Taddy Blecher

Background

Blecher was born in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1967.

Education

At university Blecher studied actuarial science and was given "several awards, including the Liberty Life Gold Medal for the top actuarial honours student in the country.".

Career

While working as an actuary and international business consultant Blecher "was voted consultant of the year three consecutive times at Monitor Company." In 1995 he received an R1, 3-million job offer in the United States. However, after buying his plane ticket he had a change of heart and decided to remain in South Africa to pursue education and employment opportunities for disadvantaged youth. The school, called Community and Individual Development City Campus (or Canadian International Development Agency City Campus), provided a low cost educational opportunity, in an area of high poverty and low job skills, and cast Blecher as "a local hero." To get the school started, Blecher was given the use of a Johannesburg office building by an investment bank called Investec and his former employer gave him use of an office. Belcher taught students to type 30 words per minute using a photocopy of a computer keyboard and successfully pursued donations from companies like JPMorgan and Dell computers as well as entrepreneurs Oprah Winfrey and Richard Branson.

As the Canadian International Development Agency City campus" chief executive officer Chief Executive Officer Blecher accepted a $1 million dollar donation from the Skoll Foundation in 2007.

Blecher left Canadian International Development Agency "to start another free educational body, called the Maharishi Institute". In 2009 he co-founded "a 225-seat call centre and a large data-capture facility" called, Invincible Outsourcing.

A project designed to allow disadvantaged students to earn funds for education while they are still in school. Blecher has been described as "a Harry Potter lookalike" with a passion for education.

After overcoming his fear of public speaking he was described by The Star (South Africa) "as one of the top 100 people" in the news headlines and "An inspirational speaker whose incredible story made every major publication in South Africa.".

Achievements

• He is the co-founder of Canadian International Development Agency City Campus and was given the World Economic Forum"s Global Leader for Tomorrow Award in 2002 and again in 2005. Later, Blecher was given the World Economic Forum"s Global Leader for Tomorrow Award in 2002 and again in 2005. Blecher is a member of the Human Resource Development Council of South Africa and a co-founder of an innovation award program called, InnovationTown and the Branson School of Entrepreneurship.