Donna Rachelson, the author of Personal Branding for Entrepreneurs, is a driven entrepreneur with a passion for helping women, entrepreneurs and corporate go-getters make their mark. She is an active advocate for diversity and firmly believes in the power of inclusion. She drives her agenda through the books she has written, talks, workshops and lobbying the ecosystem for change.
Before becoming an entrepreneur and business investor, Donna held a number of marketing director positions in organisations including Nando’s and the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants, as well as marketing management positions at Standard Bank and AECI. She believes she can brand and market anything from chicken to explosives and chartered accountants.
She has a fascination for personal and team branding and its impact on business growth. Donna founded Branding & Marketing YOU – a business focused on helping people develop and grow their personal brands as well as helping women get ahead in the workplace. She also plays an active role in Seed Engine (which includes Seed Academy and the WDB Growth Fund) as a director and shareholder where the focus is on supporting women and youth entrepreneurs to build and grow their businesses.
Donna is the author of three previous books: The best-sellers Branding & Marketing YOU and Play to Win: What Women Can Learn from Men in Business; and Branding & Marketing YOU through Teams.
She has a solid business education, including an MBA, and is a guest lecturer at GIBS. Donna was awarded the winner of the CEO Magazine Business Women of the Year and was named as one of the ‘Top 50 South African Women to Watch’ by Entrepreneur magazine in 2018.