A quick origin story:
The seed for KruShan Foundation was planted during a 2010 trip to South Africa when Kruger, who grew up there, took Shannon to see the African penguins. While Shannon was immediately enchanted (to paraphrase the movie Jerry Macguire, they had her at hello), Kruger wondered where the African penguins had gone. 2010 was the year African penguins were declared an endangered species.
Because we’ve been on-site with the African penguins many times since that 2010 trip and desperately want to do something to help the planet, it seems natural to partner with organizations in South Africa to protect the iconic and adorable African penguins, which are now critically endangered. We spent the Great Toilet Paper Crisis, AKA the COVID-19 pandemic, planning our foundation, which we proudly launched in January 2022.
Meet our passionate African penguin lover volunteer board members and advisors.
Board and Advisors
Kruger grew up near Cape Town, South Africa. Kruger is a Climate Reality Leader, Texas Master Naturalist, former science teacher, and now a data scientist. Kruger handles our website backend, including our custom CRM, metrics, data analysis, donor relations, and videography. Kruger holds a Master of Science in Data Analytics.
Shannon is a native Texan, Climate Reality Leader, Texas Master Naturalist, former accountant, and now a learning experience design consultant and writer. Shannon handles social media, writing, accounting, our website front end, and photography. Shannon holds a Master of Science in Learning Experience Design and Educational Technology.
Shelby is a strategist at a top advertising company in Austin, Texas. She handles board records, advises on marketing and social media, and is part of our accounting internal controls. Shelby holds a Bachelor of Science in Advertising, cum laude.
Pinkey is a fundraising, conservation, and administrative manager at Dyer Island Conservation Trust as well as an environmental educator, and founder of the Deep Blue Ambassadors program for school children in Gansbaai, South Africa.
Xolani is known as South Africa’s penguin whisperer. He has worked with African penguins in South Africa for over 16 years, first in the Eastern Cape and more recently in the Western Cape at the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary,
Waddlesworth, or Wads as we call him, is why we do what we do. We saw him at Boulders Beach African penguin colony several years ago.