Amy Deschenes is the Head of User Experience & Digital Accessibility at Harvard University Library, where she leads initiatives to create inclusive and user-centered digital experiences across the organization. She oversees user experience strategy, research, and digital projects to ensure that the library meets the needs of its diverse community of students, faculty, and researchers. Amy has established best practices for the user experience program at Harvard Library. She champions inclusive design principles and collaborates closely with stakeholders across the organization to ensure services are user-centered. She is an active leader on campus-wide efforts related to digital accessibility. Amy also teaches in the User-Centered Design program at Brandeis University.
Dr Olebogeng Selebi is a strategic communication expert from the Department of Business Management at the University of Pretoria. She is also the Deputy Director of the Centre for the Future of Work (CFoW) and former Associate Co-ordinator for the South African SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Hub. Dr Selebi believes in the use of research-based, academically sound, real-world communication strategies that facilitate business development and success by getting to the root of stakeholder expectations and delivering mutually-beneficial communication solutions. She is a member of the Board of Trustees at Momentum FundsAtWork (overseeing various funds), as well as a member of the Board of Directors at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS). Dr Selebi completed a PhD in Communication Management from the University of Pretoria. Her PhD research culminated in the development of a communication framework for South Africa’s National Development Plan (NDP). She holds qualifications in the fields of communication, media, and economics from the University of Graz (Austria), the University of Porto (Portugal), and the University of Milan (Italy). She has extensive teaching experience in Business Communication Skills, Corporate Communication Management and Reputation Management, having lectured approximately 2000 undergraduate and postgraduate students every year. Her professional career also involved a visiting lectureship at HAN University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. Before her career in academia, she worked as a Junior Communication Consultant at Burson-Marsteller Africa. She also had the pleasure of hosting the first Nobel Prize Dialogue event ever to take place on African soil.
With a passion for business transformation, knowledge management, and behavioural change management, Prof Hanlie Smuts’ career has focused on optimising business performance and operating models in the ICT sector. She has driven digital transformation by aligning traditional business models with evolving digital ecosystems. As Head of Product and Digital Development at MTN SA, she was seconded by the MTN Group President and CEO to lead a strategic joint venture selling telco insurance across Africa. She managed the business, operating, and process models, successfully launching in Uganda and Ghana while supporting expansion in Zambia, Rwanda, Côte d’Ivoire, and Nigeria. Since joining the University of Pretoria in 2017, her teaching and research have focused on IT’s organizational impact, ensuring graduates are industry-ready. She integrates practical skills with theoretical knowledge and supervises postgraduate research on IT trends and digital transformation. She currently serves as the Head of the Department of Informatics and Chair of the School of Information Technology, where she leads academic and research initiatives to advance the field. A facilitator, mentor, and knowledge sharer, she is dedicated to grooming young leaders as critical, innovative thinkers. She is actively involved in professional societies and industry collaborations, frequently contributing as a speaker at guest lectures, conferences, and expert panels.
Kagiso is a visionary design leader at Nedbank Insurance, where he is redefining the future of financial services through the lens of ethical automation and inclusive digital transformation. With a career rooted in AI-driven UX, digital strategy, and human-centered design, Kagiso is committed to ensuring that innovation serves everyone, not just the privileged few. As Design Lead, Kagiso champions simplicity and accessibility in complex systems, crafting experiences that are intuitive, equitable, and grounded in real-world impact. His work bridges the gap between cutting-edge technology and the lived realities of users, particularly in the Global South, where economic and social barriers often limit access to digital tools. Kagiso’s approach is informed by a deep understanding of the systemic challenges facing underserved communities. He believes that design has the power to close the digital divide by embedding equity and accessibility into every layer of the user experience. His leadership at Nedbank Insurance reflects this ethos, as he steers the organisation toward solutions that are not only efficient but also ethically sound and socially responsible.
Beyond his role at Nedbank, Kagiso contributes to the broader design community as a mentor at Designed.org, where he supports emerging designers in areas such as product design, user-centred design, and typography. His commitment to education and mentorship underscores his belief in the transformative potential of design when it is inclusive and community-driven. In a rapidly evolving digital economy, Kagiso stands out as a leader who not only embraces innovation but also questions its implications, striving to create systems that are as just as they are advanced.
Tanya has spent her career in the human, environmental, and animal development world and is now HoD of Strategic and Corporate Partnerships at the South African Guide-Dogs Association for the Blind. She has extensive experience as a development specialist and spent almost twenty years with Higher Education Institutions such as Wits University and the University of Johannesburg. Her current position allows her the opportunity to combine her passion for animals with human development. She is a lover of all things Golden Retriever and currently has her fourth Golden Retriever Companion named Tiburón, affectionately known as Tibby.
Tanya has degrees in Political Science, Development Studies, and the Future of Mining and has a special interest in Engineering, Philosophy, and Project Design. One of her responsibilities as the Head of Strategic and Corporate Partnerships at GDA is the design and management of the partnership with the University of Pretoria, the ultimate goal of which is to illustrate the impact of higher education institutions and NGO collaboration. Please contact Tanya directly for any corporate enquiries. Tanya has degrees in Political Science, Development Studies, and the Future of Mining.
