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Mark Sham is a dynamic entrepreneur, author, and speaker from South Africa, renowned for his passionate advocacy of informal education and his commitment to supporting small businesses. Despite being expelled from school at 17 and lacking formal education, Mark mastered the world of informal learning, leveraging his experiences and self-taught knowledge to propel his career forward. He is the founder of several innovative ventures, including Suits & Sneakers, The Tryst, and Like a Tourist.
Suits & Sneakers is a social enterprise dedicated to revolutionizing education. It hosts events and creates content aimed at promoting lifelong learning through informal education, believing in the power of continuous learning to stay relevant in today’s fast-paced world.
The Tryst is a multi-purpose content creation hub located in Johannesburg, featuring a hybrid event space, video studios, training areas, and a bar. It serves as a collaborative space for bold brands and innovative ideas, helping individuals and companies create meaningful and engaging content.
Like a Tourist focuses on creating unique travel content that highlights the beauty and diverse experiences available in South Africa, aiming to inspire both locals and visitors to explore and appreciate the country’s many hidden gems.
Mark’s entrepreneurial journey is remarkable, given his unconventional path to success. He speaks with a ferocious energy and passion, adept at synthesizing broad-based thinking into formats that audiences can understand. He is not only creating awareness around his vision to change education and training in South Africa but also forging a network of entrepreneurs and corporate businesses to champion these causes.
Mark has spoken at various notable events, including the EOH Finance Indaba and the CEO Series with Lee Naik. He has been invited to speak at events hosted by companies such as EOH, City Logistics, and Standard Bank.
Event planners should consider booking Mark Sham for their next event because of his unique perspective on education and entrepreneurship. His talks are insightful, humorously delivered, and filled with thought-provoking messages. He has a proven track record of captivating audiences and leaving them energized and inspired. His passion for transforming education and his commitment to lifelong learning make him a valuable addition to any event.
In summary, Mark Sham is a passionate entrepreneur and speaker who is making significant strides in revolutionizing education through his various ventures. His story of overcoming adversity and using unconventional means to achieve success serves as an inspiration to many aspiring entrepreneurs and lifelong learners. His dynamic speaking style and commitment to lifelong learning make him a sought-after speaker for events focused on education, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
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Since a child, David Felix has been fascinated with magic. Now, he dazzles his audiences consistently. He successfully creates a sense of wonder and amazement in any environment.
He has been a resident magician at Carnival City and he has performed for blue-chip companies, events and private functions.
David has also been a part of the comedy circuit performing at various comedy venues throughout Johannesburg.
He recently attended the annual Blackpool Magic Conventions; the most prestigious convention of its kind in the world
David is one of the few stage mentalists in South Africa. Seeing is believing. Is mind reading, telekinesis and future prediction possible?
Find yourself in a world where all things are possible.
Experience the amazement of a child. With audience participation, David will perform wonders whether you have a crowd of 50 or 500 people. He will leave you with memories for years to come!
Take your private or corporate functions/events to the next level. Watch David Felix perform expert sleight of hand miracles.
Feel the energy, fun and excitement. Watch people gaze in amazement as the fork twists and turns. Paper changes to money.
Cards appear from nowhere and much more …
It’s time to feel that joyful child again. Have your mind stretched into areas you never knew existed.
Experience the crazy comedy that also goes with it!
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Vito Di Bari resides in Miami, FL. He maintains a global reputation of excellence as the world’s premiere futurist, innovation strategist and inspirational keynote speaker. His charming and entertaining style leaves nothing to be desired.
Vito is the only keynote speaker who has given a TEDx Talk in five world continents. Vito is an esteemed former professor of Project Design and Management of Innovation at both the Polytechnic University and Bocconi University in Milan.
He has also served as Executive Director for the IMI Institute of UNESCO in Paris; the candidate city of Milan has chosen Vito Di Bari to be the Innovation Designer of the World Fair Expo 2015.
