Ian is a Global Project Leader for Red Bull Amaphiko since 2014. I met Ian because of my own involvement with Amaphiko as I was accepted into the fellowship after submitting an application for WellBuilt Bikes.
Amaphiko is a global development programme designed to unlock the potential of grass-roots, community-based social entrepreneurs; it is active in 12 countries, including US, UK, Brazil, Germany, Turkey, South Africa.
Ian has a background in philosophy and advertising, which, as he explains in our conversation, go really well together as they are both about turning abstract ideas into concrete statements. This background has served him well as his calling has taken on a more explicit social calling to build up and support social entrepreneurs. Given his access to these entrepreneurs, Ian has grown into something of an authority on the space, which is itself, in many ways en emerging space at the overlap of the old for/non profit dichotomy.
I was so excited to get this time to talk through Ians life, his work, his perspective on the future of work for social entrepreneurs, and the future business in general.
Enjoy.