I grew up in a small farming community in South Africa, where my family ran a hotel and a liquor store. From the age of 12, I was learning what it means to take care of people. That ethic followed me through college, where I waited tables to pay my way to London where I worked in pubs and coffee shops while I saved to go backpacking in Europe.

I earned a degree in City Planning, moved to the U.S. for what was supposed to be a 6-month internship,...