Bianca Nel is an industrial engineer with a strong background in business analysis, product ownership, and customer experience. She completed her Industrial Engineering degree at the University of Pretoria in 2017, after which she embarked on an internship at Aurecon. During her internship, she pursued further studies and successfully obtained her Honours degree in 2019. Following her internship, Bianca transitioned into the role of Business Analyst at hearX Group, where she spent two years contributing to innovative projects in the hearing technology sector. In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, she joined King Price Insurance as a Business Analyst for Digital, playing a pivotal role in the development of an online digital insurer in Denmark. Her expertise and leadership skills led to her promotion to Product Owner of Telephony, where she was responsible for managing all communication channels within the business, optimizing business processes, and driving efficiency improvements. While excelling in this role, Bianca furthered her education by completing her master’s degree in technology and engineering management at Stellenbosch University in 2023. In December 2024, her career reached a new milestone when she was offered the position of Customer Experience Partner, solidifying her reputation as a strategic leader in digital transformation, process optimization, and customer engagement.
Dr. Jacques Brosens is the Co-founder and Managing Director of Monkey and River, a digital engineering agency known for its human-centred approach to technology production. Under his leadership, the company partners with visionary organisations to design and develop tailored digital solutions that transform complex challenges into strategic advantages. Their work spans South Africa and the Netherlands, with clients including We Buy Cars, Superbalist, Datafree, MoyaApp, Huge Connect, Momentum, Fedhealth, BNP Paribas, and the Dutch judiciary (De Rechtspraak), among others.
Jacques holds a PhD in Information Technology from the University of Pretoria, where his research focused on human-centred innovation and user experience. A former lecturer at the university, he brings a deep understanding of both academic rigour and industry relevance, making him a passionate advocate for bridging the gap between research and real-world digital impact.
In addition to leading Monkey and River, Jacques is also a co-founder of Azi, a burgeoning start-up actively developing a user research platform designed to make user testing more inclusive, enabling access to often-overlooked or hard-to-reach African user segments.
Jacques is driven by a belief that purposeful digital craftsmanship is key to solving complex real-world challenges and shaping a more inclusive, impactful technological future.
Lesego Finger is the Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of SAADC (Pty) Ltd, an edu-tech company committed to decentralizing quality education in South Africa. With a BCom in IT Management, Lesego brings a robust foundation in information technology and strategic leadership to his role.
In 2017, shortly after completing his matric in 2016, Lesego founded Matric Live, a platform designed to provide comprehensive educational resources to high school learners. The platform quickly gained traction, leading to its recognition by LeadSA, where Lesego was honored as a LeadSA Hero. In 2019, Matric Live received the Best Education Solution of the Year award at the MTN Business App of the Year Awards. The platform's success continued, and in 2020, it won the Breakthrough Solution of the Year award at the same event.
Under Lesego's technical leadership, Matric Live has expanded to cover most of the high school curriculum, attracting over 600,000+ learners. His commitment to leveraging technology for educational advancement has positioned SAADC as a leading force in the edu-tech space.
In December 2024, Matric Live was honored with the FNB App of the Year award. The app impressed judges with its dynamic approach to learning, featuring interactive video lessons, gamified study experiences, mock exam simulations, and an AI chat feature providing instant academic support. This recognition underscores Lesego's innovative contributions to the educational technology landscape.
Sam is the current Chief Innovation & Commercial Officer at Akiba Digital, a new edge Fintech offering Risk & Decisioning Solutions. Before joining, Sam was CEO of TransUnion Rwanda & Head of Growth for Africa Regions, a position he was appointed to in 2022. Just before taking this role, Sam had been Director of Products & Analytics for TransUnion Africa’s rest of African regions, driving product growth and analytics capabilities in the various markets TransUnion operates in.
Before TransUnion, Samuel was the Head of Pricing for Corporate & SME schemes for PruHealth Insurance, a Discovery subsidiary, where he contributed to the formulation and implementation of the overall business strategy. He has a collective of 20+ years in the financial services industry with key skills in risk management and data analytics.
Kishan Rama is a highly skilled and seasoned UX Professional with extensive experience in leading design teams and driving innovative user experience solutions. Kishan has successfully spearheaded numerous projects that have significantly enhanced user interactions and satisfaction. Currently leading UX and Design initiatives at Multichoice, he has a proven track record of crafting human-centered digital experiences through innovative design solutions that are in sync with users’ needs and business goals.
With a background that includes significant roles at SuperSport, DStv, FNB, and BidorBuy, Kishan has developed a deep understanding of the nuances of human behaviour and cultural influences in UX design across diverse industries. This expertise has enabled him to create user-centric designs that resonate with diverse audiences and address common usability challenges effectively. Throughout Kishan's career, he has collaborated with top industry professionals, contributing to the growing UX community and shaping the future of UX design in Africa.