Risk Is Not Neutral: How Unconscious Bias Shapes Opportunity

Loading player...
Ashton Fourie is joined by social entrepreneur and business leader Shawn Theunissen to explore how risk is shaped by perceptions – long before any decisions are made.

Drawing on Shawn’s journey from a gang-ridden township in Johannesburg to leading enterprise development initiatives across South Africa, the conversation unpacks how bias and background influence who is seen as “risky” – and who is not.

Shawn then explains how using his Three R’s framework (Risk, Reputation and Relationship) has tangibly reshaped risk profiles, unlocked market access, and enabled measurable growth for the entrepreneurs he has worked with.

This compelling episode challenges faith-driven investors and decision-makers to reconsider how they assess risk, to examine their own biases, and to intentionally use their influence to unlock opportunities for others to create long-term value.

Read the article here - https://ziwani.com/read/the-hidden-forces-shaping-risk-and-opportunitythe-hidden-forces-shaping-risk-and-opportunity
2 Mar English South Africa Business · Christianity

Other recent episodes

Think "People" Not "Projects"

ReFramed Revisited: Conversations that shaped how we think about capital and investing for Africa's flourishing. Charmaine Smith is an experienced consultant who has spent years working alongside rural communities, with a particular focus on education. In this episode, she explores what changes when we shift our attention from investing in…
12 Oct 24 min

Take A Long Term View

ReFramed Revisited: Conversations that shaped how we think about capital and investing for Africa's flourishing. In this episode, Andy Agaba, founder of Hiinga, a Christ-Centred Impact Investing Fund, shares his remarkable journey from growing up with a single mom and selling pigs to pay school fees, to eventually studying at…
28 Sep 20 min

Big Change Through Venture Capital

Reframed Revisted: Conversations that shaped how we think about capital and investing for Africa's flourishing. In this episode, Jonathan Wilson is joined by fellow venture capitalist David Harlley to explore a provocative question: Has modern capitalism really moved beyond the inequalities of the feudal system it replaced?They examine how wealth,…
14 Sep 1 hr 05 min

Big Change In Our Minds

ReFramed Revisited: Conversations that shaped how we think about capital and investing for Africa's flourishing. In this episode, Jonathan Wilson speaks with Alison Klein, a seasoned professional in private equity and impact investing in emerging markets, about the assumptions that shape how we approach investment, philanthropy and change in Africa…
31 Aug 1 hr 04 min

Four Hosts: One Final Conversation

In the final episode of RISK, hosts Kerryne, Doreen, Ashton and Chinwe reflect on a year of conversations with leaders across Africa and how those encounters have reshaped their understanding of risk. They explore the tension between boldness and stewardship, faith and wisdom, courage and responsibility. From learning to recognise…
17 Aug 57 min