The Innovation Hub - a community for creators of the future

Director profiles

Nomhle Canca
Nomhle Canca, former CEO of Canca Financial Services and co-founder and Executive Director of Women Investment Portfolio Holdings (Wiphold) and the Women's Development Bank, was appointed CEO of Blue IQ Investment Holdings on September 1. Canca has been running Canca Financial Services, an advisory consultancy in the financial services industry, since leaving Wiphold in March 2002. Canca was educated in the US and qualified as a stockbroker on the New York Stock Exchange and as an investment adviser in the state of Georgia. Her work experience includes spells with Merrill Lynch in the US and Anglo American and Capital Alliance (as portfolio manager) in Johannesburg. Since 1996, she has sat on the Katz commission on taxation.

Dr Neville Comins, CEO
Dr Neville Comins has been involved with the development of The Innovation Hub since its inception in December 1999, becoming CEO of The Innovation Hub Management Company (Pty) Ltd in 2001. Dr Comins is a BSc(Hons) graduate of the University of Natal and a PhD from Cambridge University, and has had an extensive career in research and research management at the CSIR. He became Director of the CSIR's Division of Materials Science and Technology and of the CSIR Management Board in 1996. His interest in the development and exploitation of technology, and in multidisciplinary projects, led to his appointment as Director of the CSIR's Integrated Projects initiative in 1998. With The Innovation Hub becoming the first full member in Africa of the International Association of Science Parks (IASP), he was appointed to the International Board of the IASP from 2004, and presented the successful bid for The Innovation Hub to host the IASP World Conference in 2008 in Gauteng. Dr Comins is a member of a number of professional bodies, and a Founder member of the Academy of Science of South Africa. He is also a Trustee of two SEDA incubators.

Our team profiles

Paul Bisogno, Manager: Marketing, Business Development & Value-Added Services
Paul Bisogno joined the management team in August 2006 as the Business Development, Marketing and Value-added Service Manager. Paul hails from the fair Cape, where as an independent consultant he assisted SMMEs with strategic business interventions ranging from developing marketing strategies and brand value to structuring economies of scale and business process analysis. He has held senior marketing and brand strategist positions in the corporate sector and worked as Brand Strategist and Brand Developer for Capitec Bank, where he was responsible for the successful launch of the brand as well as the operational development of RCS Cards. He holds an MBA in Strategic Marketing from the University of Hull in the UK and qualified as a Chartered Marketer through the Institute of Marketing Management and the Marketing Federation of South Africa. A sports enthusiast and father of 9-year-old son Nicholas, Paul also studied psychology and neuro-kinesiology prior to taking up a position as resident counsellor for four years at the Marsh Memorial Children's Home and Teen-Center for teenage boys in Cape Town.

Annie Lopes, Conference Coordinator
Annie Lopes joined The Innovation Hub Management Company (Pty) Ltd as its "public face" early in March this year. She is located in the reception area in the Innovation Centre and will be looking after visitors and coordinating the activities of the Hub's conference facility. Prior to joining The Innovation Hub, Annie worked for the Law Society of South Africa's Legal Education and Development (LEAD) Division as a seminar coordinator. She was responsible for the national coordination of seminars aimed at updating practicing attorneys on changes in legislation. She holds a Secretarial Diploma and is currently studying towards a degree in Communication.

Nkhulu Maboya, Assistant: Value Added services, Business Development and Marketing
Nkhulu Maboya joined The Innovation Hub in July 2004 as an intern. He is on a marketing learnership with the Services Seta and is offering support for The Innovation Hub's Marketing and Value-Added Services initiatives. He holds a National Diploma in Management Services from the Tshwane University of Technology. He has also attended courses in MTM-X (Methods Times Measurements) with the Department of Labour.

Tsietsi Maleho, Manager: Corporate Affairs
Tsietsi Maleho joined The Innovation Hub in 2001 as Manager of its Empowerment Initiatives programme. He holds a BSc degree from the University of Witwatersrand, and management qualifications from the University of Singapore and Groman Consulting in South Africa. Before joining The Innovation Hub, he was responsible for Government relations at the CSIR and before that for their Outreach Programme. Between 1998 and 2000, he was the Managing Director of the National Year 2000 Decision Support Centre where he had overall responsibility for ensuring that the South African private and public sectors accomplished Y2K compliance. He was also National Coordinator of the Planned Parenthood Association of South Africa and Research and Programme Manager for the Community and Research Information Centre. He is on the Board of Directors of the Expo for Young Scientists and the Planned Parenthood Association of South Africa [PPASA].

