Jonathan is a seasoned leader with over two decades of impact in international education. He's a specialist in teaching, school leadership, and education policy. After teaching at a primary school in Emalahleni, he moved to the UK to broaden his experience. He cut his teeth in leadership under the non-profit ARK and became the Principal at London’s top non-selective school. He then went on to become ARK’s Head of Primary Support. A wife and three children later, he returned to South Africa as Country Director for the Education Partnerships Group. Apart from his family, Jonathan loves robust systems, routines, and harmonious cultures.

Valerie Anderson is a strategic advisor and organisational architect with over 18 years of experience in the non-profit and for-purpose sector. She specialises in governance, operational leadership, facilitation and strategic planning, helping organisations align structure with purpose and impact. She brings strong experience in HR, financial management, compliance, and programme design, helping organisations navigate complexity and build for sustainability.

She has worked with partners including World Vision, Tearfund, The Justice Conference, Ikamva Labantu, and the Connect Foundation. As Operations Manager at the Kolisi Foundation, she led the development and implementation of its inaugural three-year strategic plan, laying strong organisational foundations and developing its early programmatic work.

Valerie is known for her ability to bring clarity and design collaborative, people-centred processes that enable teams to flourish. She holds an MPhil in Development Studies and a BSocSci Honours Psychology from the University of Cape Town, and postgraduate training in Leadership in Urban Transformation from the University of Pretoria.

Terence Beney has been evaluating programmes and providing technical assistance in evaluation and international development across the African continent since 2002. His clients have included local and international NGOs, government departments, multilateral and bilateral donors, and major philanthropic foundations. He has worked across multiple sectors ,including public health, education, democracy and governance, social welfare, and market systems development, and is typically contracted as a senior technical expert or team leader.

Terence’s core strengths include rigorous research and evaluation design, strong written and visual communication skills, and a solid grounding in data science. He is deeply committed to strengthening the evaluation community of practice, contributing to shared knowledge, and previously served as Chair of the South African Monitoring & Evaluation Association in 2015. He also co-founded Feedback Research & Analytics, a research and evaluation consultancy, where he held various leadership roles between 2002 and 2014.

Angie Booysen is a Chartered Accountant with over nine years of post-articles experience in financial reporting, analysis, and strategic finance. She trained and worked at KPMG in Pretoria, later gaining international experience during a secondment to Belgium. Angie has since held senior roles in group finance and reporting, specialising in consolidations, systems, and financial strategy across large, multi-entity organisations.

With early career experience in the education sector, she combines financial rigour with a practical understanding of the sector’s unique challenges and opportunities. She is passionate about using her expertise to strengthen financial sustainability and strategic decision-making across education and advisory initiatives.

He is an experienced education leader with over 15 years of expertise in driving impactful educational initiatives across South Africa.  He also served as National Quality Assurance Manager at the Maths Centre, ensuring high educational standards nationwide, and as Project Manager, overseeing key initiatives to enhance mathematics education in the Free State region. Tapiwa’s career began as an educator with the Gauteng Department of Education, followed by a role as a Junior Lecturer at Chinhoyi University of Technology in Zimbabwe. He holds a Master’s degree and Postgraduate Diploma in Monitoring and Evaluation from Stellenbosch University, as well as a Bachelor of Technology in Project Management, cum laude. Known for his leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving, Tapiwa is committed to improving education for all learners.

Angel is an operations professional with over six years of hands-on experience in operations management, project coordination, workflow design, and organisational systems optimisation. She applies systems-thinking principles to streamline processes, strengthen operational structures, and enhance cross-functional collaboration within organisations.

She holds a postgraduate degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand and is passionate about building operational foundations that enable teams to work more effectively and sustainably. Her work is driven by a commitment to equitable, high-quality outcomes across South Africa’s education and social-impact landscape, ensuring that well-designed systems and processes empower teams to deliver transformative results.

Jade is a seasoned impact partner with nearly 15 years’ experience in managing educational and social-impact initiatives in South Africa, with additional research and implementation experience across Eastern and Southern Africa. She began her work in the rural Eastern Cape as founder of Sophakama Community Partnership.

She went on to lead Nal’ibali, South Africa’s national reading-for-enjoyment campaign, through a significant period of growth and scaling, before working across a range of initiatives including SmartStart and ECDConnect. Jade now works at the intersection of social impact strategy, systems design, and facilitation - supporting initiatives that require behaviour change, cross-sector collaboration, and practical implementation. Her work spans education and the circular economy, alongside non-profit leadership and technology-enabled solutions in health and education.

She is a master’s candidate in Political Science at Stellenbosch University, specializing in education policy. Her research focuses on utilizing policy analysis to advance South Africa's education goals, particularly in improving access, equity, and quality. With a strong interest in how effective governance and policy reform can shape better educational outcomes, Jessica aims to contribute to the development of policies that address the country’s unique challenges in the education sector.

