Deep Learning Café

CEO & Founder

Chief Executive Officer

Chief Barista

Tracker South Africa

Software Development Manager

Newsclip Media Monitoring

Design, build and run with innovative concepts.

Tracker

Developer

Elogics

Design and developed GIS logistics systems.

Technical Lead

I've filled pivotal leadership positions in tech for more than 15 years. Helping major South African companies improve their product and service offerings, I’m particularly passionate about unlocking the value where Ai intersects with business problems. 

My hands-on approach helps organizations achieve remarkable, tangible outcomes by closely aligning innovation with objectives. Often, new value streams and diversified creativity are birthed as a result. 

Ai is why I get up in the morning. The only way to make my clients' 'impossible' possible is to relentlessly chip away at core issues with a learning mindset.

It’s a real privilege to lead our team of outstanding baristas at:
•	Deep Learning Café 
•	DocInsights

The Deep Learning Café helps businesses boost profits, save time, reduce costs – and innovate! Every business, every industry, we solve your unsolvable problems. DocInsights, our customizable proprietary software, transforms data management and revolutionizes workflow processes.

Ultimately, our Ai closes the gap to your fullest potential. Ding-ding, your new future is served!

www.deeplearning-cafe.com | www.docinsights.co

Dries Cronje

Knife Capital

As a Partner at Knife Capital, I am part of a dynamic team dedicated to driving the growth of high-potential startups across Africa. I focus on creating value through a combination of strategic mentorship, hands-on operational guidance, and leveraging our extensive network to unlock growth opportunities. I am also entrusted with the custodianship of "Grow" where a key part of my focus is on accelerating the growth of our portfolio companies towards successful exits.

In addition to the above, I am a board representative on various boards, investment committees, networking in the ecosystem whilst growing our teams remain a true North. My role at Knife Capital allows me to blend my passion for fostering entrepreneurial success with our mission of delivering strong returns through well-executed exits and IPOs.

Partner

Thinkroom Consulting

For more than ten years, Catherine and her team at Thinkroom have been helping businesses develop customised SME programs, including the implementation of these systems through a carefully curated training program called Thinkubate. They teach SMEs management best practices and the latest technologies to boost efficiency, expand into new markets, and effectively reach existing and new customers.

Founder

GrindstoneXL

Became 50% shareholder of the Grindstone Accelerator where 10-20 high potential digital tech businesses are taken through their paces in an intense acceleration process for a limited period. They need to be post revenue scaleups, ready for exponential learning, growth, market and funding access.

Also co-founded Grindstone Ventures, a post-seed, pre-series A fund for businesses in the Grindstone Growth Engine.

Managing Partner

Grindstone Ventures

As the co-owner of the Grindstone Accelerator and the Grindstone Venture Fund, Catherine is deeply involved in incubation and acceleration programs and startups ecosystem development. Through her consultancy, she provides large corporations and digital tech entrepreneurs with high-quality consulting services leveraging her in-depth insight and expertise.

Solver Consulting

Our vision is to build the economy through enhancing and growing people, businesses and programmes.  We do this by providing executives and managers with a holistic understanding of how their business and its initiatives and systems have evolved over time, the current reality along with identified strengths, weaknesses, challenges, lessons learnt and best practices, as well as the future ideal reality that forms part of the vision and dream of the business, its stakeholders and programme beneficiaries.  

We are able to package meaningful insights, perceptions, experiences and realities within various areas of the business into concise reporting that provides valid and reliable evidence that is used by organisations to inform strategic direction and decision making.

Key Areas of Focus
•	Programme and Project Management
•	Enterprise Development & Mentoring
•	Tender Writing & Support
•	Strategic Research & Evaluation
•	Skills Development
•	Identifying and implementing next practices throughout organisations

SAP Ariba Tech Solutions

Commercial Director

Deloitte Consulting

Executive Lead

Chevron

GM: Sales Enblement Marketing Support Services Central & Southern Africa

Marketing & Compliance Coordinator - Africa & Pakistan

Merchandise Manager - Central & Southern Africa

Category Manager

Partner at Knife Capital | Founder at Thinkroom Consulting | Managing Partner at Grindstone Ventures and Grindstone Accelerator | SME Thought Leader | Keynote Speaker

Catherine Young has more than 25 years professional, executive level experience as an African entrepreneur across several industries, including a successful corporate career, holding various senior positions in companies including Deloitte, Chevron and SAP, managing multi-million dollar budgets and large teams. She is a Partner at Knife Capital, Founder of SME consulting business, Thinkroom and Managing Partner of Grindstone and Grindstone Ventures. Her capabilities are underpinned by deep engagement and care for people across her work career, with an astute ability to build and grow businesses. Her corporate and franchise experience has been instrumental in shaping her journey as an entrepreneur and investor, enabling her to recognise and cultivate the qualities that lead to business success.

As a Partner at Knife Capital, she plays a key role in growing portfolio companies for exit, with a focus on scaling businesses to maximise value. She is actively involved in deal flow, investment decisions, and portfolio support, ensuring strategic alignment and growth. She also contributes to networking and sourcing high-potential investments, sits on various Investment Committees, and supports Knife as a structured fund management business. Beyond investments, she leads initiatives to optimise portfolio performance, strengthen fund operations, and drive strategic partnerships to enhance the firm’s impact. As founder of Thinkroom, she is involved in entrepreneurial ecosystem development across Africa and have internationalised her businesses. Catherine is an SME ecosystem influencer in Africa and works with clients in the space of entrepreneurship development across the continent. As the Managing Partner of Grindstone, she plays a critical role in developing entrepreneurial ecosystems globally. With a keen understanding of the challenges faced by startups and SMEs. 

Catherine has co-authored various books, and as a renowned authority on entrepreneurship, start-up ecosystems, and ecosystem development, Catherine is also a public speaker and thought leader in the industry. She shares her insights with others through keynote presentations, workshop facilitation, and by chairing ecosystem events. Catherine has also been a speaker invitee to WEF. She holds a Bachelor Degree in Commerce, National Diploma in Procurement and a Venture Finance Certificate from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. She recharges through reading, poetry, the ocean, walking, and birdwatching, and is content when solving problems and innovating new ways of doing things.

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The Battle

Dries Cronje

Catherine Young

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