Dillion Phiri

At first glance, dillion s. phiri appears to be a jack of all trades. It’s a phrase that’s often misunderstood — because it’s misquoted. In full, it's a compliment most modern multihyphenates embrace:
 

“A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.”
 

From curating, all the way back to developing community through Creative Nestlings’ events in Cape Town & Johannesburg to developing spaces for creatives like , dillion’s various ‘trades’ have revolved around a single goal: The development and support of innovative, groundbreaking creative entrepreneurship across the African continent. That laserlike focus turbocharges both his work and its impact, and has for over a decade.
 

As the co-founder of , he’s brought thousands of creatives across the continent and the world together, introducing, supporting and spotlighting key voices in the global conversation on the business of creativity. As a consultant at the Cape Town Partnership, his multidisciplinary youth-focused experience projects helped turn the city into the creative business destination it is today. As the co-curator & co-creator of books like & , he’s documented the contemporary history of creative work in Africa. As the co-founding partner and a lead mentor/coach at dillion co-created the operational strategy and creative fund that have supported the growth of SA brands like Tshepo the Jeanmaker, Bathu, and Wolf & Co. Over the years dillion has covered magazines like & , spoken at numerous workshops and conferences like , and , and has been the subject of key features in , , . Recently, he’s also been named one of the
 
Today, while the game and its tools have changed, the goal remains the same: Build a creative industry that allows African creative professionals to make a living and a life. By building key initiatives, consulting with telcos like on new mobile network initiatives like 2018’s , collaborating on new approaches to creative engagement, measuring the creative economy and now also directing films — like 2019’s , a look at the state of creativity & entrepreneurship in South African cities — dillion’s planning to do just that in a host of new ways, and you’re going to want to watch. He is also currently the Entrepreneur in Residence at the where he advises the next big tech startups and the greater ecosystem.