Tracey Gilmore is a dedicated and internationally recognized social entrepreneur. She has over a decade’s experience in poverty eradication through sustainable small business practices within the circular economy.
She is the co-founder of Taking Care of Business (previously The Clothing Bank) which empowers unemployed South Africans to access sustainable small business opportunities while responsibly reducing supply chain waste.
With a background in small business operations and development, Tracey brings a wealth of experience to the organization. Her passion for creating an inclusive society that prioritizes equal access to opportunities and financial freedom drives her efforts to provide unemployed men and women with the resources and support they need to succeed.
Tracey serves as the Chief Operations Officer, overseeing the operations of the organization’s five branches. Tracey Gilmore and her business partner Tracey Chambers conceptualized Taking Care of Business after recognizing the potential for using excess “waste” stock in the retail supply chain to teach women how to run small trading businesses. The organization has since expanded to five cities across South Africa, training and supporting over thousands of men and women and helping these micro-enterprises to generate millions of Rands in profits.
Tracey is a firm believer in lifelong learning and the power of knowledge in promoting professional and personal development, social inclusion, and active citizenship. With an unwavering commitment to her cause and a drive to create change, Tracey has a vision for creating more accessible opportunities that support economic inclusion and has further ambitions to achieve this goal.
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
2022 Acumen: TCB is named one of the Top 100 Corporate Ready Social Enterprises globally in the world
2021 The Mail & Guardian Greening the Future Award winner Category: Waste Management Practice
2017 Premiers Entrepreneurship Recognition Award – Social Enterprise category and overall winner
2016 Schwab Foundation Switzerland Award for Outstanding Social Entrepreneur of the Year
2013 AfIA award for work in Economic Development & Poverty Relief
2013 AfIA The Clothing Bank named the New African Charity of the Year
2012 Teach a Man to Fish Pan African Award for Entrepreneurship Education
SPECIAL INVITATIONS AND SPEAKING OPPORTUNITIES
2013
- The Dept. of Economic Development – Enterprise Development Conference (Jhb)
2014
- Trialogue, Cape Town – Corporate Social Investment Conference
- A 2 B Transformation Movement, Cape Town and Johannesburg
- Occupational Intelligence – Task Man Fit
- Understanding Occupational Intelligence
2015
- Recruitment and the Prognostic Factors that Work against Change
- The Sustainable Development Network, Cape Town
- Stakeholder Engagement Conference – Job Creation (Jhb)
2016
- The World Economic Forum, Rwanda – ‘The Fourth Industrial Revolution’
- The World Economic Forum, Tiam Jin, China – ‘The Fourth Industrial Revolution’
- Symphonia, Cape Town – Embracing Anxiety
- Wits Business School – Leading for Transformation
2017
- Schwab Foundation Solutions Summit Durban
- The World Economic Forum, Durban
- Unisa, Midrand Advanced Course in Incubation Management
- Weltethos Institute: 5th Humanistic Management Conference Tubingen, Germany
2018
- Women Economic Forum Conference – New Dehli India
- Leadership for Systems Change – Harvard University Boston USA
- Schwab Foundation Summit, NYC SDG Summit NYC USA
2020
- Stanford University Seed Programme
Current/Ongoing
- Catalyst 2030 – SDG focussed group
- DEAL – Doughnut Economics Action Lab
- ACEN – Africa Circular Economy Network
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracey-gilmore-822b9033/
Website: www.tcb.org.za