1. Can you please tell us more about your organisation?
A. Nation Builder is a subsidiary of the Mergon Group, an investment group that exists to positively impact lives and equip others to do the same. We were founded about 10 years ago to bridge the gap, and bring collaboration, between the donor community and the non-profit organisation (NPO) community, because we know that when we work together, we achieve a greater positive impact on the country. Business is an incredibly powerful force for change in our country, and we help them make the most of that.
2. When, how and why did you start your organisation?
A. We started Nation Builder in response to a clear need to get government, NPOs and businesses working more closely on this journey of building the nation. We want businesses to anchor themselves in our country and truly become embedded in finding solutions and making an impact. Since we started, we’ve been working to become the go-to place for everything to do with social development in South Africa, sharing resources and knowledge freely with businesses who want to know how to better make an impact.
3.What is your role?
A. As the executive trustee of Nation Builder, I look after strategy, people and networking. What this entails is seeing the big picture, and how we position ourselves. There’s a huge amount of people management involved, walking a journey with the team and making sure they flourish as much as possible. And then I spend a lot of time walking a journey towards greater impact with business leaders, sharing our learnings and in turn learning from them as we build awareness about the concept of nation building.
4. Where did you study and what did you study?
A. I studied a BSc in biochemistry at the University of Pretoria – yes, I know it has absolutely nothing to do with what I’m doing now! But what I learned was a way of critical thinking, and checking to see whether the science you are currently using is true and relevant. In social development, what you see on the surface isn’t always the issue, so my training certainly helps my ability to drill down and get to the root causes of issues.
5. How did you finance your organisation?
A. We are fully funded by the Mergon Group, which runs a for-profit investment arm to fund the activities of its for-purpose social impact subsidiaries, the Mergon Foundation and Nation Builder.
6. Describe your average workday, if such a thing exists.
A. In a time of Covid, an average workday consists mostly of sitting on Zoom calls! There are a lot of meetings – both internal, to push alignment and empower the team to get their work done, and within the broader group, to ensure the best possible synergy. We’re constantly engaging with our incredible Nation Builder community. And then there’s a lot of governance and reporting, but that’s part of every job.
7. How do you balance your home life and your work life?
A. It’s a bit harder during the pandemic, because work is at home. Before Covid, I would try not to end my workday too late – I’d close my laptop and go for a run, and think through my day while running, so I could be totally relaxed and present when I got home. Covid has made it slightly harder, because there is no physical break: the computer is always there. What’s important is to get a rhythm of running, or have something that breaks the work way and ‘at home’ time.
8. What drives you and inspires you?
A. People flourishing drives me. I love to see, and be part of, unlocking potential in people and things. This is why I love my work: how do we look at the resources we have, think about them differently, and better unlock them to create opportunity for people and society to flourish?
9. Where and when do you have your best ideas?
A. Often, when brainstorming with people. Bouncing ideas off other people is extremely helpful. You often have to work through some bad ideas to get to the gold. On the other hand, I sometimes love to sit on a rock somewhere high up, where I can see far – this helps with giving me headspace to see the wood for the trees.
10. Where and how do you market/advertise your organisation?
A. We showcase what we do on all social media platforms, and regularly appear in print and broadcast media. What makes us different is that we’re not marketing or selling a product: we’re trying to sell ideas, and to mobilise and inspire people to see their opportunity and potential in being a part of crafting a new narrative for our country.
11. What is next for your organisation?
A. Some interesting opportunities have presented themselves through the pandemic, such as taking us into a virtual world. Where we used to be provincially bound, we’re seeing our national footprint and community really growing and being more influential. We want to grow into spaces where our community of investors and implementors in social development can be part of policy discussions and industry streamlining so as to better work together as a sector for the greater good of our country and its people.
12. What advice would you give to female entrepreneurs hoping to start their own business?
A. Be authentic! So often, we think we need to be something else: strong, opinionated, hard. You don’t. You need to be only yourself. Know that you’re not perfect, and know your why: there will be amazing days, but also challenging and hard days, and if you don’t have a firm conviction of what you are trying to accomplish, it can be difficult to keep going.
For more information visit: https://proudnationbuilder.co.za/
