Become formidably well connected.
SATURDAY, 15 NOVEMBER 2025
This is not a traditional networking event.
It’s your new founders’ inner circle.
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Life's too short for another awkward business card shuffle.
Tired of surface-level chats that lead nowhere? Founders Café is where MDs, CEOs, and visionary Founders of growing SMEs connect for conversations that spark traction, not small talk – and where the right contact can change your business (and your life).
Leave with more than just contacts – leave transformed.
At Founders Café, you’re not just meeting people – you’re finding your people.
Real Conversations
No fluff. Just big ideas, sharp insights, and people who understand the founder journey.
Tangible Momentum
Walk away with clarity, strategies, and connections you can act on immediately.
A Circle That Gets It
Leave with allies, collaborators, and friends who challenge and champion you. Because the right room changes everything.
A morning that moves the needle.
Micro-Talks
Get actionable insights from 4 handpicked experts – each with just 15 minutes to drop their best ideas.
1:1 Quick-Fire Consults
Pre-book a quick-fire consult with a speaker to ask a burning question and get real-time answers tailored to your business, not someone else’s.
Guided Speed Networking
No awkward small talk – just curated, high-energy connection designed to spark collaboration and open new doors.
Claim your seat before the room fills.
This is why you’ll want to be in the room.
Our first Founders Café in June wasn’t just another event — it was a room full of breakthroughs, new collaborations, real talk, and game-changing connections. Don’t take our word for it — hear what the founders who joined us had to say.
What To Expect
Arrive & Connect
Grab a coffee and a gift bag, soak in the setting, meet a few fellow founders and follow each other on LinkedIn via personalised QR codes before we kick off.
NEW! Headshots by Binance
Get professional headshots taken to spruce up your online profiles.
Micro-talks
Enjoy four 15-minute expert-led sessions, packed with sharp insights and tools you can use right away. No fluff, just traction.
30-minute Comfort Break
Grab a slice of homemade quiche or cake, stretch your legs, and get your headshots taken in the Binance corner.
Quick-Fire Consults
Pre-book a focused 15-minute one-on-one with one of the speakers. Bring a real challenge or burning question – leave with real clarity.
Guided Speed Networking
While the quick-fire speaker consults run, the room breaks into 15-minute rotating small group conversations designed to spark meaningful connections and introduce your venture.
Wrap-Up
Before you leave, share your thoughts about the morning on camera, and leave with ideas, contacts, and momentum.
Meet the Speakers
Skip the snooze, keep the spark.
LinkedIn: From Invisible to Influential
By Paul K Roberts
Speaker Bio
Founder of The Luminary Hub
Paul K Roberts works with founders and executives to transform how they use LinkedIn – not as a creator platform, but as a trust and influence engine. He helps leaders cut through misconceptions and focus on the fundamentals: clarity, consistency, and confidence.
Blending strategy, psychology, and storytelling, Paul equips business leaders to become the first name in their category and turn recognition into real pipeline. Driven by a belief that opportunity should be accessible, he is also working to democratise access to LinkedIn success, making influence and impact achievable for leaders at every stage.
Becoming Founder Fit
By Jonathan Maritz
Speaker Bio
Co-Founder of In Training
Jonathan Maritz is a lifelong competitive athlete whose journey spans running, rugby, and bodyboarding — where he captained the South African Bodyboard Team and represented his country at the World Games. Driven by a passion for helping others achieve optimal fitness and lead healthier, more fulfilling lives, Jonathan has built a career defined by expertise, dedication, and community impact.
He holds a three-year Diploma in Sports Management from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and began his career as a floor instructor before progressing into fitness management and ultimately discovering his true calling as a Personal Trainer. Over 12 years at Virgin Active, Jonathan honed specialist skills in pre- and postnatal training, kettlebells, injury prevention, sports massage, functional strength training, weight management, spinning, and nutrition.
In 2022, Jonathan and his wife opened their own gym and studio in Kirstenhof, offering small-group sessions designed especially for busy parents. Their mission is simple but powerful: real fitness, real people, and real results.
