The Add IDEAS Podcast

E6: We have now emerged from Covid-19 to a climate of war. We still have losses and are yet to see recovery. Will there also be a war on DEI in South Africa?

Today, we spoke with diversity, equity and inclusion speaker and facilitator Roy Gluckman-John about what conversations we need to urgently have to bring much-needed change and build a community with a better sense of belonging.

Reflecting on the past few years, we speak of a shared view that there is so much to be said about grief and loss. Not just a loss of community but also the grief of not being heard leaving many voiceless.

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Follow Roy Gluckman-John:

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roy-gluckman-a0101027/

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Annemarie Shrouder (she/her), international speaker, consultant and author of Being Brown in a Black and White World, which shares the personal and organisational costs of polarisation, joined me today to talk about the essentials for community building and what we can borrow or learn from post-COVID-19 amid waning global commitments.

On today’s episode:
0:00 - Intro & welcome
0:24 - Common frustrations shared since the start
2:47 - Inclusion vs Belonging and other polarisations
4:12 - “Healing requires that we all need to do our own work”
5:52 - Learning from parenthood for the best workplace
9:42 - The impact of COVID-19 on community and balance
15:09 - The tools we can use today
17:39 - The power of intersectionality on how we show up
20:58 - Wellness and heart-based exercises as impact drivers
24:20 - “Everyone is doing the best they can with the trauma they carry”
26:15 - Looking ahead with 5% more courage
30:53 - Wrap-up

RESOURCES
Annemarie’s Book: https://annemarieshrouder.com/book/
(Amazon) - https://www.amazon.com/Being-Brown-Black-White-World-ebook/dp/B09224CN47
The HeartMath Institute: https://www.heartmath.org/

More About Annemarie Shrouder:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemarieshrouder/
Website: https://annemarieshrouder.com/

Thank you for listening, following and sharing the podcast. Did you love this episode? Please feel free to leave a comment and let us know.

E7: We delve into the concept of visibility vs freedom in the LGBTQ+ community with the multi-talented Creative, Writer, Performer, and Organiser, Udoka Maya Okonkwo (they/her).

They begin with a personal "Visibility Journey" followed by a thought-provoking discussion on articulating the idea of freedom for LGBTQ+ individuals today.

The conversation explores navigating different Pride experiences (Black, Trans and Commercial) by addressing community needs more while stressing the importance of finding the right community. Self-acceptance goes a long way in underscoring this as Udoka reminds us that: "there is no such thing as being Queer enough, or Trans enough, or Gay enough. You Are Just Enough."

In our conversation, we shift focus to widening opportunities and access within the community, before tackling critical issues that necessitate collective action and intersectionality. Strategies for addressing injustices, continuing allyship, and organising are explored.

RESOURCES

https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/entertainment/reality-tv/big-brother-nadia-almada-empowering-exclusive-newsupdate/

https://www.consortium.lgbt/member-directory/black-trans-foundation/

https://www.instagram.com/londontranspride/

https://www.ukblackpride.org.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/miseryparty/?hl=en

https://www.leonardcheshire.org/get-involved/campaign-us/cost-living?gad_source=1

https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/04/04/un-body-calls-uk-end-detention-people-disabilities

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-68849843

https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-9602/CBP-9602.pdf

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/11/a-new-abyss-gaza-and-the-hundred-years-war-on-palestine

CLUBS

https://dalstonsuperstore.com/

https://www.instagram.com/heavenlgbtclub/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/tboys.club/?hl=en

BOOKS

• Against Equality: Queer Revolution, Not Mere Inclusion (Ryan Conrad)
• The Discworld Collector's Library (Terry Pratchett)
• Global Black Narratives for the Classroom (BLAM UK)
• Kindred (Octavia E. Butler)

Thank you for listening, following and sharing the podcast. Did you love this episode? Please feel free to leave a comment and let us know.

Today’s guest, Melilizwe Gqobo (he/him) - Founding Director of Hubspace (Khayelitsha) and Venture Scout, has successfully created space for founders and entrepreneurs to thrive by strengthening and reinforcing their capacity or ability to seek opportunities.

With the hindsight of co-founding Hubspace, a pioneering startup ecosystem or incubator space to bring communal offices and resources to entrepreneurs and founders within the township economy, meaningfully contributing over 5% to South Africa’s GDP, Melilizwe shares key lessons and insights on what it takes to make a successful venture while highlighting examples from Bolt and Uber’s entry to the South African/African market.

What's Covered On This Episode:
0:00 - The Entrepreneurship and Founder Ecosystems

1:23 - Founder Lessons and Challenges

4:40 - Reasons why I became an Entrepreneur

6:02 - The Opportunity Set – NGOs

8:07 - Making a successful venture

10:51 - Does First Mover Advantage Exist?

12:50 - The Role of Enterprise Development

14:51 - The Township Economy

25:39 - The Importance of Patient Capital, Support, Routine and Mindset for Preservation

32:57 - Allyship: Creating space and an intentional community

38:29 - Innovation and AI

46:17 - Wrap-up: Key Takeaways

RESOURCES:

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2015/04/04/397101933/far-from-silicon-valley-a-disruptive-startup-hub

https://disruptafrica.com/2014/11/15/townships-offer-real-investment-opportunities-hubspace/

https://www.news24.com/news24/partnercontent/the-rise-and-rise-of-the-township-economy-20230621

https://www.parliament.gov.za/news/multifaceted-approach-needed-deal-protection-fee-and-business-extortion-syndicates-ncop-hears

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz5reve8476o

Follow Melilizwe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melilizwe-gqobo-6229a729/

Thank you for listening, following and sharing the podcast. Did you love this episode? Please feel free to leave a comment and let us know.

My friend, what should be happening to resolve the problems South Africans face with spaza shops?
Want to find the right niche?

Today, we delve deep into the multifaceted world of entrepreneurship, exploring the challenges and opportunities that shape the landscape for modern business owners and reflecting on South Africa's potentially limiting identity crisis.

Join us as we sit down with Avelile Nontanda, the founder and CEO of Mayhem Digital with more than 10 years of experience helping businesses and brands live their best digital lives from Google to social media and father. Avelile gets candid about shared realities such as dealing with Black Tax, not-so-friendly spaza shops and the importance of a self-reliant economy.

We discuss the challenges and opportunities facing entrepreneurs today, the importance of a strong brand identity, and the power of digital marketing.

In this conversation, we'll cover:

00:00 - Finding Your Niche: Being a Jack of All Trades, Master of Niche

06:25 - The Google Dilemma and Exploring Ownership

15:51 - Dealing with “Pull Him/Her Down” Syndrome and The Discount Mentality

21:29 - Finding a Balance After Groove and Equal Focus

26:10 - First World and Third World Fallacies

29:15 - Black Tax is Good and Bad at the Same Time

40:54 - Digital Nomads, Why start in Cape Town, and Can Looks Be Deceiving?

Resources:

• Mayhem Digital
• Follow Avelile Nontanda on LinkedIn
• Listen to the related episode 8 with Melilizwe Gqobo
• Google's market dominance and antitrust
• Microsoft and ChatGPT are not what Elon Musk intended
• The Evolution of Spaza shops
• Spaza shop food health inflicting children and who to blame

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