Overview
We designed and facilitated a three-day event called Mindfest for over 60 South African and international thought leaders.
We designed and facilitated a three-day event called Mindfest, convened by the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS). Over 60 South African and international thought leaders came together to create a network of ideas and relationships which inform leadership at this crucial time in the country.
The objectives of Mindfest were: to provide an informal and contained environment for meaningful conversation around the pressing issues of our time in South Africa; to learn from the other participants’ insights and experiences, thereby building relationships of trust; to explore the local developments of the town of Knysna and learn from this context, as a microcosm of South Africa; and to be inspired by innovative ideas and contributions to South Africa’s socio-economic progress.
At the closing session, participants articulated their “take aways”, which included: the emergence of hope and a resolve to take action; a realization that we cannot afford to outsource politics; a sense of inspiration derived from the work of other participants and the site visits; the creation of a network of people interested and involved in further developing the country; a revived sense of South Africa’s achievement; and a realization that discomfort over unresolved social ills can be useful to the problem solving process.