David is one of the co-founders at Sanergy. David has worked at Ignia Fund in Mexico and at Endeavor. He was the Deputy Chair for Poverty Alleviation at the Clinton Global Initiative in 2005-2006, and taught in China for two years. David holds an MBA from MIT Sloan and a BA with distinction from Yale University.
David Auerbach Definition Of Success| Success is our mission: build healthy, prosperous communities in urban slums by making hygienic sanitation accessible and affordable for all, forever.
What Drives Me | At Sanergy, we have developed an incredible model and team which is just beginning to have a transformative impact. Providing the very best support and leadership to our team and our community drives me above all.
The Difference Between good And Great | We hire people who not only believe that Sanergy is on the cusp of transformative change, but are also absolutely convinced that they have the skills, determination and poise to ensure that we get there. Those who are great at what they do always hold that conviction.
My Key Talent | Listening. I love stories and naturally learning about people’s lives. This is hugely helpful for my role at Sanergy where I am just as likely to be speaking with our field officers who work closely with our entrepreneurs as l am with funders from the US and Europe. Each stakeholder holds a piece to the larger puzzle that we are trying to solve and so being able to listen, absorb and implement their ideas, insights and concerns is critical for our success
Principles We Live By | At Sanergy, we developed 5 core values that certainly embody how I try to live my life:
i. Relentless pursuit of excellence
ii. Pragmatic innovation
iii. Collaboration among our team and customers
iv. Enduring value for our customers
v. Authenticity in all that we do
Lessons I Have Learnt | When you’re trying to change the status quo, there will always be resistance. But persistence, patience and pragmatism will win. You have to keep knocking on doors to get them to open.
Performing At My Peak | I wish I was always performing at my peak! But, I would say that we have a great management team and we make a point of meeting regularly on strategy and operational reviews. This helps me focus my time and energy to perform as well as I can at what I am best at.
Resources I Use To Stay Inspired | I read long articles in magazines like The New Yorker and The Atlantic Monthly, and listen to stories on the radio program called This American Life. They do a great job of making me think about larger issues in life and often from angles I had never thought of.
I Find This Quote By Rainer Maria Rilke To Be Incredibly Inspiring |
“Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves … Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.”
So much of the time, I don’t have the answers at that moment, and must recognize that that is part of the journey.
Inspiring Others | Increasingly and incredibly, those people come to us. With all teammates, we look for people who think they can make Sanergy great, not solely want to be part of something great.
Ajen Sita is the CEO of Ernst & Young Africa. Ajen joined the firm in 1993 focusing on entrepreneurial growth companies. He became a partner in 1999 and was appointed head of the entrepreneurial services division in 2001. Sita is the E&Y’s South African head of audit and chairman of the South Africa’s Thuthuka Education […]
Desiree-Anne Martin Legacy Project believes in the inherent ability for anyone to change. Her mantra is that there is hope, always and she is a Change Facilitator and Inspirational Speaker. Desiree-Anne has her Postgraduate Diploma (with Honours) from UCT and is a Honorary staff member at WITS University where she is a consultant to the […]
Daniel Ting Chong is an illustrator, designer and artist based in Cape Town, South Africa. Daniel was born in 1987 in Cape Town. Studied graphic design at Vega. He is emerging as one of Cape Town’s top creative talents following a series of art exhibitions, talks, commissions from clients and design collaborations with leading international […]
David M. Dye works with leaders who want to build energized teams and get more done. In his motivational leadership speaking, consulting, and coaching David shares twenty years experience in the public and nonprofit sectors including service as an elected official and nonprofit executive. Prior to starting Trailblaze, David served as Chief Operating Officer for […]
Lloyd Blankfein has been the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. since June 2006, and a Director since April 2003. He serves as a member of the Goldman Sachs Management Committee and Board of Directors. Previously, he had been the firm’s President and Chief Operating Officer and prior to that, […]
Having a passion for inspiring people to believe in themselves and become everything they are capable of becoming, Mark is charged with transforming Luck Companies into a global Values Based Leadership (VBL) organization. In his role as Chief Leadership Officer, he serves as a thought leader for the ongoing development of the VBL ideology and […]
Michael Jordaan, Venture Capitalist and wine enthusiast stepped down as CEO of First National Bank, one of SA’s largest banks with a customer base of nearly nine million, in August 2013 to pursue his passion for entrepreneurship. With more than 20 years’ experience in the financial services sector and nearly a decade at the helm […]
Jean de Villiers was named Springbok captain for 2012 before the series victory over England in June, which made him South Africa’s 54th Test skipper. He is one of the most experienced Springboks ever and a natural leader, having led Western Province and the Stormers during his provincial career. De Villiers is deceptively quick, has […]
These remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by WeSpeak Global.
Our Mission
© All rights reserved 2025. Created using VOXEL THEME
