TEACH WITH AN OPEN HEART AND ASSUME THE BEST FOR ALL. WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT SOMEONE IS GOING THROUGH.
Simone at Global Entrepreneurship Congress
A PASSION FOR SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AND AUTHENTICITY
Simone Carter is enthusiastic about community building for collective impact by working to understand, support, strengthen, and nurture the environment surrounding the entrepreneur. As the manager of strategic partnerships, communications and advocacy at Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropy South Africa, the 33-year-old is perfectly positioned to live out her passion. Simone’s important lessons learned Follow your heart. Only good can come from throwing yourself wholeheartedly into your passions when you believe in yourself and that you can change the world in any way. Never fear taking risks or change. Everything you do in life leads you to where you are meant to be. Every task is a stepping stone to another if you see every experience as your teacher. Little moments matter. The moments where a student is proud that they achieved a good mark or spoke up in class. The moment you graduate. The moment you see your students graduate. A narrow mind is dangerous. I assumed that respect was a given when one was a lecturer, students who came late to class were negligent, and those who were not high performers were not putting in the effort. When I shifted my mindset and operated with more compassion and less ego, I uncovered the different realities of my students and the many barriers they faced. Innovation is easy when you do not fear crossing disciplines . The late Prof Sonja Verwey encouraged us to learn across disciplines and develop new knowledge. Upon entering each new career role, I recognised the importance of transdisciplinary thinking. “I enable dialogue and collective reflection within the South African entrepreneurship ecosystem through national convenings with ecosystem players, which include entrepreneurship support organisations, academic institutions, business development organisations (incubators and accelerators), government institutions and subsidiaries, and entrepreneurs.
“We build communities for collective impact by working to understand, support, strengthen and nurture the environment surrounding the entrepreneur. As an ecosystem builder, we enable and promote entrepreneurial talent and ethical business. Responsible entrepreneurship is pivotal in driving innovation, economic growth, and societal progress, where individuals are empowered to pursue their passions and realise their potential through their ventures,” she says. Before joining Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropy South Africa, Simone worked at Allan Gray Orbis Foundation, where she coached candidate fellows in their personal leadership development to become high-impact, responsible entrepreneurs, and she spent 2 years working in a digital marketing agency. However, most of her studies and career were spent at UJ over 12 years. She arrived as a student, became a tutor, and later became a public relations lecturer, academic development and support specialist, and brand ambassador. At UJ, she obtained 3 degrees and worked across 2 faculties and 3 campuses, which enabled a robust transdisciplinary worldview. She says the most substantial takeaway from her years at UJ is that education forced her to be her most authentic self in front of students and to curate an environment where everyone felt seen and encouraged to be their best selves. This meant going beyond the curriculum and cherishing the people around it. She explains that it was less about the structure and more about the essence of what it meant to nurture. “While UJ provided a ‘structured playing field,’ the most impactful moments were spent truly connecting with colleagues, with students, and taking in the beauty of what those concrete walls meant. Most importantly, I realised there is still significant room for democratising knowledge! Everyone deserves to have someone to champion them and to receive access to adequate learning material. My journey was really about connection.” To summarise her passion for skills development and authenticity in learning is simple, she says.
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