Professionally
Max Pichulik has over 15 years’ experience working with purpose driven entrepreneurs and innovators across the African continent (see my track record at the bottom of the page), helping them access capital, scale their ventures and create an impact on socio-economic and environmental issues. He co-founded one of the most successful purpose driven accelerators, Impact Amplifier, is considered a thought leader in impact investing on the African continent, and been actively involved in building a movement of entrepreneurs (social entrepreneurs) trying to solve the continent’s most pressing issues. Max also co-founded an Agri-tech venture, GreenFingers Mobile, which is scaling throughout the continent, and is the co-founder of an impact investment company, LEAD Impact Capital.
The Awakening
In parallel, Max embarked on a long personal development journey from age 21, as he began to grapple with his own purpose and meaning in life. Stress, anxiety, fear and large doses of anxiety accompanied Max as he embarked on his career, firstly in banking and asset management in London. Corresponding to a profoundly difficult, yet expansive, entrepreneurial and personal journey, emerged profound experiences and awakenings which led Max down his path of purpose and building resilience. Max left London in 2005, and almost immediately started working in South African townships, seeking business solutions to inequality and then climate change.
Working with, and arising from, human pain, has been the major theme and one that Max works with changemakers on a daily basis. By Max building his own capacity and resilience, he plays a role to others.
My support to Changemakers and Leaders
Besides reading (and often working with) almost every business management, personal development, leadership and spiritual teacher available, Max felt 99% of them had important lessons at particular times of his life, but were equally misleading in very profound ways, which were ultimately damaging to people. With exponential technologies, connectivity and the democratisation of media, everyone has become an expert (I’m not excluded here), or influencer, especially if there is a voice and a following. This is characterized by short clip inspirational quotes, shallow understandings of ancient philosophies and teachings, and motivational speakers which leave their audience on a dopamine high, but doesn’t necessarily lead to any significant transformation.
The core hypothesis of Max’s work with leaders, entrepreneurs and teams, is that their idea of ‘success’:
Is possibly a flawed idea in the first place.
Emerges when they turn inwards and continually discover their own true nature, as an ever unfolding process throughout their whole life.
Is often determined through their ongoing relationship to uncomfortable emotions, setbacks and pain.
Changes as they become more present to life as it is, through acceptance of our flawed selves, and lightening the grip of excessive control over life
My thesis
My thesis is that most humans (and entrepreneurs) suffer from at least 7 ‘archetypal fears’ which affect their success / ability to manage life and thrive. Its the resolution of these 7 archetypes which can be directly attributed to their success in life:
Fear of rejection and abandonment
Feeling unloved and unsafe
Fear of letting go (excessive control)
Fear of poverty / survival
Fear of not being accepted (not accepting oneself as they are)
Fear of intimacy (issues of trust)
Fear of death or loss
All of these daily fears, controls, chronic pains, stresses and anxiety affect our performance, capacity to succeed in our endeavours and ultimately our resilience. The most successful entrepreneurs and leaders Max works with are able to think critically, creatively, and solve problems with a clear mind and well managed nervous system. Managing our nervous system is an art and science, where the people I know rely too heavily on the science, and don’t appreciate the art enough. When capital and complexity is stacked onto leaders without that capacity, and work/life balance, even though they have executed successfully to date, there is a high chance of failure. Individual pains, anxieties, unbalanced egos and stress, when scaled can easily become toxic cultures which can’t sustain balanced, talented team members. The result is feeling completely overwhelmed.
Track Record
See my Linkedin profile at the bottom of the page.
I speak and lecture at numerous conferences, events, and universities. A snapshot includes: World Economic Forum in Africa, SEED Symposium, Duke University, University of Stellenbosch Business School, African Utility Week, Columbia Business School - Executive MBAs, World Bank XL Africa Programme, Yale School of Management, George Mason University - Executive MBA, Centre for Innovation in Health Management at Leeds University
Featured on multiple media platforms: Business Day TV, Mail & Guardian, VentureBurn, Disrupt Africa, Next Billion
Written for the Daily Maverick: Education, Agriculture, Lonmin & Marikana
Co-Founded one of the most respected impact focused accelerators on the African continent called Impact Amplifier
CEO and Co-founder of an agri fin-tech company called GreenFingers Mobile
Co-founded a social impact asset management company in South Africa called Lead Impact Capital
Part of conceptualising the largest entrepreneurial co-working space in Africa
Co-founded and Chaired the South African chapter of ANDE (Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs)
Deploy between $4-6m in social venture capital per year.
Trained over 150 entrepreneurs in the last 12 months
Accelerated over 70 social ventures in 6 SADC countries
Speak at multiple conferences throughout Africa, Europe and the United States.
Studied various forms of eastern and western philosophy, psychology and indigenous forms of shamanism
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