Prof Wendy Burgers runs a team of medical researchers in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Cape Town. As an educator committed to transformation in tertiary institutions, she has first-hand knowledge of the navigational capacity required by young people to succeed in an academic environment.
Mr Richard Kinross has been serving as Chair of the Board of Trustees of Outliers since 2014. As a business owner and entrepreneur, he brings a wealth of knowledge on overseeing human resources, engaging with stakeholders, and sharing social capital to uplift communities. He keeps a close eye on our fiscal sustainability,
ensuring good governance in terms of processes and procedures. Richard asks pertinent questions that help us think strategically about our organizational impact.
Mr Abongile Salli is a passionate educator with a strong background in inclusive education and community development. With over seven years of experience in general education and ongoing postgraduate research, Abongile is committed to creating meaningful opportunities for learners in under-resourced schools. He is currently completing his Masters dissertation, which explores how School-Based Support Teams implement inclusive education policies. His personal mission is to connect learners with life-changing programs, mentorship, and support systems, ensuring every young person feels valued, guided, and empowered to reach their full potential.
Mr Roger Saner is an experienced software team coach and senior developer, with a special interest in the human side of technology. His recent work in complexity science brings an understanding of networks and relationships which is beyond simple cause-effect thinking. This is particularly relevant to the context in which Outliers works. Communities of after-school programs are less like predictable machines and more like ecologies.
Dr Heidi Segal, co-founder of Outliers, ran a medical research group in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Cape Town from 2002 to 2010. She enjoyed supervising postgraduate students, publishing papers in peer-reviewed journals, and conducting research on the emergence of antibiotic resistant pathogens, particularly M. tuberculosis, in clinical settings. Her proficiency at connecting people to unlock opportunities for sharing social capital has underpinned investment in education of children through Outliers.
Ms Laura Singh, co-founder of Outliers, has a Masters in Research Psychology and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education. She believes that with support, encouragement, and access to learning spaces, students have more capacity to direct their futures, regardless of their circumstances. She has engaged in community development work with students since 2008 and is adept at workshop and resource development that is relevant and practical.