Entrepreneurs’ Organization Durban Podcast

For founders thinking about selling, Dana offers one message: exit intentionally. In this EO Ignite 2025 episode, the Cape Town–based M&A adviser explains why most sellers should have three advisers—commercial corporate finance, legal, and tax—to navigate complexity and capture value. He breaks down how buyers actually value companies: discounted cash flow, net present value, returns on capita...

For Richard Rayne, entrepreneurship has always been tied to education and growth. As the founder of iLearn Corporate Education, he has spent 24 years helping South African corporates close skills gaps through accredited training, bridging compliance needs while empowering first-time entrants into the workforce. He also launched MyMastery, a local masterclass-style platform born during Covid, to ma...

For Zafir Kurji, Ignite 2025 was more than a conference—it was a mirror. As a next-generation leader in his family’s IT business (Apple solutions, ArchiCAD, facilities management, and digital printing presses), Zafir confronted imposter syndrome, learning to balance gratitude for privilege with confidence in his own capability. In this candid conversation, he shares how gratitude, journaling, and...

In this EO Ignite 2025 conversation, Gaynor (current EO Cape Town president) and Julia “Jules” Bedford (former president) explore how vulnerability and authenticity have transformed their leadership journeys. From shifting away from “armoured” leadership to modelling openness in teams, they show why authenticity is not a weakness but a strength. They share candid insights on imposter syndrome, the...

Randolf Jorberg is a nomad at heart—and a builder of communities wherever he goes. German-born and based in South Africa for nearly two decades, Randolf has created ventures from a German Reddit-like site to Beerhouse, all driven by a single mission: platforms for connection. In this EO Ignite 2025 conversation, Randolf reflects on his EO journey (Johannesburg, global bridge, nomadic forums), the...

For Rylin Subrayan, payroll and HR software is just the platform—the real mission is empowering people. In this Ignite 2025 episode, he shares how his company hires for potential, entrusts young talent with rapid responsibility, and rewards performance regardless of age—helping 21-year-olds earn top wages while building confidence and life skills. Rylin explains how daily wellness and learning pra...

Dana knows that when it comes to selling a company, multiples are just the starting point. As a former tech founder turned M&A advisor, she explains why value is ultimately about cash flows plus synergies, and how founders can build strategic cases that earn a premium. In this EO Ignite 2025 conversation, Dana shares her career journey from due diligence to corporate finance in London, shaped...

Rebecca Cameron traded a law career for entrepreneurship—and found her stride building Sales Mate, a fractional sales firm helping founders scale B2B outbound without the hiring risk. Just two years in, Sales Mate has grown into a ten-person team embedded inside client businesses, combining strategy with execution. In this EO Ignite 2025 conversation, Rebecca reflects on her entrepreneurial path:...

For Nokuthula “Nox” Magwaza, growth isn’t just business—it’s life itself. As the founder of Bloom Marketing, Bloom Infinite Digital, and Bloom Inside Out, she has spent over two decades helping brands land with cultural relevance while championing women’s advancement and authentic storytelling. In this EO Ignite 2025 conversation, Knox shares why gratitude is her operating system, how vulnerabilit...

Mpho Lengane, founder of Barker’s Media, has built a reputation for producing some of South Africa’s top-rated television dramas and reality shows. But for her, the real product isn’t just ratings—it’s national conversation. By putting rural, township, and urban perspectives on the same screen, she sparks dialogue that resonates across communities. In this Ignite 2025 episode, Mpho opens up about...

Alice Chang believes that small flocks can drive big change. As part of Hatch Africa, she explains how providing dual-purpose chickens and feeds helps smallholder farmers across Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Ghana, and Côte d'Ivoire improve family nutrition, raise incomes, and create real choices—from education and healthcare to reinvestment. Alice’s path spans the US, Shanghai, and Bain &...

For Samer Shaaban, Ignite 2025 is about more than attending his first EO regional event—it’s about connection, rejuvenation, and growth. A veteran of Jeddah’s real estate sector with over 20 years of experience, Samer reflects on his EO journey so far, from early forum experiences to embracing the Power Within theme of Durban. He also introduces his path as an angel investor, focusing on fintech,...

Steve Stavs believes the future of health is about prevention, not treatment. In this EO Ignite 2025 episode, he introduces Medicine 4.0: proactive, personalized, and performance-oriented health. Steve explains why clinical “normal” isn’t always optimal, why VO2 max is a true predictor of longevity, and how wearables can guide smarter training and recovery. He also highlights the mental side of pe...

