Amo Mocumi (Head of Growthpoint Properties’ Student Accommodation REIT) joins host Monde Nkosi to discuss purpose-built student accommodation in South Africa. Amo describes the importance of accommodation to student outcomes, explaining that it is more than just a bed - it includes a range of amenities to support student success, such as psychological assistance, academic support programs, good internet connectivity, and 24/7 safe environments. He highlights the significant and growing imbalance between fast-growing enrolments at universities and the limited number of residences to accommodate these students, advocating for private sector investors to play a role in fixing that imbalance. Amo also shares personal reflections on his journey and pays tribute to those who have shaped him. Amo is the Head of Growthpoint Properties’ Student Accommodation REIT, which was launched in 2021 and has rapidly grown to 14 properties serving more than 10,000 students across private and public higher education institutions in South Africa, with a portfolio valued in the billions of Rands. Prior to Growthpoint, Amo was Head of Real Estate Acquisitions at the Public Investment Corporation, Africa’s largest asset manager. He started his career in construction at Triple C Management and real estate investment banking at Nedbank. Amo holds a BSc in Construction Studies and a BCom Honours in Financial Analysis and Portfolio Management, both from the University of Cape Town, and an MSc in Real Estate Investment from the University of Reading.

Tom Hardin (Founder of Tipper X) joins host Monde Nkosi to explore ethics education. Tom recounts his remarkable journey from hedge fund investor to FBI informant in some of the largest financial crime cases in history. Drawing on his unique experience and over 600 ethics training sessions he has delivered in 13 countries, Tom shares powerful and universal ethical lessons - insights that individuals can apply in their own lives and that corporates can embed into their cultures. Tom also shares his perspectives on the future of ethics training, including the use of AI for experiential sessions and simulations that deepen reflection. Tom is the founder of Tipper X Advisors LLC, one of the world’s leading firms in ethics and compliance training. He has advised many investment firms and regulators on ethics and compliance. Tom is a recognised expert and his work has been featured all over the world such as at Stanford Law School, Harvard Business School, the United States Attorney’s Office, Compliance Asia, and the Middle East and Africa Compliance Association. Tom is a graduate of The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. His memoir, Wired on Wall Street, is set to be released through Wiley Publishing in February 2026.

Nicolas Badré, Founder of Copernia and former COO of Galileo Global Education, joins host Monde Nkosi to explore how education must reinvent itself in the age of AI. He highlights that the accelerating pace of change in the job market demands radical innovation and adaptability in the education system - for both learners and institutions. Drawing on his experience leading operations at Galileo - one of the world’s largest higher education groups with over 300,000 students across 20 countries - Nicolas created Copernia, a new school dedicated to educational transformation. Born within Galileo and developed with partners including Macromedia University in Germany, emlyon Business School in France, European University Cyprus, and Noroff in Norway, Copernia’s flagship program - the Master of Innovation and Technology for Education - aims to prepare the next generation of education leaders. Nicolas explains how Copernia and Galileo are driving a radical shift: putting students, not institutions, at the centre, and creating personalised pathways for lifelong learning. He also reflects on his own journey - from more than 25 years in industrial leadership including as CFO of Nexans, the world’s second-largest cable manufacturer, to shaping the future of education.

Rosan Bosch (Founder and Creative Director of Rosan Bosch Studio) joins host Monde Nkosi to discuss the design of future-proof learning spaces. She unpacks how physical space can be seen as a pedagogical tool for learning enhancement and how thoughtful design can nurture essential skills like creativity, collaboration and learner agency. Rosan explains her Built Pedagogy approach and offers personal reflections on her journey - including the origins of her passion for transforming education through design. Rosan is a pioneer in reimagining educational spaces. She developed the Learning Landscape typology, transforming traditional classrooms into dynamic, flexible learning environments for 21st-century learners. Rosan's work spans 30+ countries, collaborating with leading educational institutions and governments across Latin America, the US, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Her notable projects include Vittra Telefonplan in Stockholm, Sweden, Universidad de la Libertad in Mexico (WURI 2025), the Western Academy of Beijing in China, and the Garzón School in Uruguay (WAF2025 finalist). She has authored several books including Play to Learn – Designing for Uncertainty and Designing for a Better World Starts at School, both widely referenced as guides for future-focused learning environments. Rosan has been featured on CNN, FastCompany, and TED, and has served as a guest lecturer at Harvard Graduate School of Education's Project Zero. She was recently awarded an honorary doctorate by Hasselt University in recognition of her pioneering work in transforming educational spaces.