Founder and CEO
In 2001, Vito Di Bari has secured his visions and legacy by founding Next Media Lab – a cutting edge international research laboratory, named “Milan’s think tank” by Wired Magazine, where he currently serves as CEO. After moving to Miami Beach, Di Bari has founded Di Bari & Associates – a design studio is changing the world a neighborhood at the time through his cutting edge artistic iconic urban installations, using recent discoveries in various fields such as AR, sensors and 3D printing.
Author
Vito di Bari is a recognized author on innovative theories, Di Bari has published a multitude of works including the books: Social Killer, Short Circuit, Web 2.0, The Future is Already Here (but we don’t know it yet), 2015, Weekend in the Future, Strategies for the Next Economy, The Digital Economy Encyclopedia, Key Words for the Net Economy, and Multimedia Management. In addition to his books, Di Bari is a contributing writer for various magazines including WIRED, Harvard Business Review, Panorama (Italy) and Il Sole 24 Ore (Italy). He has also appeared as a host for television’s Discovery Channel and the Italian broadcasting network Italia 1.
University Faculty
Di Bari has held numerous titles of professorship, including: Professor of Design and Management of Innovation at the Faculty of System Engineering of the Polytechnic University and Professor of Innovation Design at the Bocconi University in Milan; Professor of New Media Theories and Techniques at the Communication Science and Technology Faculty of the IULM University in Milan; Professor of Multimedia Innovation Management at the Computer Science Faculty of the Polytechnic University in Milan; Professor of Design and Management of Multimedia Systems at the Design Faculty of the Polytechnic University in Milan; Scientific Director of the Master in Marketing, Communications and New Technologies at the Business School of Il Sole 24 Ore.
Boards and Committees
Executive Vice-President of SPN (Satellite Program Network) – America’s first satellite television network based in New York, member of the Scientific Committee of the International Institute for Opera and Poetry of UNESCO, Member of the Fiction Financing Committee Euro-Aim MEDIA with the Council of Europe (Bruxelles), Chairman of the Arts & Communication International Fellowship of Rotary International (Evanston, IL).
In Italy, Chairman of the Scientific Committee of ASCAI (the Association of Corporate Communications Executives), member of the Advisory Board of the Accenture Foundation, the Scientific Committee of Harvard Business Review and the Executive Board of the Industrial Districts Association.
MORE THAN A KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Nicknamed The Dream Team, DiBari & Associates is a unique Associated Studio bringing together star-artists and star-designers from five continents to deliver the best that the world has to offer.
Mission
We design the cityscapes of the future, today.
We all share the same vision: creating memorable, metaphorical, iconic art installations while implementing new materials, new technologies and brand new ideas. We design Emotional Cityscapes.
Vision
With everything we do, Vito di Bari believes that beauty will save the world, one place at a time. Vito di Bari looks at these sites as canvases waiting to be painted with emotions, becoming the pride of residents and destinations for visitors.
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Carmen Murray is the founder of Boo-Yah! a leading Modern Marketing Business that provides a number of initiatives to ensure businesses become Future Fit™.
She is a marketing activist and torchbearer for Diversity and Inclusion and was recently recognised by Meltwater as the top Women in Tech, Africa, 2019.
She received the most prestigious award, a Black Pixel, IAB Bookmarks 2019 for her best individual contribution to Digital, Africa 2019.
Murray has become a household name among business professionals and flying through the ranks as she applies robust approaches to help businesses become Future Fit™. Her strong background in Content, Digital, Mobile, Innovation and Data Analytics, allows her to identify emerging trends and conceptualise disruptive marketing strategies, deployed with precision.
The customer and their needs are always at the heart of her approach.
Carmen delivers thought-provoking keynotes to fuel creativity and inspire innovation. She has been a keynote speaker in over 40 countries and got to deliver over 250 masterclasses in 3 years to a combined audience of 11,000 business professionals.
Carmen Murray continues to be a popular panelist on both the local and international conference circuit. Murray can also be found on the Digital Airwaves with her charting Podcast in Marketing:
The Carmen Murray Show | #FutureFit Yourself. She interviews Activists, Storytellers, Celebrities, Newsmakers, and Business Experts across the globe.
She also collaborated with John Vlismas and started another podcast:
The IN with the TWO Outsiders.
