Nico De Klerk
Where Pilgrimage Meets Social Entrepreneurship: A 1700-Mile South African Journey
Nico De Klerk, a social entrepreneur, public speaker, and academic, walked 1,700 miles on foot from Pretoria to Cape Town in 2018 to engage with and support current and aspiring grassroots social entrepreneurs. Walking as a practice for inner and outer change has long fascinated Nico, even before he undertook this long walk. The Camino de Santiago, a well-known pilgrimage from France to Spain, was the subject of his PhD. Reflecting later on his experiences in both the Camino and South Africa, he remarked, “You really have to open yourself for the unknown, and then things happen.” Nico is the Founder and CEO of StreetBiz Foundation, a not-for-profit dedicated to addressing inequality through entrepreneurial mindset development. His mission in life now is to “promote alternative education, provide access to Black youth, address inequality, restore dignity by addressing the legacy of Apartheid or simply to create joy and hope in the lives of fellow South Africans.”
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