OD11 digital HR - Flipbook - Page 34
32 | THE OLD DIOCESAN
Will in the spotlight.
but I wasn’t a first-team rugby
or cricket player. Bishops had
so many amazing opportunities
in the creative space: Eisteddfod,
Simply Blue, choir, drama. It taught
me that creativity is something
to be celebrated. Bishops gave
me the confidence to embrace
my creativity, to express myself
and to create freely. I’ll always
be grateful for that.”
Will’s career advice for young ODs
“Whatever it is – starting a
business, making music, pursuing
a dream – just start. Everyone had
to start somewhere. Apple started
somewhere. Facebook started
somewhere. Ed Sheeran started
somewhere. The fear of starting,
or the fear of failing, can hold
people back. But failure is part
of the process; it helps you grow,
adapt and evolve. Don’t be afraid
to take that first step.”
MICHAEL LOUIS
Entrepreneur, age 29
While studying mathematical
statistics and computer science
at Stellenbosch University, Michael
Louis (2013B) founded Sxuirrel, a
platform connecting those who have
space with those in need of storage.
After a major investor took it over,
he created a blockchain application
for his postgraduate thesis – and UCT
invested R5-million in the ensuing
project. He later joined OneCart,
an e-commerce delivery company,
as CTO and founding engineer. It
was acquired by Walmart in 2021,
by which point it had grown to
employ thousands, with tens of
millions in monthly revenue. Michael
then founded the AI infrastructure
company Cerebrium, which is backed
by Sequoia and Y Combinator, the
start-up incubator that helped
launch Airbnb, Dropbox and Reddit,
among others. He lives in New York.
PHOTOGRAPHS WILL LINLEY BY PAULINE BO
allowing my sound to grow into
its next best version.
“Now that I’m operating on a new
level, it’s funny – I feel like I’m back
at square one, but in the best way
possible. This chapter gives me the
same excitement, awe and wonder
I had when I first started making
music. Everything feels new again
because the music I’m creating
now is fresh and unique. It’s both
exciting and daunting, but I’m
looking forward to what’s ahead.
“Honestly, I don’t know if I’d call
myself successful. It really depends
on how you define success. For me,
success is being able to do what
I love, write music, play shows,
keep the lights on, put food on
the table. That’s how I’ve always
defined success – and by that
measure, I feel incredibly grateful.
“The biggest thing that’s helped
me handle it all is my faith. I try
to keep God at the centre of
everything: my decisions, my
interactions, my relationships.
If you define success as playing
massive arenas and making
millions, I’m definitely not
there. But if success is doing
what you love and being able to
keep doing it, then I’m successful
beyond measure.
“I don’t think there’s a single
‘key’ to success; if there were, we’d
all just snap our fingers and get to
the top of our field. For me, success
has come from being true to myself,
and from valuing what’s important
to me and keeping that front and
centre in everything I do.
“The moment you start putting
on a facade, it catches up with you.
For me, stepping up has meant
embracing who I am and not trying
to fit into a box that others might
want to put me in.
“What I love about Bishops is that
there are so many opportunities
for youngsters. I wasn’t the biggest
sportsman. I played water polo and
loved watching sports on Saturdays,
