman Sachs she was an Executive Director focused on industrial and natural resource companies, having previously worked for Citi and Deutsche Bank. Most recently, Lorna was a partner at Bell Pottinger for over six years with their Financial and Corporate Division. Lorna has over 15 years of extensive experience providing corporate advice and working on transactions for private and public companies.

Lorna is actively involved in fundraising and raising awareness for Chestnut Tree House, a children's hospice in West Sussex, and Together for Short Lives.

In this episode, we cover topics such as the powerful and inspiring story of Essie, how to raise kind, aware, empathetic, and curious children, why life is for living and kindness is everything, how to maintain perspective in your everyday life, and a range of other topics.

Read Lorna's blog here: https://www.makemotherhooddiverse.com/blog/forever-triplets
Follow Lorna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mummylovesessie/

Sponsored by Smartick: https://lp.smartickmethod.com/instagram/

Click to redeem 15% off your first Smartick subscription: https://smartickmethod.com/TheFutureMindsPodcast.html

In episode 13 of the Future Minds podcast, we spoke with Thabiso Ramadiba.

Thabiso is a South African entrepreneur and the co-founder of PS Connect and the PS Foundation. PS Connect is an EdTech platform that connects school students with institutions to secure post-school education funding and career opportunities.

During his 10-year tenure of building PS Connect alongside co-founder, Nathan Dube, they founded PS Foundation in 2016 and have since shaped the foundation's vision, developing innovative strategies to address the lack of career development in impoverished schools across South Africa. They have been recognized as an outstanding career development program, assisting over 200,000 learners across South Africa to get access to post-school education funding and increased access to job opportunities within local communities.

Born and raised in South Africa, Thabiso holds a BSc Honors in Business Information Technology from the University of Greenwich.

In this episode, Thabiso and I discuss the origin of PS Connect and the PS Foundation, the challenges faced in today's education system, the need for equal access to quality education, the future of education and employment in Africa, and a lot more!

PS Connect: https://www.psconnect.co.za/

Sponsored by Smartick: https://lp.smartickmethod.com/instagram/

Click to redeem 15% off your first Smartick subscription: https://smartickmethod.com/TheFutureMindsPodcast.html

The Future Minds podcast's first episode of 2021!

In this episode, we spoke with Mike Sharman.

Mike is the owner of Retroviral Digital Communications, an online communications consultancy specializing in Communication Strategy, Social Media, and Content Creation. You would have seen his work for Kreepy Krauly, RocoMamas, Russell Hobbs, Martin and Martin brands, and M-Net, to name a few. Mike was named one of the Mail & Guardian's Top 200 Young South Africans in 2013 and he is the co-founder of the hit influencer marketing platform, webfluential, renowned digital marketing agency, Retroactive, as well as the disruptive sports storytelling agency and athlete management ecosystem MatchKit, which he co-founded alongside Bryan Habana.

In this episode, Mike and Philip discuss the following topics: 
- Mike's entrepreneurial origin story.
- The value of storytelling in business.
- The relationship between education and success.
- How the digital landscape is changing during COVID.

Sponsored by Smartick: https://lp.smartickmethod.com/instagram/

Click to redeem 15% off your first Smartick subscription: https://smartickmethod.com/TheFutureMindsPodcast.html

Retroviral: https://retroviral.co.za/

In this week's episode, we spoke with Kahn Morbee.

Kahn is a South African musician and the lead singer of the international alternative rock band, The Parlatones. Formed in 1998, The Parlatones went on to win 7 South African Music Award titles and proudly boast a worldwide fanbase.

Kahn went on to be a Judge and Coach on The Voice, winning 2 seasons in a row. Behind the fame, Kahn is a family man currently focused on completing his MBA at Henley Business School and passionately embraces a philosophy of curiosity - something that he credits much of his success to.

We cover some of the following topics:

1. The challenges of building a career as a musician.
2. The important role that mathematics plays in music.
3. Kahn's upbringing and education.
4. What the future looks like for The Parlatones.

Follow Kahn on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kahnmorbee/

Sponsored by Smartick: https://lp.smartickmethod.com/instagram/

Click to redeem 15% off your first Smartick subscription: https://smartickmethod.com/TheFutureMindsPodcast.html

In this week's episode, we speak with Kgothatso Meka.