Dr. Mark Abell joins host Monde Nkosi to unpack the dynamics of international expansion in education. Mark explains why and how schools and universities venture abroad, highlighting the differences between for-profit and non-profit models and the key factors that separate successful expansions from failed ones. Mark also shares some personal reflections on his journey and pays a heartfelt tribute to teachers who have profoundly shaped his life. Mark is a highly regarded international lawyer with over 40 years’ experience in international education. He currently acts as a consultant to a number of well-known educational institutions on the development and implementation of their international expansion strategies. Until 2022, Mark was Global Head of International Education and Franchising at the global law firm Bird & Bird. He has advised over 80 independent schools on international expansion including the likes of Westminster, North London Collegiate, Wellington College and Dulwich; as well as universities such as Oxford, Cambridge and Surrey. Mark has authored 13 books, including Educational Institutions – A Legal and Regulatory Handbook for Setting Up Overseas. Mark holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Southampton and a PhD from the University of London.

Matthew Butler-Adam (Regional Managing Director of Duke Corporate Education) joins host Monde Nkosi to discuss corporate education and Human Capital Theory. Matthew provides an overview of the >$100 billion corporate education sector globally. He breaks down the sector into various verticals, exploring their characteristics and growth profile. Matthew also describes the academic research into the reasons behind growing educational spend at individual and country levels, with a specific focus on Human Capital Theory. Matthew shares personal reflections from his journey growing up in Durban, South Africa, to attending some of the best universities in the world including Oxford and Harvard, and now to working in the sector he is passionate about. Matthew is Regional Managing Director of Duke Corporate Education, leading their activities for the UK and Europe. Prior to Duke, he worked in strategy consulting and M&A advisory at Bain & Company and Deloitte. Matthew is the author of Cracking Corporate: Building a Career That You Can Be Proud Of and was identified as a top young businessperson by the Mail and Guardian. His educational background is in economics and education, including a Master’s in International Education Policy at Harvard and a Master’s in Development Economics at Oxford, where he was awarded the Luca d’Agliano prize for the best dissertation. His research was funded by the Laurie Dippenaar FirstRand Foundation and the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust.

Pitso Mosimane and Moira Tlhagale (founders of Pitso Mosimane Youth Football) join host Monde Nkosi to discuss the intersection of football and education. They explore the importance of age-appropriate physical education in schools and describe how they are bringing to life their vision of developing players of the future who are well educated, socially adept, and technically equipped to compete at the highest level. They also share personal stories about their journeys and pay tribute to their teachers and mentors. Pitso Mosimane and Moira Tlhagale are the founders of Pitso Mosimane Youth Football, which runs football development programs serving over 12,000 players and 100 coaches across South Africa. Pitso Mosimane is a football legend. He played for three of South Africa’s largest teams in Jomo Cosmos, Mamelodi Sundowns, and Orlando Pirates. He then went on to play internationally for clubs in Greece, Belgium, and Qatar. He also had the honour of playing for Bafana Bafana, the South African Men’s National Team. After hanging up his playing boots, Mosimane went on to become the most successful football coach to come out of South Africa. Coach Pitso has 21 titles to his name, including an unprecedented 3 African Champions League titles and 2 Bronze medals at the FIFA World Club Cup, putting African football on the global map. Moira Tlhagale is a successful entrepreneur. She is a Quantity Surveyor by profession and a Construction Project Manager. In 2004, Moira founded TMTJ Consulting and she subsequently worked on some of South Africa’s most iconic developments, such as being a leader of the technical team responsible for delivering the 10 stadiums used in the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup and being Programme Manager in the Accelerated Schools Infrastructure Delivery Initiative. She is currently the Managing Director of Pitso Mosimane Youth Football.

Doug Becker (founder of Cintana Education, Laureate Education and co-founder of Sterling Partners) joins host Monde Nkosi to discuss investing and leadership in education. Doug shares personal and professional lessons from his exceptional entrepreneurial journey spanning multiple successful businesses in education and healthcare. Focusing on his work in education, from K-12 tutoring to global higher education, Doug explores the importance of partnerships, technology, and maintaining a strong sense of mission and purpose. Doug is an exceptional entrepreneur and investor. He is the Founder and Chairman of Cintana Education, which supports universities around the world to develop and scale high-quality academic programs. Founded in partnership with Arizona State University, which is ranked as the most innovative university in the United States, the Cintana Alliance of universities includes 32 institutions serving more than 330,000 students. Prior to Cintana, Doug founded Laureate Education and grew it into the largest higher education group in the world serving more than 1 million students across more than 200 campuses in 29 countries. Earlier in his career, Doug served as the Chairman and CEO of Sylvan Learning Systems, which was the largest K-12 tutoring company in North America serving more than 200,000 students. Doug has served on many non-profit boards and currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Johns Hopkins Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medicine International and the International Youth Foundation.

