Driven by the belief that “there are no stupid questions, only stupid answers,” Dave Erasmus has always carried a deep curiosity.
Each question led to another. Dave chased them down every rabbit hole, building a life full of diverse projects and experiences, all tied together by inquiry and a desire to create meaningful change.
Born in Johannesburg and raised in the United Kingdom — first in Wales, then Surrey — Dave grew up the youngest of four siblings in a close-knit Christian family. This early sense of community taught him the value of sharing, support, and networks. It also fueled his instinct to ask questions and take bold risks.
Dave soon realised formal education didn’t fit him. His constant questioning often clashed with the traditional classroom. At a time when success seemed to mean a university degree and a suit in the city, Dave began to wonder: was there another way to build a life?
David is a founding member of the Ambassadors for Philanthropy, a Government initiative orchestrated by the cabinet office, and in September 2009, he established a business start-up incubator, called Cubate.com, which specialises in developing mobile and social projects.
His first project with the company was GetGiving, which ultimately became Givey – an app which allows users to make real-time social donations to Charities. In 2011 he was given a special advisory role with Lord Wei of Shoreditch (formerly David Cameron’s council on The Big Society) advising him on solving social problems through technology.
