Vanessa von der Heyde

Vanessa von der Heyde is an experienced professional in the field of Sustainable Development, currently serving as Co-Director and Operations Manager at The Sustainability Institute since September 2017, where oversight of all adult learning programmes and team management are key responsibilities. Previously, Vanessa worked as a Learning Experience Designer, creating impactful values-based learning experiences. With a solid academic background, including a Master's degree in Sustainable Development and an Honours degree from Stellenbosch University, Vanessa has also contributed to academia as a Lecturer and Research Assistant at Stellenbosch University, focusing on Sustainable Development and Social Entrepreneurship. As the Founder and Designer of The ChangeMaker Programme, Vanessa developed an extracurricular initiative for aspiring social entrepreneurs, and as a Director at Carbon Life NPC, Vanessa aimed to promote sustainable community practices through organic waste management.