Ann Lamont is a founding board member and Project Leader of Convene Venture Philanthropy, a non-profit organization that uses venture philanthropy to catalyze projects focusing on leadership development, collaboration, innovation, and systemic change.
Previously, Ms. Lamont was the founding CEO of Mindset Network Ltd. Mindset Network, a nonprofit organisation, was conceptualised in April 2002 to address the lack of access to information and education in the schooling, livelihoods and health sectors in South Africa. Through multi-stakeholder partnerships and innovative solutions, Mindset has since its founding launched four multimedia channels covering health, junior and senior schooling, and livelihoods. It is currently received in 20 percent of South African schools, and has expanded into 15 African countries. Ms. Lamont’s primary responsibility was to negotiate the multi-stakeholder partnerships, fundraise, and develop the organisational strategy. Mindset has partnerships with multiple South African government departments, NEPAD and the Kenyan government. It also has significant private sector global donors and civil society partnerships, and has raised $40 million since inception.
Prior to joining Mindset, Ms. Lamont was CEO of the Learning Channel, a multimedia education channel, where she met her mandate of restructuring the business and bringing in a new shareholder. Before that she worked in the investment banking field where she was the first woman in corporate finance at Rand Merchant Bank. She then went on to join Monitor, an international management consulting company. Ms. Lamont is knowledgeable in development, but her particular skills lie in strategy, creating complex partnerships and fundraising.
Ms. Lamont holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and a law degree from the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, and is an African Leadership Initiative Fellow.
Convene Venture Philanthropy grew out of the African Leadership Initiative and catalyses projects focused on leadership development, innovation, collaboration and systemic change in Africa. Through Convene, and in partnership with Synergos and Reos (South Africa), she has launched a multiparty stakeholder initiative to transform the situation of orphans and vulnerable children of HIV/AIDS in South Africa.