Gia Whitehead, born in Johannesburg, is the Chairperson and one of the Founders of TSIBA Business School, which began in 2004 and opened doors for its first students in Cape Town in 2005. For all these years, she has worked with TSIBA’s Sustainability team and is responsible for building strategic partnerships, fundraising through CSI and Enterprise Development and building TSiBA’s endowment through the TSIBA Fund. Gia’s role has included the innovation and replicability of the TSIBA model impacting youth from our impoverished communities throughout the Western Cape, South Africa.
Gia also consults to a few other organisations including the Centre for Analytics and Behavioural Change (CABC) assisting with fundraising, the driving of strategy, and sustainability.
She sits on the United Herzlia Schools Board as an Independent Governor and previously represented TSIBA on the Board of JP Morgan Chase, and on the Board/Trustee of Lucca Leadership South Africa. She has a Bachelor of Information Technology and completed her Postgraduate studies in Enterprise Management at UCT. She has worked for CIDA City Campus managing strategic projects and funding. Gia was recognized as one of South Africa’s 100 Brightest Young Minds in 2002 and was awarded Top Women Entrepreneur of the Year 2012 (Topco Media).
My Passion: My passion is to change young people’s attitude towards their future and South Africa’s. Unless people take charge of their own paths, focus on gaining knowledge and skills to equip themselves in this changing world, as leaders and entrepreneurs with a social responsibility then we will never truly make significant changes and progress. I am passionate about people, finding solutions and the inner uniqueness of every human being to inspire and build positive change. I love growing and learning with my family and role modelling to my children that I am a career woman committed to work life balance.
My Dream: For South Africa to be a safe and healthy place to thrive for years to come, so that the beauty of the people and places are preserved. Personally, I dream to leave a legacy for my children to follow their dreams and live with purpose too!
How I would change our world: As described above…..Education, Education and sharing love and positive stories to create hope inside others and the broader society.
