Ahoy!

This is my bio:

Fred Roed is the founder and CEO of Heavy Chef, a learning community for entrepreneurs.

The name ‘Heavy Chef’ comes from the saying never trust a skinny chef and aims to share practical learnings from Africa’s leading technologists, leaders and creatives.

Fred co-founded the Heavy Chef Foundation, which provides learning programmes for high-potential emerging entrepreneurs.

Heavy Chef is well-known for hosting the most popular monthly entrepreneur events in South Africa.

Fred is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, investor and father. Fred believes that entrepreneurs can change the world for the better.

More information:

Born to two Danish immigrants to South Africa, Fred has studied and lived in both Cape Town and Copenhagen. In Denmark, Fred was compelled to come back to South Africa after watching the Truth and Reconciliation Commission on Danish television. It is Fred’s guiding belief that a thriving entrepreneurial sector is a crucial component of a thriving economy.

Roed’s first book The Heavy Chef Guide To Starting A Business In South Africa was launched in 2018 and became a bestseller on Amazon.

When not stirring the pot at Heavy Chef, Fred is the show host of The Healthy Business Show entrepreneur podcast and partner at Glengarry Capital, a fund that invests in education.

Fred Roed was Head of Agencies at the IAB SA (Interactive Advertising Bureau SA) between 2013 and 2016, and was awarded “Best Individual Contribution to the South African Digital Industry” in the 2015 Bookmark Awards held at the Turbine Hall in Johannesburg. Together with Mike Perk, Fred co-founded the digital agency World Wide Creative (WWC) and with Louis Janse van Rensburg, WWC Johannesburg.

Between 2003 and 2016, WWC fielded a portfolio of clients that included Hyundai, Jaguar / Land Rover, City of Cape Town, Rand Merchant Bank, Vodafone, Virgin Mobile and The Foschini Group.

Fast Company Magazine named Fred as one of The Top 100 Creative People In Business 2015.

Fred is obsessed with brand strategy and digital media - with side habits of classic movies, books, popcorn, pizza and trying to find the world’s finest Cabernet Sauvignon.

Fred is also pretty sure he saw Elvis once, at the Pick n’ Pay in Tableview.

These are some of my milestones:

• 2003: Co-founder (together with long-time collaborator Mike Perk), Creative Director and CEO, World Wide Creative.

• 2005: Co-founder, the Heavy Chef side project.

• 2009: Co-founder, alongside Louis Janse van Rensburg and Mike Perk, of World Wide Creative, Johannesburg.

• 2013: Appointed Head of Agencies at the IAB South Africa.

• 2015: Launched digital industry-focused print magazine: The Heavy Chef Quarterly Review.

• 2015: Awarded “Best Individual Contribution to the Digital Industry” in the 2015 IAB / Bookmark Awards.

• 2015: Listed in Fast Company’s ‘Top 100 Creative People in Business’.

• 2016: Registered Heavy Chef Pty Ltd as a separate entity to WWC. Resigns as CEO of WWC, and takes up the position of CEO of Heavy Chef.

• 2017: Launched Heavy Chef, an education platform that aims to inspire and empower entrepreneurs.

• 2018: Wrote and launched the book, The Heavy Chef Guide To Starting A Business In South Africa

• 2019: Launched the Heavy Chef Foundation, aimed at providing education for emerging entrepreneurs.

• 2021: Launched the Heavy Chef Entrepreneur Learning Platform, which delivers weekly recipes on resonant entrepreneurial topics.

• 2023: Launched Heavy Chef Recipe Books, a series of practical guides for entrepreneurs, in collaboration with Pan Macmillan.

• 2034: Fred and ole buddy Elon land on Mars. Drink Sangria and listen to Elton John, just because.

Want me to speak at your event?

Good thinking! I’m cheaper and better looking than Malcolm Gladwell, Yuval Harari and Gary V.

I can also MC like a pro, juggle like a circus clown, ride a unicycle, bench 200 kg, sing like Marvin Gaye, solve quantum physics equations and dance like Usher.

Just kidding. I don’t juggle.

My focus is entrepreneurship and promoting entrepreneurial thinking. Enquiries speaking@heavychef.com

Sign up to Heavy Chef, free, here.