Born and bred in South Africa, Ilze embraced her Dad's advice that you need two things in life ...

 

 - Roots  & Wings - 

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Her mother on the other hand, inspired her greatly to touch the lives of others, as you can read more here. This parental advice guided much of her path forward.

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Ilze spread her wings by literally 'taking off' 22 years ago when she left South Africa with her husband on an expat journey that took them living in the United States, Russia, South Korea, Hong Kong and Tokyo with a brief period back in South Africa inbetween. However - she kept strong roots in South Africa and still spends several months in the country every year. The same approach (R&W) was taken in bringing up her own kids, to let them know where they belong, despite the places they'll go.