South African born local entrepreneur and co-founder of Sterkla mobile coaching app, Gavin Lund (42), has been announced as this year’s Entrepreneur X Factor 2021 winner, impressing judges and out-performing 40 global finalists.

The annual Entrepreneur X Factor awards is an entry-fee free entrepreneurial platform that recognises, celebrates, and helps mentor start-ups and entrepreneurs.

“Entrepreneur X Factor is not about the best plan, the most revenue or how good you can pitch. It’s that magic bullet that sees some entrepreneurs fly, regardless of economies, skill, funding or resources. When you look at a business, it’s a combination of your passion for what you’re doing that attracts people to it and how clear you are at articulating it so people and potential customers can understand it,” says Mike Handcock, founder of Entrepreneur X Factor.

Sterkla connects qualified and experienced coaches with people looking for professional support in various areas of their lives. Designed and developed to make coaching more accessible to those who need it, the app allows members to interact with coaches anytime and anywhere using their smart device.

“We have had to grapple with so many new challenges and changes presented by the global pandemic and people need support to help them navigate these issues,” says Lund. “Sterkla ensures people can get the help they need by accessing coaching support via live video and engage with curated online material wherever they are, using a smart device. This allows people to get the help they need and realise their potential without having to leave the safety of their homes.”

Lund’s 20+ years of entrepreneurial and leadership experience in the training and coaching field informed the creation of the app in 2018, along with a passion for leveraging technology to help solve some of the biggest challenges facing humanity.

As the winner of Entrepreneur X Factor, Lund will receive a prize valued at over R430,000 to help catapult and expand Sterkla’s mission, which is to make coaching accessible to all who want it and to create a global movement of conscious awakening.

“This win is a team effort, and we would not have made it this far without the support of an incredibly dedicated, innovative and passionate team behind the platform,” says Lund. “Our goal is to demonstrate how coaching can offer real-life, tangible benefits with clear objectives and outcomes in place, and my hope is that this recognition brings us a step closer to achieving this.”