Jonas Barausse

About

Roseway was a special place for me. I was part of the first class to graduate from the high school. We felt like pioneers, and we were all eager to see what the future held. I walked away from my Matric year with a Bachelor’s Pass and three A’s. I went on to study at UKZN, where I earned an undergraduate degree in Philosophy and Classical Studies and did my honors in Classics.

After University I started a tours and events company with two friends and an incredible team of staff. We specialized in atypical tourism, shining a spotlight on Durban with our bespoke offerings and curated experiences and events. We offered inner city tours, graffiti tours, midnight bike rides through the city, and a variety of township tours. We held eight iterations of an art contest called Interpret Durban, which became the largest youth-focused art contest in the province. On the tours side, we managed to hold either the first or second place on TripAdvisor for our final seven years in business, won tourism awards and were selected to host a variety of VIP delegates to Durban including former presidents and dignitaries.

In 2016, I sold my company and began working as the head of innovation for a company focused on redefining entrepreneurial development in townships. I was responsible for turning the imaginings and intentions of stakeholders into real-world, operational, and most importantly, community-invested realities. The project was ambitious and beautiful, and under its umbrella, we managed to achieve a great deal before funding ran out. I spearheaded a business against crime venture that reduced crime in the area by over 80% and completely transformed the node into something vibrant.

Today, I am in my fifth year at Energywise, a company that designs and manufactures LED lighting for commercial, industrial, and horticultural applications. This is the family business and its legacy is close to my heart. I am surrounded by people who are technically far more proficient than I am, but in the last few years, I have really learned to lean into my strengths – many of which I can attribute to my Waldorf education.

I am a lateral thinker. I like getting involved in a variety of fields and I thrive on the idea of creating something and then executing it. I think my varied subjects at Waldorf, the constant opportunity to create and think outside the box and then deliver projects and ideas, from our grade 12 project to the main lesson books and so much more, contributed greatly towards the person I am today.

“I will forever be grateful to that little school on the hill“.