Prof Dr Thea van der Westhuizen is an award-winning academic leader, renowned for driving entrepreneurship in academia through innovative teaching and transformative research. She founded SHAPE, earning international recognition at The Innovative Youth Incubator Awards. As the former International Director of Paddle for the Planet, she advocates for global environmental sustainability and enabling youth. With over two decades of international experience in corporate and academic sectors, her impactful collaborations span across high-impact leaders, municipality managers, CEOs of multinational companies and helping youth entrepreneurs. Her remarkable career showcases her entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to excellence. She currently serves as an academic leader at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, School of Commerce.
