Cait McCann

I am passionate about being active in the outdoors, and especially enjoy rowing, a sport that I consider having built my mental resilience and leadership capabilities. I am also fond of running and hiking; I have completed Run the Karoo, and hiked the Inca Trail in Peru. I am passionate about the environment and conservation. I enjoy volunteering and engaging with my community to work towards a more sustainable and caring future.

As an intern at FlyBox, I acquired hands-on experience in the sustainability start-up sector. I conducted research and collaborated on grant proposals. This experience allowed for me to gain insights into agritech in both Kenya and the United Kingdom. I communicated with government officials to better understand animal feed production regulations in the United Kingdom. I completed an internship at Our Future Cities, an urban consultancy, where I conducted research, participated in client meetings, co-hosted stakeholder engagements, and conducted site visits. This grew my understanding of property, urban policies, and current urban news.

I completed a Bachelor of Social Sciences undergraduate degree, majoring in Geography and Psychology. In addition to these majors, I have completed the following modules: Botany 102, Sociology 1, Environmental Sciences 2, and Industrial and Economic Sociology 2. I am have completed my Postgraduate Diploma offered by Stellenbosch University at the Sustainability Institute. I completed the Sustainable Development 1, Complexity Theory and Systems Thinking, Renewable Energy Systems, Food System Transitions, Renewable Energy Systems, Bioenergy, and Development Planning and Environmental Analysis modules. I have started a Master's Degree in Sustainable Development at Stellenbosch University that requires on-campus learning for approximately four weeks annually. My thesis, categorised under green finance, is a comparison of corporate understandings and measurements of sustainability in Southern and Western contexts and the impact this has on the funding of sustainability start-ups in Southern contexts.