Sarah Bergs

Founder and CEO of the Nourish Foundation

Born and bred in the Timbavati Game Reserve in South Africa, wildlife, nature, and conservation run in Bergs's blood. She has dedicated her life to promoting sustainable practices and combating poaching through addressing the underlying issue of poverty.

Realizing the importance of communities that live alongside protected areas, Bergs founded the Nourish Non-Profit Organization in 2011 with the goal of empowering and uplifting these communities by providing economic opportunities and improved livelihoods. Nearly 13 years later, the Nourish Eco-Village model has become a replicable modular solution that enables education, enterprise and empowerment for community members, cradle to career.

Nourish's strong relationships with community members and Tribal Authorities enables effective implementation and authentic benefit. Presently, under Bergs's visionary leadership, Nourish has established two Eco Villages and one outreach project node in communities that border the Kruger National Park. This initiative is part of her grand vision to scale the model through a social franchising approach. The aim is to connect communities to conservation and create lasting change in both community dynamics and conservation efforts.

Nourish has partnered with the Isenberg School of Management to host students traveling with the school's "Service Learning in South Africa" study abroad program. 

Learn more about Nourish.