Ronald Kunene serves as Executive Director, Strategic Partners at Simple Innovations. He is in charge of project intake and development in southern Africa. He is a renowned thespian and academic born in Kwa-Thema Springs, east of Johannesburg, South Africa. Mr. Kunene’s middle- class upbringing exposed him to well-known families of entrepreneurs and history makers during an era of pain and racial division in the great nation. Many great leaders like Steve Biko, Mrs. Winnie Mandela and other great political luminaries help shape Mr. Kunene’s socio-political consciousness. Simultaneously, his love of music set him on a professional path that would shape his career.  

Mr. Kunene arrived in the United States in 1982, where he briefly attended Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama, with legendary singers such as Brian McKnight, Take 6, and Wintley Phipps. He then received a United Nations Scholarship and earned his AA degree at LA City College before earning his BA, MA, and Candidate Philosophy Degree at UCLA. With his love for academics, Mr. Kunene is currently writing his dissertation to receive his Ph.D.After completing his collegiate career at UCLA, Kunene sought after his passion and goal for telling African stories through “edu-tainment,” within film, television, and Broadway. Kuenen’s credits in film include Bopha, The Gods Must be Crazy 2, The Lion King, and Power of One, while television and Broadway credits include A Different World, Modern Family, and the popular musical, Sarafina.

As a result of Kunene’s extensive career, he has been honored the opportunity to perform at the Oscars twice. In 1988, he performed the Academy Award-nominated Cry Freedom and again in 1995 when The Lion King won the Oscar for Best Original Music Score. In 1997, Kunene launched himself in an award-winning and magical performance on the Tony stage showcasing his talents in the Broadway play, The Lion King. Mr. Kunene has contributed to many award-winning titles within Oscar films to critically acclaimed plays like The Lion King and Sarafina. With this work, Mr. Kunene’s “edu-tainment” mission continues to come to fruition as he sets his sights on telling the stories of African leaders and history makers through film and television.

 

Mr. Kunene has acquired various skills in the course of his career such as Financial Leadership, Corporate Leadership, Policy development and optimization, Business Start-ups Management, Operational Leadership, Business Planning, Product development & expansion, Community Organizer, Total quality management.

Other accomplishments in Mr. Kunene’s work have been his dedication to the fight against apartheid, which led to the creation of Artists for a New South Africa and a charity dedicated to the presidential election of the late Nelson Mandela.