Fred Swaniker

Fred Swaniker is the Founder & CEO of Sand Technologies, a global technology company that builds enterprise-grade artificial intelligence applications for companies and governments around the world.
Fred began his career at McKinsey & Company and has an MBA from Stanford University, where he was named an Arjay Miller Scholar, a distinction awarded to the top 10% of each graduating class. 

He has been recognized as one of the top 15 emerging social entrepreneurs in the world by Echoing Green; as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum; as a TED Fellow, and as an Aspen Institute Fellow. He has been honoured with doctorate degrees from Macalester College in Minnesota, Middlebury College in Vermont, and Nelson Mandela University in South Africa. He sits on the boards of the Rhodes Trust (which awards the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University). He is a member of the International Advisory Board of Waterloo University (Canada). He also received Stanford University’s 2024 President’s Award for the Advancement of the Common Good.

Fred was recognized in 2019 as one of the ‘100 Most Influential People in the World’ by Time Magazine and again in 2023 with a “Time 100 Impact Award” for his work. Before launching Sand, Fred launched the African Leadership Group, an ecosystem of organizations that selects, develops, and connects Africa’s next generation of leaders.