Cherise Dunn
Dr Cherise Dunn is co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of SOUTH AFRICA MAKES, an award-winning medical device digital manufacturing company. She holds a PhD in Medical Biochemistry from the University of Cape Town, specialising in cancer research. SOUTH AFRICA MAKES has been featured on TEDx and the Mail & Guardian and is one of Fast Company SA’s Most Innovative Companies for 2021. Dr Dunn has facilitated partnerships with Formlabs, serving as their first African Ambassador, and also Autodesk, to develop new healthcare and medical innovations on the continent. Currently SOUTH AFRICA MAKES is developing affordable and sustainable healthcare innovations in Africa including in vitro diagnostic medical devices for COVID-19.
In 2021 Dr Dunn was selected as one of Wesgro’s Young Innovators in the Western Cape Health Tech sector. Previously she was selected as one of the 50 most inspiring women in STEM in South Africa, as well as one of the Mail & Guardian’s Top 200 Young South Africans for Business and Entrepreneurship.
Dr Dunn has mentored more than 500 youth and female entrepreneurs in design thinking principles and critical digital tools to be used by under-resourced start-ups as part of the ‘Youth in Business’ and ‘Top tech Tools for Women in Business’ programs launched by the Cape Innovation and Technology Initiative (CiTi).