Juanitill Pettus is a facilitator, coach, and strategist committed to building a more equal world. Her greatest passion is walking alongside individuals on their developmental journeys—helping them take up space and contribute meaningfully to society.

Juanitill began her career in youth development as a founding team member of the Pinotage Youth Development Academy, which aimed to create pathways for meaningful employment for Black and Brown youth in South Africa’s wine industry. She has held roles at major universities including UWC, UCT, and UP, focusing on student development and support.

In recent years, she led the design and facilitation of the Teachers CAN fellowship (incubated by the DG Murray Trust), which supported a national network of young, change agent teachers. She also served as process designer and lead facilitator for the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation’s Leading for Humanity programme—an initiative exploring self-repair as a route to societal repair.

Juanitill holds an undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of the Western Cape and a Postgraduate Diploma in Futures Studies from Stellenbosch Business School. She was a 2016 Mandela Washington Fellow at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, focused on Civic Leadership.

Juanitill believes we are in the midst of a global shift—one that invites us to reimagine a world that is more just, sustainable, and liberated. She is deeply committed to using her experience and insight to support the next generation of leaders rising to meet this moment.