Bill Scheidt
Managing Partner
Before becoming the Managing Partner of Sewa Beats, Bill spent a total of one year and a half living, working, and studying music in Africa. One of his first trips to Africa was as the leader of an ecology research project he designed to study a population of giraffe in a national park. It was then that he first fell in love with Africa, its music, and its people.
Regularly returning to study music, Bill learned Swahili, volunteered to teach English in a rural school, and worked on local community outreach initiatives. He later went on to become an instructor at the world’s first international academy of West African drumming, and a close personal student of legendary Master Drummer Mamady Keita.
With the help of Bill’s directorship, Sewa Beats has delivered corporate programs in 19 countries, 7 languages, and reached more than 300,000 participants around the world. Sewa Beats’ clients include organizations such as BMW, Pfizer, Wells Fargo, Hewlett Packard, and Capital One.
Today, Bill is based in North Carolina, taking advantage of living between the mountains and the ocean to pursue his love of outdoor sports. When he’s not mountain biking or hiking, he can be found spending quiet time with family. For him, Sewa Beats is a way of paying forward the many gifts that have come out of his time in Africa and are an expression of his commitment to making a difference in the world.
What’s the most inspiring thing about Sewa Beats?
“It’s head and heart together – it’s research-backed and uplifting at the same time. It’s business-focused we’re making a global difference – the programs happen in the context of the business world but have a far-reaching personal and social impact”
What’s your personal mission?
“My mission is to have an impact on the organizations and people that make a difference in today’s world. My mission is to connect people to themselves, and to each other. I believe by changing the way companies approach success, we can change the way people think about themselves and others. Employees can start to understand their true purpose and reach their full potential – both at work and in their personal lives. I envision the world moving towards being a global human community.”
What’s the most important thing you’ve learned during your time at Sewa Beats?
“You can’t give what you don’t have. You have to live it and be it. It all comes from you. The external results we generate are a direct result of our internal growth.”
