WiN Festival Speaker

Tracey Gilmore

Tracey Gilmore is a dedicated and internationally recognized social entrepreneur. She has over a decade’s experience in poverty eradication through sustainable small business practices within the circular economy.  

She is the co-founder of Taking Care of Business (previously The Clothing Bank) which empowers unemployed South Africans to access sustainable small business opportunities while responsibly reducing supply chain waste.  

With a background in small business operations and development, Tracey brings a wealth of experience to the organization. Her passion for creating an inclusive society that prioritizes equal access to opportunities and financial freedom drives her efforts to provide unemployed men and women with the resources and support they need to succeed. 

Tracey serves as the Chief Operations Officer, overseeing the operations of the organization’s five branches. Tracey Gilmore and her business partner Tracey Chambers conceptualized Taking Care of Business after recognizing the potential for using excess “waste” stock in the retail supply chain to teach women how to run small trading businesses. The organization has since expanded to five cities across South Africa, training and supporting over thousands of men and women and helping these micro-enterprises to generate millions of Rands in profits.  

Tracey is a firm believer in lifelong learning and the power of knowledge in promoting professional and personal development, social inclusion, and active citizenship. With an unwavering commitment to her cause and a drive to create change, Tracey has a vision for creating more accessible opportunities that support economic inclusion and has further ambitions to achieve this goal.