Industry Contributions include MMA, IAB, DMA, MRMW, AMASA, BOGDM which includes GIBS, AAA School of Advertising, and an array of local and international business schools. She is also the exclusive representative of The Connected Marketer™ in Africa which includes courses on CX, UX, AI, Mobile to name a few. Carmen Murray also lectures at the University of Johannesburg. (UJ)
She served on the following councils:
Carmen started a quarterly Future Fit™ Networking event, powered by Boo-Yah! and joined forces with the University of Johannesburg, Department of Marketing and Management to create an annual #MarketingFit Event for Marketing Professionals of South Africa.
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Professor Shirley Zinn is the former Group Head of Human Resources at Woolworths Holdings Limited. Prior to this, she was the Head of Human Resources of Standard Bank South Africa and Deputy Global Head of Human Resources for the Standard Bank Group.
Prior to this she was the Group Executive HR at Nedbank. Before this, she was the General Manager for Human Resources at the South African Revenue Service (SARS).
She is also an Extraordinary Professor at the University of Pretoria’s Department of Human Resource Management, and recently been appointed as Adjunct Professor at the University of Cape Town.
Shirley is the Past President of the Institute for People Management South Africa and registered as Master HR Professional with South Africa Board for People Practice.
Professor Shirley Zinn hails from the Cape Flats in Cape Town, and started her career as a secondary school teacher of English, then moved to the University of the Western Cape where she lectured in Teacher Education.
After this, Professor Shirley Zinn served at Southern Life as Training Manager and then moved to the Department of Public Service and Administrations’: South African Management Development Institute, in Pretoria as Director.
She held the position of Executive Employment Equity at Computer Configurations Holdings. Before her appointment at SARS, she filled the role of Regional Human Resources Director for Middle East and Africa for Reckitt Benckiser, a global company listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Professor Shirley Zinn is the former Chairman of DHL: Global Forwarding SA, and currently a Non-Executive Director on the Boards of JSE listed AdvTech (Lead Independent and Chair of Remco) and Sygnia Asset Management (Lead Independent, and Chair of Remco and Social and Ethics Committee).
She also serves as a director on the Boards of Tuesday Consulting, Empowerment Capital, Knowledge Resources, Business Engage, Community Chest, and the Boston Consulting Group SA. In addition, she is the HR Advisor to the Board of Silvertree Internet Holdings.
Professor Shirley Zinn also serves on the Takeover Regulation Panel Board and on the Council of the University of Cape Town. She is a Trustee on the Nedbank Eyethu Community Trust, Ambassador for the Orbis Africa Charity, and the former Chairman of Starfish Greathearts Foundation.
She also serves on the Advisory Boards of Monash South Africa, and the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Shirley is the past President for the Harvard Alumni Association South Africa and a Fellow of the Institute of Directors SA.
She also previously served as the Chair of the Institute of Bankers. She was recently appointed as the Patron for South Africa Council of Business Women.
She is a coach and mentor to several women across multiple industries She has presented at numerous national and international conferences as a keynote speaker.
In 2015, she wrote her autobiography entitled “Swimming Upstream” which focuses on her personal and professional journey. It has officially been announced as a best-seller.
In 2016, she presented several “Swimming Upstream” talks nationally at corporates, schools, universities and charities, with the hope of motivating and inspiring especially youth and women that they can achieve despite adversity, and to never give up.
She holds a BA (University of the Western Cape); Post Graduate Higher Diploma in Education (University of the Western Cape); B.Ed. Honours (UNISA); M.Ed. (University of the Western Cape); Ed.M. (Harvard); and Doctorate in Education (Harvard).
Professor Shirley Zinn was awarded the Top Woman in Business and Government and Top Executive in Corporate South Africa by Topco Media in 2008. Professor Zinn also was recognized by the Black Business Quarterly and received the Award for Top Woman in Business and Government and most Visionary Woman in 2008.
She also received an award from the World Human resources Congress in Mumbai in 2007 and 2013 respectively for Excellence in Global HR Leadership. In 2012, was listed in the Top 30 Wonder Women in South Africa by the Wits Business Journal.