Anita Masuku, Conference Venue Manager
Anita Masuku joined The Innovation Hub as Conference Venue Manager in April 2005. With over ten years of experience in the hospitality industry, Anita has never been one to turn down a challenge and looks forward to taking the Hub's Conference Venue to new heights. Anita holds a Diploma in Hospitality Management from the American Hotel and Lodging Association in the USA and a Certificate in Public Relations from the London Chamber of Commerce Institute. During her time abroad she worked as Assistant Conference Centre Manager at the Sheraton Hotel & Towers in New York. She returned to South Africa with extensive training and experience in conference and events management to join Caesars' Conference Centre. This was followed by an appointment as an Events Coordinator at Dimension Data. She is currently studying towards a Diploma in Marketing Management through the IMM Graduate School of Marketing.

Annah Manaiwa, Front Desk Coordinator
Annah Manaiwa joined The Innovation Hub in October 2005 as a front desk coordinator. She will be welcoming all the national and international visitors and handling calls for all staff. Annah holds a National Diploma in Public Relations from Tshwane North College. She has also completed a number of courses such as Project Management, Secretarial and Computer Studies, Customer Relations, and telephone etiquette. She worked as a receptionist for the National Coordinating Office for the Manufacturing Advisory Centre from 1998, from where she was promoted to Personal Assistant to the Relationship and Marketing Executive in 2002. In addition to her qualifications, she has administration, computer literacy and events management skills.

Jeanette Morwane, Assistant: Corporate Affairs
Jeanette Morwane joined The Innovation Hub in July 2004 as an intern. She is on a project management learnership with the Services Seta. She is providing administrative support services to The Innovation Hub's Corporate Affairs programme. She holds a BA degree in Information Sciences from the University of Pretoria. She has also attended courses in life skills and entrepreneurship with the Youth Development Trust. Jeanette has registered for a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) degree with UNISA's School of Business Leadership (SBL) for the three-year distance learning masters degree.

Dr Jill Sawers, Manager: Maxum Business Incubator
Jill Sawers joined The Innovation Hub in October 2001, and is the Manager of the Maxum business incubator at The Innovation Hub. Maxum assists high-tech start-up companies establish and grow their businesses in an enabled environment. Jill was formerly Manager of the National Research Foundation's Competitive Industry Programme, and thereafter, the Technology and Human Resources for Industry Programme (THRIP). Prior to this she spent five years as the Scientific Assistant in the South African Science and Technology Office in Bonn, Germany. Jill is a founder member and also the first Chair of the South African Business and Technology Incubation Association (SABTIA). She holds a BSc (Microbiology) from Rhodes, and an MBL (cum laude) from Unisa. Jill recently completed a PhD in technology management at the University of Pretoria. Her dissertation, entitled How small and medium sized enterprises can influence the successfulness of a partnership with a large company in the technology innovation sector, looked at how smaller companies can effectively position themselves to successfully interact and work with their large counterparts.

Gopolang Setumo, Business support Coordinator: Maxum Business Incubator
Gopolang Setumo joined The Innovation Hub in July 2004, as an intern on a secretarial and administration learnership with the Services Seta. She holds a Diploma in Computer Operating from the Computer Training Centre and a Certificate in Purchasing Management from the University of South Africa. She recently completed an Advanced Programme in Sourcing and Supply Chain Management, and is currently studying towards a BCom Degree. Gopolang worked at Telkom for four years as a Buyer and as an Account Manager at Vukani Technologies on a temporary basis for five months.

Mariette Smit, Executive Assistant
Mariette Smit has been Executive Personal Assistant to the CEO of The Innovation Hub since December 1999. Before joining the Hub, Mariette was Personal Assistant to the Director of Business Development: Large Integrated Projects at the CSIR. She was awarded Support Person of the year in July 1997, where she was the Personal Assistant to the Division Director of CSIR Materials Science and Technology. Mariette has attended a number of courses including customer care, quality management, and time and stress management. Mariette's entrepreneurial spirit and interest in natural healing led to the establishment of her own Kinesiology Natural Healing Clinic which she runs in her spare time.