Ian Calvert

Ian is an internationally recognised expert on purpose-driven business, innovation and entrepreneurship, with 32 years of experience as a leader, marketer and entrepreneur.

Ian led the creation and expansion of Red Bull Amaphiko, an international programme aimed at enabling early-stage, community-based social entrepreneurs. He drove the global growth of the programme which ran in 15 countries, including the USA, UK, Brazil & South Africa, and which enabled thousands of early-stage social entrepreneurs.

At the beginning of 2020, Ian spun off the Amaphiko programme into an independent impact venture called FURTHER, using a human performance approach to grow a global fellowship of impact-driven entrepreneurs. He is also a strategic advisor and fellowship selection panellist for Ashoka, the world’s authority on social entrepreneurship.

An Honours graduate of Birmingham (UK) and Aix-Marseille (France) Universities, he began his career at Ogilvy & Mather London before moving to Ogilvy in Cape Town, becoming the youngest ever Board Director at the age of 29. In 2002, He was appointed to the Board of the Association of Communications Agencies of South Africa.

He founded a number of internationally successful advertising and marketing agencies, including Instant Grass, a youth insight and collaboration agency that harnesses networks of influential consumers to collaborate in the innovation process for global brands such as Levi Strauss, Adidas, Nike, Red Bull and Diageo. Ian drove the expansion of Instant Grass International into Russia, Japan, Middle East and Africa.