Wandile is an Obama Leader, dynamic speaker, political analyst, adjunct professor, and architect who holds a master’s in architecture from Andrews University in Michigan. He is a Resolution Fellow, One Young World ambassador, and the CEO of a social impact architecture firm, Ubuntu Design Group, The Anti-Racist Hotdog, and Ubuntu Architecture Summer Abroad Design Justice school. You can check him out on Twitter & Instagram: @wandileubuntu
Diversity and inclusion are core themes for Wandile in serving his purpose as an architect as a result of his upbringing and life experiences. He was born during apartheid South Africa, attended a high school in Zimbabwe, and then went on to complete his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in architecture at the most ethnically diverse university in the United States; Andrews University in the state of Michigan. These diverse experiences around the world have shaped his understanding of the different environments around him and the importance of inclusion, which embraces the cultural roots that different communities are drawn to.
He brings a refreshing and insightful perspective to the topic of diversity that’s based on the power of listening to others. The principle of Listen to Understand, empowers him to form decisions on the basis that everyone has a seat at the table. Everyone has an equally weighted voice which translates to a collective vision of a space that is guaranteed to be representative and attractive to different cultural and contextual values. By acknowledging, respecting, and appreciating different value systems, diversity can thrive, allowing everyone to be heard. This creates a space that represents a community of inclusion and mutual understanding. That is the true power of ‘Listen to Understand’; it creates an atmosphere of physical and contextual sustainability.
"Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance." - Verna Myers
