Entrepreneur & Investor

Donna is a formidable entrepreneur and angel investor who left a successful 20-year corporate career to pursue her passion: setting up enterprises to drive Africa forward.
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After leaving a successful corporate career spanning 20 years, Donna set up shop with Branding & Marketing YOU in 2007. Her trajectory has been impressive, not only is she a successful businesswoman, she's also a successful author and professional speaker. She's an active shareholder and director of Seed Engine, incorporating Seed Academy and the WDB Growth Fund. She is also an angel investor in a number of other enterprises.

Donna and the seven enterprises she's involved in, have already empowered 6000+ individuals and 150+ corporations to date…

FOUNDER

Branding & Marketing YOU

Founded in 2007, Branding & Marketing YOU is the only South African business specialising in personal brand building to future-proof employees and give companies a competitive edge.

A proudly Level 3 B-BBEE company, Branding & Marketing YOU’s development workshops and interventions enable leaders and talent to brand and market themselves – equipping them to future-proof themselves to thrive in an age where brand and reputation is everything.

Want to support your talent to make their mark?

FOUNDER

Brightside Marketing

Started in 2020, Brightside Marketing has quickly established a reputation for excellence within the ever-evolving, highly competitive B2B industry.

Businesses who partner with Brightside Marketing, get the benefits of a young, dynamic team of marketing specialists and a tried, tested, and trusted ecosystem of marketing suppliers that are a perfect fit for their objectives and budget.

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level by leveraging the power of marketing

CO-FOUNDER

IgniteHer

IgniteHer is a women’s leadership development movement focused on empowering women to unleash their leadership capabilities and step into their power.

With solutions that offer multi-touchpoints and bring together flexible, but guided learning with high levels of personal accountability and tailored learning journeys, IgniteHer creates personal and business impact.

Ready to start a movement and close the gender gap?

INVESTOR

Seed Academy

Seed Academy is driven to create a new narrative for entrepreneurship in South Africa where women and youth entrepreneurs are builders and leaders of high-growth businesses that positively impact the economy and uplift communities.

Seed Academy’s approach is centred on creating impact for entrepreneurs by harmonising technical skills and personal development within a holistic, multi-faceted experience; and ROI for the corporates who support them – entrenched in the belief that with the right support entrepreneurs can be the growth engines of our country.

Want to change the narrative of entrepreneurship in South Africa?

WDB Growth Fund

The WDB Growth Fund, is an impact fund focused on increasing the participation of youth and women entrepreneurs in South Africa’s economy. The Fund provides black-women and youth-owned businesses with funding, high-impact post-investment support, access to markets and specialist mentors while taking a minority equity stake in these businesses.

Looking for an investment opportunity with social and economic impact?

Strider

Strider gives clients access to the bright minds and talent that are paving the way for the future of digital, centred on the belief that technology isn’t about technology, it’s about people.

Over the years, the Strider digital team has assisted some of the largest financial institutions on their digital transformation journies, nurturing and supporting the best emerging and established digital talent across all specialist fields, and enabling them to create their best work.

Looking for the hottest digital talent?

Primestars

Primestars facilitates youth development programmes for high school learners from underserved communities using an “Educational Theatre of Learning” model (film and TV) to enhance the educational and create an entertaining and enjoyable way for learners to process and retain information.

Known as the private tutor for public education in South Africa, Primestars educational and social initiatives include ‘What About the Boys’ (working with young boys to redefine ‘boyhood’ in S.A.), ‘Step Up to a Start Up’ (shifting the mindset of the youth from job seekers to job creators), ‘Educate’ (providing Matric learners with Maths and Science revision support), and ‘My Future, My Career’ (provide youth with career guidance).

Looking to drive social change through innovative and sustainable youth development initiatives?