MiDO CYBER ACADEMY

Name: MiDO Academy
Address: ZA

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About Us

Passion for Digital Youth Enablement

We are an impact-driven Social Enterprise that empowers young people to gain meaningful employment while alleviating the pressures on businesses to upskill and integrate new digital and cyber talent.

We provide a learning environment where students acquire relevant and appropriate skills that support their professional and personal growth, connect them to the real world of employment and facilitate networking within the industry.

Creating pathways out of poverty by empowering underserved South African youth with cybersecurity and professional skills and access to work opportunities; while addressing the cybersecurity skills shortage.

We envision becoming an enabling model of skills development in South Africa and across Africa by bridging the gap between individuals seeking a pathway out of poverty, entities needing work-ready individuals and an eco-system of partners assisting the cause.

Our Vision

Our Story

How it started..

The MiDO Academy was established by a group of like-minded individuals aiming to address the cybersecurity skills shortage in South Africa while helping youth become employable in the field. Dale Simons, the CEO of MiDO Technologies, and Anna Collard, SVP of Content Strategy and Evangelist at KnowBe4 Africa founded the academy.

Through support from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) as the main sponsor, KnowBe4; NClose and other industry partners the Academy was launched in 2023 and selected to be part of the FCDO Africa Cyber Programme as a key learning provider to stimulate cyber career opportunities for underprivileged students.

We are continuously striving to expand our partner ecosystem to local and global organizations, employers, and government institutions to advance our mission and contribute to our sustainable growth.

Meet the Team

Dedication. Expertise. Purpose.

CEO, MiDO Group | Digital Citizenship | Founder

Dale Simons

Dale Simons is the Managing Director of MiDO Technologies, specializing in ICT software solutions, support, training, and systems implementation. With experience at Pragma Africa and Spier Holdings, he has held roles ranging from ICT Consultant to ICT Director. He holds a Mechanical Engineering NDip from Cape Peninsula University of Technology, completed the Executive Development Programme at Stellenbosch Business School, and became a Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate in 2003. Dale is dedicated to leveraging his ICT expertise to prepare youth for the 4th Industrial Revolution, driven by his passion for societal transformation.

Evangelist, Co-Founder,

Anna Collard

Anna Collard is the SVP of Content Strategy & Evangelist for KnowBe4 Africa where she drives security awareness across the African continent. Anna founded Popcorn Training which was acquired by KnowBe4 in 2018. Anna holds a Master of Science in CyberPsychology (University of Applied Sciences Vienna) and multiple cyber security certifications such as CISSP, CISA, CIPP-IT, ISO 27000 implementer and PCI DSS QSA.

Anna is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on the Future of Metaverse for the 2023-2024 term and is passionate about bridging the cyberskills gap.

Programme Manager

Maureen van der Rheede

Maureen has worked for ABSA and has more than 22 years of experience in the banking industry, operations, and management. She holds a B.Econ degree from the University of Stellenbosch, a Project Management course at the University of Cape Town. Maureen also completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Management at the Regent Business School. Maureen is passionate about transforming the lives of young people and positively influencing the youth to reach their full potential.

Head of Partnerships

Vanesse Machill

With over 14 years of commercial experience in various fields including AI, EdTech, and educational content development, Vanesse Machill leverages her unique set of skills and her passion for enablement to drive sustainable business growth. As Head of Partnerships at MiDO Academy, she fosters strategic collaborations and is dedicated to empowering young people to achieve their goals.

– Programme Assistant

Maruzanne Meyer

Maruzanne is passionate about transforming the lives of young people to reach their full potential and making a success of their lives.MiDO changed her life by discovering her passion is working with young people by motivating them to make a success of their lives.

– Learning Experience Assistant

Lindsay May

Lindsey May is the Learning Experience Assistant at MiDO Academy. She worked in various industries, which included hospitality and administration. Since joining MiDO Academy, she has gained new skills such as professionalism, problem-solving, and communication. She loves assisting the students with various inquiries about the content and the multiple tasks she has to complete. Lindsey is eager to expand her experience and knowledge in the role.

Student Success Manager

Lauren Davids

Lauren holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and has a passion for human behavioural psychology. Coming from an underserved community, she is dedicated to creating meaningful impact and empowering youth. A deep understanding of human behaviour drives her expertise in event planning, leadership, and organizational development. Her involvement with TEDx Stellenbosch reinforced her belief in the power of purpose-driven initiatives to transform communities and businesses.

Finance manager

Raymond Brinkhuis

Raymond spent more than 22 years in the Banking industry where he accumulated experience in Credit/Credit Risk, Internal Audit and Operations Management. He has since started his own business consulting company where he utilises his experience to upskill small businesses in Operations and Financial management. He is also involved in various other business operations as a board member and director.

CONTACT US

+27 (0)76 639 4361| info@mido.co.za

Unit 6, De Werkwinkel Building, 65 Webersvalley Road, Jamestown, Stellenbosch

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