Melvyn Lubega (Partner at Breega and founding executive of Go1) talks to host Monde Nkosi about EdTech and corporate learning. Melvyn explores the $300 billion professional and corporate learning market globally. He explains the growth of the market, digitisation and the evolution from compliance training to ongoing professional development and lifelong learning. Melvyn discusses venture capital with a focus on the EdTech sector, including sharing lessons from some of the common pitfalls he has observed. Melvyn also shares some personal stories on his journey, the roots of his passion for education, and his career ambition to create 100,000 sustainable jobs. Melvyn is an exceptional entrepreneur and investor. He was a founding executive of Go1, an EdTech unicorn that is one of the market leaders in online corporate learning globally. Melvyn is currently a Partner at Breega, a venture capital firm managing more than $700 million. Among other accolades, Melvyn is a Rhodes Scholar, a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, and an Archbishop Tutu Leadership Fellow. He holds degrees in Actuarial Science from the University of Cape Town and in Education (Learning and Technology) and Public Policy from Oxford.

Robert Paddock (co-founder of GetSmarter, Hubble Studios, and Valenture Institute) talks to host Monde Nkosi about EdTech and leadership. Robert discusses EdTech in K-12, higher education, and lifelong learning. He explores the potential of technology to transform education, and explains the limitations of technology and the important role of humans in the learning process. Robert also discusses personal lessons from his entrepreneurial journey founding three successful EdTech companies. These lessons include deeply challenging topics such as burnout and personal fulfilment. Robert is an exceptional entrepreneur. He co-founded GetSmarter, which went on to become one of the global leaders in the market for online short courses and was acquired by 2U in 2017. Robert also co-founded Hubble Studios, which went on to be acquired by Noodle Partners in 2023. Robert is currently the CEO of Valenture Institute, which he also founded. Outside of his entrepreneurial achievements in EdTech, Robert is a musician, triathlete, founding board member of Injini EdTech Accelerator, and co-founder of Men Who Meditate.

Sudeep Laad, Partner in L.E.K. Consulting’s Global Education Practice, talks to host Monde Nkosi about investing in education. Sudeep shares an overview of the $25 billion annual investments that go into independent education groups around the world, and explains the various verticals that these investments go into. He highlights emerging themes in the education sector that he is excited about, including premium schools expanding to emerging markets, mid-fee schools in countries with growing middle classes (such as Vietnam), and higher education in regions with rising enrolment rates (such as Africa). Sudeep also discusses the social impact of the sector and shares some personal stories about his journey. Sudeep Laad is a Partner in L.E.K. Consulting and a founding member of its Global Education Practice. He advises operators, investors, foundations, and governments on areas of strategic importance. He brings in-depth experience in education segments covering K-12, tertiary education, transnational education, after-school supplementary education, language learning, and education technology. Over the last decade and a half, Sudeep has led more than 400 projects in education in more than 40 geographies. His insights have been featured in numerous publications, including Education Investor Global and Relocate Global. He is frequently invited to speak at industry-leading education events, including SuperReturn Emerging Markets, AFSIC Africa, EdEx Online Africa, EdtechX Europe, Edtech Asia, and Education Investor’s Global Hotspots.

Geoff Whyte, Group CEO of ADvTECH Limited (JSE:ADH), talks to host Monde Nkosi about leading a combined schools and higher education group serving more than 100,000 students across multiple countries, including South Africa, Kenya, Botswana and Ethiopia. Geoff presents his investment and social impact case for ADvTECH and independent education. Geoff also shares some personal stories about his journey from growing up in Scotland to living, and working, in multiple countries including England, Russia, and the Netherlands; and moving to South Africa in the late 1990s. ADvTECH is an education group listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange with a market capitalisation of approximately R18 billion / $1 billion. Prior to joining ADvTECH in 2024, Geoff was the CEO of Nando’s Africa/Middle East/South Asia region. He has executive experience in a range of global organisations including Unilever, PepsiCo, Cadbury-Schweppes and SAB-Miller. Geoff has also won a range of awards including the Sunday Times’ South African Marketing Person of the Year. He holds a Master’s degree in economics from the University of Aberdeen.

Jasmeet Singh Chhabra (co-founder of JV Ventures, Cappella, and Crimson Schools) talks to host Monde Nkosi about education infrastructure in India with a focus on primary and secondary schools (K-12). Jasmeet describes the phenomenal scale and fundamentals of India’s K-12 education system. He presents his investment case for school properties in India and explains his approach to building long-term win/win partnerships with education groups. Jasmeet also discusses the social impact of the sector and shares some personal stories about his journey, including the source of his enduring love for poetry. Jasmeet is a seasoned real estate investor and entrepreneur. He is the co-founder of JV Ventures, an investment firm in India managing a portfolio valued at over $1 billion. Jasmeet is a pioneer of the education infrastructure asset class in India, having co-founded Cerestra and Cappella, two investment vehicles that own school real estate serving more than 20,000 students in India. Jasmeet is also a co-founder of Crimson Schools, a network of independent schools serving more than 15,000 students in India. Earlier in his career, Jasmeet was Chief Investment Officer at India REIT, one of the early homegrown real estate private equity funds in India.

