Director:
Ryan Sinclair: Ivy Leader Founder and Program Director. Ryan graduated from Dartmouth College in 2002 with a BA in Environmental Science, and earned an MBA focused on leadership development from the Grenoble Graduate School of Business in 2008. He has traveled in more than 70 countries, has led multiple student programs overseas, and this is his 15th summer in South Africa running the Ivy Leader program. Ryan has taught at Cardigan Mountain School in New Hampshire for fourteen years and believes that education outside the classroom is vital for students to become well-rounded, global citizens.
Trip Leaders:
Greg Shapiro –Trip LeaderGreg joined the Cardigan community in 2021. He is a graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy and the University of Massachusetts Amherst where he studied English and Political Science. At Cardigan, he is a 7th grade Humanities Teacher, JV Hockey assistant, and the Varsity Baseball Head Coach. In the classroom he hopes to inspire students to think for themselves by encouraging them to ask questions and investigate their own ideas. He believes being a good listener is critical in identifying and solving problems as well as with building connections and trust with peers. In his free time he enjoys playing hockey, golfing, going on hikes, and traveling. Greg is a firm believer that you have to learn by getting outside of your comfort zone and gaining as many perspectives as possible. Being able to understand situations from other positions, to consider other beliefs, experiences and viewpoints, gives us better understanding and greater empathy. This helps reduce bias, judgement and conflict.
Max Maurer – Trip Leader: Max is a teacher at Cardigan Mountain School. His love of surf and travel have taken him to many remote places around the world including China, India, Europe, Morocco and next on the list: South Africa. Max has led middle school students on outdoor adventure trips from the northern Rockies down to the waves in Central America. He received his degree in Conservation Biology at St. Lawrence University, at the time working in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. “I’m excited to join the Ivy Leader program this summer because it’s an opportunity to really get immersed with the people and place in a meaningful way.”
Teboho Moeno – Trip Leader: Teboho is our “in country” Trip Leader, and this is his fifth year with Ivy Leader. A graduate of Howard University, Teboho is a passionate and energetic youth worker—founder of the Tsakane Youth Club, and youth counselor at Tshepo Hope Center. He is certified in wilderness therapy, and has his Wilderness Instructor certification with the National Outdoor Leadership School (N.O.LS). He’s participated in Outward Bound in South Africa, Colorado, North Carolina, and Thompson Island Outward Bound Center. Teboho is passionate about working with young people and developing future leaders, is a motivational speaker, and loves to travel. He lives with his 4 children and wife in South Africa.
Loyiso Koyana – Trip Leader: This is Loyiso’s first year joining Ivy Leader as an “in-country” Trip Leader. Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, he joins us with a multitude of various leadership, wilderness, and counseling experience from both the United States and South Africa; including Boston University Sargent Centre Director of Adventure and Outdoors program where he taught environmental lessons to grades 8-12; led team-building and adventure activities, multi-day hikes, mountain biking, rock climbing, canoeing, and kayaking trips; and facilitated a leadership program that included life skills, community service, and conflict resolution. He also facilitated team-building workshops with college students (from New Hampshire and Massachusetts). He was also a program manager at Pay It Forward and Tsiba Education where he coordinated the mentorship program, managed the student development center, assisted with student counseling services, lectured for the leadership and self-development classes, facilitated orientation programs and camps for students; and currently consults for different organizations and companies in leadership and self-development and as a recruitment officer at Karl Flowers Trust.