Kgothatso is a South African real-estate developer focused on providing affordable housing at scale. He started his career in investment banking which provided him with the tools necessary to master the world of finance and deal-making.

Kgothatso spent time working as an asset manager at Old Mutual Alternative Investments focusing on steering their R1.4 billion Schools Investment Fund which focused on systems and infrastructure investments to build new, affordable private schools across South Africa.

He moved to Cosmopolitan Projects in 2019 and later that year founded Cosmopolitan Property Developments, which is part of the Cosmopolitan Projects and Central Developments group. Kgothatso remains passionate about education, technology, and providing South African communities with access to affordable, dignified education and home environments. 

Philip and Kgothatso unpack some of the following topics:

1. The current challenges and opportunities in South Africa.
2. The need for basic infrastructure and access to education.
3. Kgothatso's personal education journey.
4. Advice for young South Africans.

Sponsored by Smartick: https://lp.smartickmethod.com/instagram/

Click to redeem 15% off your first Smartick subscription: https://smartickmethod.com/TheFutureMindsPodcast.html

In this week's episode, we speak with Jevron Epstein.

Jevron Epstein has a background in Human Behavior and Finance studies and furthered his education by completing CFA Levels 1 and 2 as well as qualifications in Montessori teaching.

Jevron is the founder of a group of schools called Generation Schools. These schools incorporate a future-focused education system that aims to dismantle the prior structures and beliefs of traditional single-subject, outcome-based education and instead emphasize a thematic, personalized, holistic approach to education and human development.

Armed with his experience and knowledge, Jevron has developed an education methodology that effectively combines the Cambridge curriculum with the Montessori philosophy.Jevron has recently taken on the role of Chief Operating Officer at the Cornerstone Institute, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. 

Cornerstone is an independent, nonprofit higher education institution engaged in teaching and learning in the service of others to advance human dignity and social justice for all.

In this episode, we discuss:

1. The challenges of establishing a new education model.
2. The shortcomings of the current education system and how to repair it.
3. The importance of mathematics, software development, and financial literacy.
4. How to ensure and care for mental wellbeing at school.
5. What the future of education looks like.

Sponsored by Smartick: https://lp.smartickmethod.com/instagram/

Click to redeem 15% off your first Smartick subscription: https://smartickmethod.com/TheFutureMindsPodcast.html

Generation Schools: https://www.generationschools.co.za/

In this episode, we speak with Bridget James.

Bridget currently holds multiple positions as Deputy Head of St Cyprian’s High School, Head of Academics, and AP Mathematics Teacher.

Bridget has been in education for over 22 years and strongly believes that education should be designed in such a way as to develop critical thinking skills and nurture understanding.

Bridget maintains that mathematics is about making connections and identifying patterns through which this understanding develops - and believes in the development of soft skills like resilience, self-management, organization, and collaboration amongst others.

In this episode, we cover topics such as:

- Traditional education vs Homeschooling.

- The challenges faced by the traditional school system.

- Why mathematics is so important.

- The future of education.

Sponsored by Smartick: https://lp.smartickmethod.com/instagram/

Click to redeem 15% off your first Smartick subscription: https://smartickmethod.com/TheFutureMindsPodcast.html

In this episode, we speak with Teresa Dennis.

Teresa is an Education Consultant, Tutor, and Advisor to both home and traditional schooling institutions in the Western Cape.

Teresa is a homeschooling veteran who educated her own children for 15 years and established an innovative dual-curriculum high school division for Grades 10-12 while working as the High School Academic Head at Cape Town Torah High School. She also acted as the self-study leader of the accreditation process for Grades K-12 that enabled the school to become properly accredited as an International School.

Her personal philosophy of education is strongly based on the work of John Dewey, who believed that "if we teach today's children as we taught yesterday's then we rob them of tomorrow."

In this episode, we cover topics such as:

- Teresa’s educational ideals.
- What to consider when migrating to a homeschool or blended learning system.
- Her decision to homeschool her kids.
- The future of education.

Sponsored by Smartick: https://lp.smartickmethod.com/instagram/

Click to redeem 15% off your first Smartick subscription: https://smartickmethod.com/TheFutureMindsPodcast.html