Speakers⁵

Michael Wilde believes that food is one of the big factors that everyone in the world has a say in.  We all eat and can decide what we want on our plate. Michael is concerned and finds organic farming crucial. We can decide what we care about, every day.

“Organic food has a huge impact on your own health, animal welfare, the environment and therefore on society. As a result, the organic farmer generally experiences more meaning and social appreciation.”

Michaël Wilde was director of BIONEXT and worked for EOSTA for 12 years as sustainability and communications manager. He knows the motivations and objections of farmers and companies regarding organic food like no other. He speaks from the heart, with infectious enthusiasm. Michaël outlines a positive future perspective for everyone who wants to participate in the food transition.

“We can only feed the growing world population if we work together with nature.”

Read more about Michaël Wilde >>

Founded by Anoek Neele and a collective of theater makers, The Climate Theater presents the climate crisis in a unique and humorous way on the workplace. With interactive performances, this diverse group makes difficult subjects discussable and inspires sustainable behavioral change.

Each character embodies one of the five behavioral stages of change. The dialogues between these characters tell the story of the character and highlights the pain points; from “climate denier” to “climate advocate”. Even Mother Earth has a role.

“A theatrical ‘slap in the face’ works better than spouting facts about climate.”

In the performance ‘A Warm Welcome’, laughter and tears are not uncommon, but the real impact is often only visible later. It creates space to express and share concerns and connect with people who have the same or different opinions and ideas. This has a lasting effect.

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Growing up among farms in Brabant, Chantal developed a passion for good food and sustainability at an early age. Her career switched from large food companies to setting up initiatives like Too Good to Waste and Kromkommer  which marked the beginning of her fight against food waste and the established order in the food industry.

Now, she travels the country with her project Peas Of Me in her camper, staying at the farms of food changers, and sharing the inspiring stories of these ‘Peasmakers’.

“So much good is already happening; that’s what I want to focus on, not on doomsday scenarios.”

Let yourself be inspired by Chantal’s unique life story, nomadic existence, and her tireless commitment to a better world.

Read more about Chantal Engelen >>

From a young age, Talita felt a strong connection to nature and all living things. Sustainability has always played a significant role in her life, but it reached a peak in 2013 due to an event that is still vividly etched in her memory: the collapse of the Rana Plaza textile factory in Bangladesh.

The disaster not only made her reflect on her role as a consumer but also as a human being. It sparked a search for sustainable fashion and brought her closer to her own identity. She delved into her own heritage and cultural background. She discovered not only what sustainability essentially means to her but also the power of honest, transparent stories.

“The victims could have been my brothers and sisters.”

She launched her own platform, Soul Stores, where she shares inspiration about conscious purchasing and sustainable living while providing a valuable platform for mission-driven stores, manufacturers, and brands.

Drawing from her knowledge, experiences, and insights into copywriting, journalism, and sustainability, she developed Sustainable Storytelling as a methodology . She wrote a book about it – Sustainable Storytelling: From Pure Intention to a Credible Story with Impact – and speaks about it.

“It’s about being human from pure intentions and a deep intrinsic desire to do good for yourself, for others, and for the world around you.”

Read more about Talita Kalloe >>

Meet Wim Schepens, a quirky speaker and author who sees storytelling as his personal form of activism. Wim knows how to build bridges between different worlds, with his versatile background as an editor-in-chief and program maker at VPRO and his sharp societal view.

In his book “Leven met een trui aan” and through lectures, he shares his personal sustainability dilemmas and his fascination with nature, ecosystems, and the environment in a humorous and recognizable way. By doing so, he invites you to join him in thinking about the great challenges now and in the future.

“You can’t control nature; you can’t say this animal can, but that one cannot. Everything is connected through ecosystems and us humans depend on that as well.”

Discover how Wim connects the personal and societal and why he is such a relevant speaker on sustainability dilemmas for your audience right now. His lectures have a personal and critical touch while staying humorous  and hopeful.

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