Martin Feinstein

About Martin Feinstein

Entrepreneur and innovation strategist; founding CEO of Proudly South African; three decades designing SME and innovation programmes; co‑led Step‑Up Technology Innovation Competition; co‑organised Cape Town Entrepreneurship Week; previously MD of The Business Place; board committee chair with SEDA.

Key message

Ecosystems are woven, not imposed; Bureaucracy kills entrepreneurship; ESD can drive SME revenue and jobs; Segment services to entrepreneur maturity

Speaking topics and expertise

• Building entrepreneurial ecosystems
• ESD that drives SME revenue
• Public–private partnership models
• National innovation competitions

Achievements

Founding CEO, Proudly South African; Project Director, Step‑Up Technology Innovation Competition; MD, The Business Place; SEDA board committees.

Delivery style

Case‑led, policy‑to‑practice, facilitative; concrete checklists and ecosystem maps.

Why audiences listen

Track record launching national movements & city‑wide programmes; links government, corporates, funders and incubators.

What the talks address

Align policy, corporate procurement and ecosystem actors to accelerate SME revenue and jobs.

What participants will learn

Ecosystem design principles; ESD programme architecture; segmentation frameworks; governance and measurement basics.

What audiences take home

Playbook templates: ecosystem canvas, ESD scorecard, segmentation checklist, 90‑day activation plan.

Benefits for individuals

Clarity on where to plug into the ecosystem; vetted resources to grow revenue.

Benefits for organisations

Blueprints to operationalise ESD and SME programmes; procurement alignment; measurable ROI.