Stacey Brewer (co-founder and Chair of SPARK Schools) talks to host Monde Nkosi about her experience building a network of affordable independent schools in South Africa. Stacey explains how SPARK deliver high quality education at an affordable fee level, correcting a common misconception that independent schools only serve the wealthy. She discusses SPARK’s use of technology, as well as their innovative approach to scheduling, real estate, and teacher professional development. Stacey also shares some personal stories about how SPARK evolved from her MBA thesis and pays tribute to some of the people who have helped her along the journey. Stacey is a celebrated entrepreneur and leader. She co-founded SPARK Schools, a network of independent schools serving more than 17,000 students in South Africa. She has won a range of awards including South African Innovator of the Year and the Elle Boss Award for leading female entrepreneurs in South Africa. She is also an Archbishop Tutu Leadership Fellow.

Victor Hu (co-founder and Managing Partner of Lumos Capital Group) talks to host Monde Nkosi about growth-stage investing in human capital and education technology globally. Victor explores the investment case for the large and growing industry of software and service providers in the education and workforce development sectors. He discusses segments of the industry using various companies as examples including Instructure, PowerSchool, Duolingo, BookNook, Core Education, and Transfr. Victor also shares some personal stories about his journey and the role education has played in his family. Victor is a seasoned investor and executive. Prior to founding Lumos Capital Group in 2018, Victor was a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs, where he served as the Global Head of Education Technology and Knowledge Services Investment Banking. He is an experienced director who has served on multiple boards including OpenClassrooms, Trilogy Education, and Podium Education. Victor holds a BA from Amherst College, a JD from Harvard Law School, and an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Rob de Vos, CEO of Arena REIT (ASX:ARF), talks to host Monde Nkosi about the education infrastructure sector in Australia with a focus on the early learning (preschools/pre-K) segment. Rob gives an overview of the $60 billion property market for early learning centres in Australia and presents his investment case for the sector. He explains how long-term win/win partnerships work between property owners and education groups, including his approach to setting affordable and sustainable rents. He also discusses the social impact of the sector, and shares some personal stories about his journey from a small farming community to CEO of an ASX-listed company. Rob is a seasoned property and financial markets executive with over 25 years of experience. Prior to joining Arena REIT in 2012, Rob held senior roles with Jones Lang LaSalle, Becton Property Group, and Ceramic Funds Management.

Chinezi Chijioke (co-founder and CEO of Nova Pioneer) talks to host Monde Nkosi about his experience building a network of independent schools in South Africa and Kenya. Chinezi describes the diversity of the independent school sector, correcting a common misconception that independent schools only serve the very wealthy. He lays out the investment case for affordable independent schools across Africa, one of the few regions globally with a growing young population. Chinezi also discusses the social impact of the sector and shares some personal stories about his journey from Nigeria to two of the best universities in the world: Harvard and Stanford. Chinezi has a unique perspective having been involved in education from multiple angles: in the classroom as a teacher, in the boardroom as head of McKinsey and Company’s education practice in Africa, and now as co-founder and CEO of Nova Pioneer, an independent school group with 13 schools in South Africa and Kenya.

Ed Senior delivers a masterclass on schools as an investment sector. We explore the independent school sector from the perspective of an investor, discussing some of the large groups, the profile of investors in the sector, and various business models such as asset heavy vs. asset light. We also explore the social impact of the sector and Ed shares some personal stories about how education and teachers have shaped his journey and his children’s journey. Ed is very well positioned to deliver insights on investing in schools. He is a seasoned executive with significant experience in investment banking and education, including as Group CFO of GEMS Education, one of the world’s largest independent school groups serving more than 140 thousand students.

In a world where investors are looking for stable and growing long-term returns with social impact, the education sector is becoming increasingly attractive. We speak to leading educators, operators, and investors in the education sector around the world to explore this growing investment theme alongside our listeners. From preschools to K-12 schools to higher education and vocational education, from ed tech to education infrastructure, from VC investors to private equity and family offices, we explore it all. I'm your host, Monde Nkosi. Education has always been a big part of my life because my mother founded a school which was across the road from our home. I have benefited from excellent schools and teachers in South Africa and the US. I went on to study education and I'm now very grateful to be an investor in the sector that I love. All opinions expressed by podcast guests are solely their own opinions. This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.