For Shabbir Barbhaya, Ignite 2025 is both a first EO regional experience and a chance to connect across borders. A veteran real estate developer from Jeddah, he reflects on building trust in forums, finding renewal through endurance sports, and embracing EO’s theme of The Power Within. Shabbir also shares his growing role as an angel investor, backing ventures in fintech, SaaS, and gaming, with sc...

For Trevor Gowing, one bold pitch became the foundation for a company. As co-founder of Decode Development, he shares how a collaboration with Sea Monster led to winning the Lemonade Day US project, building a kids’ app and mentor/admin platforms, and resigning to launch the business. What clinched it? Visible commitment and skin in the game. In this EO Ignite 2025 conversation, Trevor also introd...

For Louisa Garland, belief has always been the starting point—and sometimes the lifeline. Founder of Imperial Armour, she reflects on 25 years of building a company that protects lives with body armour and UN demining gear, all from a base in Durban. Louisa shares how her toughest season in 2018 nearly closed the doors, and how support from her children—and her own faith—helped her find stillness...

For Gary Sundelowitz, founder of Clarity, the future of marketing is experience design (XD)—and the measure of success is the “goosebump moment.” In this EO Ignite 2025 episode, Gary traces his journey from pure digital into XD, sharing client stories from Sony, Vodacom, Cell C, and Eduvas, where every touchpoint—digital or physical—is designed to deliver measurable impact. Gary also makes the cas...

In this Ignite 2025 episode, Erika Kempkon, founder of Youth at Work, explains how her organization is building real pathways for South Africa’s youth. As a YES implementation partner, they connect young people to 12-month work placements across industries like manufacturing, automotive, finance, solar, and tech—while tracking retention, completion, and post-program absorption into jobs, entrepren...

In this EO Ignite 2025 conversation, Bhavya Kalsi (business and personal branding coach) shares why identity must come before brand. Drawing from her TED-style talk “Unbecoming,” Bhavya explains how authentic branding isn’t about performing but about anchoring in your truth. She unpacks why attention is the new currency, how to design lean and flexible business operations, and why founder-led mark...

For Kushal Sanhraska, Ignite 2025 marked more than his first EO global event—it was a chance to step into leadership, deepen connections, and bring fresh rituals back to his team. As a family business leader in Kenya’s construction and finishes sector, Kushal shares how simple practices like “one word” and “yesterday’s best” have transformed culture by embedding gratitude and presence into daily w...

This no-fluff conversation with Gavin Hough connects the dots between cutting-edge science and real-world impact. After 14 months in Antarctica and a PhD in space physics, Gavin helped build RGBZ camera systems that detect fires early, forecast spread, and turn data into rapid, life-saving decisions. He opens the hood on 4-minute camera sweeps, triaging dozens of simultaneous ignitions, and the on...

This charged, no-pretence conversation with Bashar (KuwaitNet) maps a podcast built where tech meets mental health—and why founders in the region need to talk openly about both. He shares how therapy stigma shows up in business, why he’s turning his company’s lightning-talk rituals into a repeatable show format, and how an open-source mindset (think Kuwait’s Linux/Ubuntu community) fuels real know...

In this grounded conversation from the EO Ignite 2025 conference, Ashif Kassam (RSM Eastern Africa) traces a leadership inflection point—receiving tough feedback—and the deep self-work that followed. He shares a clear purpose, a legacy-first lens, and two deceptively simple leadership tools he uses before every meeting to shift from blame to better outcomes. If you’re serious about growth, culture...

In this insightful episode, Alon Sachs introduces “The Happiness Business,” a practical framework for becoming happier and more effective by rebuilding the most important relationship you have — the one with yourself. Drawing on EO-inspired growth mindsets and weekly team rituals, Alon shares how simple shifts (and one memorable “cheque from the universe” exercise) can open doors to opportunity an...

Recorded live at EO Ignite Durban, this powerful episode features Alan Chung, EO Global Board Member and incoming MEPA liaison, in conversation with Wesley. Alan reflects on the spirit of Durban, the emotional power of the EO community, and his vision for a 360° EO ecosystem that includes families and global support networks. Discover how peer-to-peer learning, cultural connection, and purpose-led...