Professor Shirley Zinn was awarded Africa’s Most Influential Women in Business and Government for 2016 in the SME Sector by CEO Global.
She also completed her ninth Two Oceans Half Marathon in March 2018.
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Nicola Cooper is a trailblazing cultural strategist and trend analyst who has redefined the way businesses understand and engage with African markets. With an extensive background in visual identity, business analysis, and global sociology, she is an authority on consumer behavior and cultural shifts. Nicola’s insights empower brands to navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of fashion, lifestyle, youth culture, and digital trends, ensuring their strategies are not only relevant but deeply rooted in authenticity.
As the founder of Nicola Cooper & Associates, an independent consultancy specializing in African market insights, she has advised top-tier companies on how to integrate global trends while staying true to local identities. Her deep understanding of “glocalization” enables organizations to harness international influences that resonate with their target audience while simultaneously elevating homegrown movements to the global stage. Nicola is a sought-after keynote speaker, known for her engaging and thought-provoking presentations that challenge traditional perspectives and encourage innovation.
Nicola Cooper’s career spans over two decades of research, analysis, and strategic consulting within the fashion, lifestyle, and cultural spheres. She has built a reputation as one of Africa’s leading voices in consumer trends, helping businesses decode the shifting behaviors of modern audiences. Her work is particularly instrumental in guiding brands through the complexities of African identity and aesthetics, offering them a roadmap to create meaningful connections with local consumers.
A firm believer in data-driven storytelling, Nicola’s approach blends academic rigor with real-world application. She holds qualifications in visual identity and design, business analysis, and global sociology, with a specialization in identity formation. This multidisciplinary background equips her with a unique lens to explore how identity, culture, and commerce intersect, particularly in emerging markets.
Through her consultancy, Nicola Cooper & Associates, she collaborates with major corporations, startups, and creative enterprises to bridge the gap between local cultural movements and commercial success. Her ability to identify emerging trends and translate them into actionable strategies has made her an invaluable asset to industries ranging from retail and entertainment to technology and media.
In addition to her consultancy work, Nicola has been a featured speaker at numerous high-profile industry events, including Bizcommunity’s BizTrends sessions. She frequently shares her insights on the future of business, the rise of African consumer power, and the significance of embracing authenticity in branding. Her work is widely published and has contributed to shaping narratives around African identity in the global market.
Event planners looking for a dynamic and knowledgeable speaker who can provide deep, research-backed insights into African consumer behavior and cultural trends will find Nicola Cooper to be an ideal choice. Her expertise in trend forecasting, brand positioning, and strategic cultural analysis makes her an invaluable resource for businesses seeking to stay ahead of industry shifts.
Nicola’s presentations are known for their engaging, insightful, and forward-thinking approach. She has a talent for breaking down complex cultural trends into digestible, actionable insights that audiences can immediately apply to their own strategies. Whether addressing executives, marketers, or creatives, Nicola ensures that her content is both relevant and thought-provoking.
Her ability to highlight the importance of cultural relevance and authenticity in branding makes her a standout choice for conferences, corporate summits, and industry panels. She tailors her content to suit the needs of each audience, ensuring that event organizers receive a customized experience that aligns with their specific objectives. With a keen eye on the future, Nicola provides event attendees with a fresh perspective on how global and local trends converge to shape consumer landscapes.
Nicola Cooper is a highly respected cultural strategist and trend analyst, renowned for her expertise in African markets, consumer behavior, and brand positioning. As the founder of Nicola Cooper & Associates, she has helped businesses navigate cultural shifts and integrate meaningful, locally relevant strategies. Her thought leadership and research-backed insights make her a sought-after speaker for industry events, where she delivers engaging and transformative presentations.
With her unique ability to blend academic knowledge with real-world applications, Nicola is an essential voice for businesses aiming to connect authentically with African audiences. Event planners looking for an authoritative and compelling speaker will find her to be a game-changing addition to their lineup.
Hashtags: #CulturalStrategy #TrendAnalysis #AfricanMarkets #ConsumerBehavior #BrandStrategy #Glocalization #Innovation #KeynoteSpeaker #MarketingInsights #FutureOfBusiness
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