With more than 30 years of experience as a development consultant, Herman Meyer specializes in human capital development with a focus on education. He has been instrumental in various programs aimed at transforming education systems through evidence-based responses. Herman bridges the gap between research and practice, thanks to his long-standing association with Resep (Stellenbosch University) and LEAP Science and Maths Schools. Married to Heleen, a food consultant, Herman is a father to Inge and Armand and is committed to driving both personal and systemic educational change.

Dhereshni has spent 25 years in the Education Sector locally and abroad. She began her career as a teacher at a low-fee private school network in South Africa. She spent 8 years working for Spark Schools improving learning models, content and delivery of curriculum, assessments as well as school assets and infrastructure. She also designed and delivered professional development to instructional, operational and leadership staff. She was the Head of Instructional Leadership for Common Good’s Education Team and a coach for the Instructional Leadership Institute. She is passionate about innovation and the drive for school improvement.

Gill has been active in the education, training, and development sector for over 30 years. She holds a Pre-Primary Teachers Diploma and a Postgraduate Degree in Education and Psychology, and is an expert in Early Childhood Development (ECD). Gill has extensive experience in project implementation, quality assurance, and research across Sub-Saharan Africa. She designs and develops ECD materials and training courses, conducts capacity-building programs, and has created an age-appropriate assessment tool used in multiple projects.

Gill has in-depth knowledge of the South African ECD context, including relevant legislation and curricula, and has worked across all levels of ECD implementation, from local to national. She collaborates closely with NGOs, government departments, universities, donors, and training providers, and has served as a verifier for the ETDP SETA. Gill is an academic board member for the Centre for Creative Education, a retired Assitej board member, and a conference presenter. Outside of work, she is active in the Scouting Association of South Africa and her local environmental group, G.E.E.S.E.

A Master of Economics graduate at the University of the Witwatersrand with two years of experience as a Quant and Consultant. Sive has honed skills in research, data analysis, and stakeholder engagement. Driven by a deep passion for development and a strong belief in the power of data analytics to inform policy decisions, she is eager to make a meaningful impact in the field of economics and public policy, with a focus on sustainable development and equity in South Africa.

A Fulbright scholar with a Master's in Economics from Rhodes and Vanderbilt Universities, is a dedicated advocate for educational equity in South Africa. With 3 years of experience as a data analyst, she leverages her expertise in data analysis, quantitative research, and financial modeling to drive transformative change. Peace investigates the financial impact of mismanagement, promoting data-informed solutions to optimize resource allocation and improve educational outcomes.

Duncan is an experienced consultant and a coach in the non-profit sector focusing on operational, systems and people development. He has over 15 years’ experience working in management and executive positions across operations, finance and administration. Duncan was Associate Director for the South Africa branch of the global non-profit ARK.

Under Education Partnerships Group, he was responsible for building models of excellence for the WCED-led Collaboration Schools pilot. He is the Associate Director at the Instructional Leadership Institute, with a focus on Business Development. Duncan loves adventuring outdoors with his family, making music and restoring vintage sports cars.

Coralee van Schalkwyk is a passionate educator with over 13 years of experience in school leadership, professional development, and educational transformation. She has held multiple senior roles at SPARK Schools, including Founding Principal, Regional Manager, and Professional Development Manager, where she led instructional coaching, teacher development programs, and school turnaround projects. Coralee has supported over 20 schools in improving learner outcomes through data-driven instructional leadership, curriculum implementation, and talent development.

Known for her thoughtful and collaborative approach, Coralee excels at building strong relationships with school teams and driving academic excellence across multiple campuses. With a deep understanding of the South African education landscape, she equips educators and leaders with practical strategies to foster continuous improvement and lasting impact for learners.

Philip Timberlake is a Chartered Accountant and seasoned financial executive who specialises in bringing order from complexity — turning financial noise into clarity and operational chaos into well-governed, sustainable performance.

With over two decades of senior financial leadership, including roles as Chief Financial Officer (Health) at the Standard Bank Group, Philip holds board positions across a range of commercial and not-for-profit entities and, as a Member of the Institute of Directors of South Africa, brings deep expertise in finance, governance, and strategy.

In his role as fractional CFO, Philip partners with the Proteus leadership team to optimise commercial outcomes, mitigate financial risk, and help establish the governance structures that support long-term growth.

Philip read his undergraduate degree in Accounting at the University of Cape Town and completed postgraduate studies in Specialised Accounting, Integrated Thinking and Value Creation at the Universities of KwaZulu-Natal and the Witwatersrand, most recently completing the Executive Leadership Programme at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.