Today, Jonathan draws on his wealth of experience as a dynamic speaker, sharing actionable insights on building strength, resilience, and lifelong wellness.
Building Belonging: Community Management Strategies for Startups of All Sizes
By Mbali Ndhlovu
Speaker Bio
Community Manager of South Africa for Binance
As Community Manager for South Africa, Mbali Ndhlovu leads initiatives to engage, grow, and support local user communities within the digital economy.
She is also the founder of I Know a Guy, a dynamic South African network that connects professionals and entrepreneurs. With over a decade of experience in building and managing communities, Mbali has worked with global brands including GoDaddy, Facebook, Startup Grind, and Universal Music where she was responsible for driving engagement and fostering meaningful connections across diverse audiences.
In 2019, she was recognized by Facebook as an Icon for Change, celebrating her impactful contributions to community development. Passionate about innovation and empowerment, Mbali continues to champion inclusive growth and digital transformation across Africa.
Think Globally, Build Locally
By Nick Dreyer
Speaker Bio
Founder of Auriti
Nick Dreyer came to entrepreneurship a little later than most, launching his first business at 37. Before that, Nick studied hospitality management and spent years in the luxury hotel world, including as General Manager of Ellerman House in Cape Town, the storied Cape Town hotel known for its art collection, where he had the privilege of welcoming everyone from global newsmakers to Hollywood royalty.
That experience sparked a lifelong passion for art, which led him to serve as a director at South Africa’s oldest gallery, Everard Read, and later the Museum of African Design in Johannesburg. Nick also built a travelling exhibition business that staged large-scale entertainment shows across South Africa.
In 2016, on a road trip with a friend, the idea for Veldskoen Shoes was born. What started as a conversation became a global brand in just nine years, worn by Oscar winners, sports icons, music legends, and everyday South Africans proud of their heritage. Along the way, Veldskoen partnered with beloved brands like Nando’s and FNB, sponsored the South African Olympic team, supported the Springboks, and launched international
collaborations, including a global fashion partnership with DHL in London.
Today, Nick is no longer at the helm of Veldskoen, and at the end of August, launched Auriti, a consultancy focused on helping businesses build meaningful, resilient brands. His journey has always been about connecting people, culture, and ideas, whether through hospitality, art, or shoes, and he remains driven by the opportunity to create work
that lasts.
MC
Lisa Aspeling
MC Bio
Lisa Aspeling is a creative strategist, serial entrepreneur, and the kind of person who turns bold ideas into brands with soul.
Over the past decade, she’s launched and led businesses that blend storytelling, experience design, and marketing strategy – some wildly successful, others full of hard-won lessons. From spearheading a €1 million NGO launch in South Africa to crafting multi-million rand campaigns for global design brands, Lisa’s career has been rooted in making ideas stick – and scale.
She founded Anago Marketing to help founders and SMEs craft scroll-stopping content and smart strategies, and built Murder Mystery Guide into a cult-favourite events brand known for bespoke, theatrical dinner parties that entertain and connect. She also co-founded Flower Café, a whimsical floral-and-coffee concept in Cape Town, and now leads Founders Café – a space for visionary entrepreneurs to connect, collaborate, and grow.
Lisa is a dynamic speaker and creative director with a reputation for fresh ideas, real talk, and results-driven marketing. Whether she’s crafting a campaign or cueing dramatic music at a dinner party, she brings clarity, creativity, and a little bit of magic to everything she touches.
Your new founders’ inner circle is waiting.
SATURDAY, 15 NOVEMBER 2025
Only 50 tickets available, so don’t miss out.
Organized By
Lisa Aspeling
Liz Pretorius
We don’t just care about networking.
We care about founders.
25+ years of combined experience launching and growing businesses.
We help others get clarity, build momentum, and make meaningful connections in every area of our lives, not just during Founders Café events.
We’ve built what we wish we had: an inspiring, well thought-out space for real growth, honest conversation, and powerful community.
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Founders Café
Bringing together bold founders for an energizing morning of high-impact micro-talks, quick-fire speaker consults, and guided speed networking.
Please note: Tickets are non-refundable.