Speakers³⁵

For say, it is rather turbulent in the world. It feels like we are stumbling from crisis to crisis. That’s because our systems and institutions are dated and no longer doing what they were designed to do. There has never been a better time in our history to redesign and reshape our future.

Where are the opportunities that we don’t see now, let alone take advantage of? How should we connect with the emerging future and what role and responsibility is there for governments and for the business community? Not to mention for ourselves? How do we create together the world everyone longs for?

Make your event an unforgettable experience and go with Ruud on an exiting expedition to the unleashed future. Maximum impact with lots of interaction and examples of best practices.

Daphne Laan is a creative impact entrepreneur; the common thread in her story is pioneering and impact. Daphne has over 20 years of experience at the nexus of business, technology, creativity, and impact. As Head of Technology & Ecosystems at Google, she took on the experiment: In business, what happens when you follow your heart and do only the things you love? Then doors open unexpectedly….

Her mission is to create space for freedom of thinking, doing & feeling. House of Wonder is her umbrella for creative collaborations and impactful entrepreneurship. In doing so, she stretches the boundaries to create new possibilities.

She is co-founder of The Board Whisperers, who help founders, boards and executive teams with transitions and turn vision or strategy into inspiring action, by also looking what is swept under the carpet.

Daphne fuels the fire of change in CEOs, founders and leaders of the future and helps them make more impact through collaboration.

She is active in connecting people and traversing bubbles. As an ecosystem orchestrator, she brings networks together, transcending the importance of individual bubbles and always looks at the big picture.

“I create space for possibilities in thinking, from positivity and show that pigeonholes we like to think in can be stretched, so that something new emerges.”

Daphne’s lectures are characterized by a light-hearted and upbeat tone on important topics such as technology, leadership, and transition issues. She brings energy, passion, lightness, fun and hope; as she herself tackles her challenges.

Read more about Daphne Laan >>

“Take care of the place that takes care of you“, that’s really the essence. The reason biomimicry stayed on her mind when Saskia was introduced to it in 2009:

“We as humans want to take care of our children and grandchildren. But we can’t physically do that for our descendants seven generations from now. What we can do is create an environment that takes care of them.”

That realization touched her, as it did the many people she inspires with biomimicry. Audiences are sometimes moved to tears. So Saskia strives for a better, more beautiful, fairer and healthier world, and if you ask her, biomimicry plays a key role in her mission.

According to Saskia, the philosophy of biomimicry can be applied in all facets of our personal lives, but also in all areas within various organizations. It can provide new perspective and guidance for engineers and architects, economists, policy makers, educators and entrepreneurs, for example.

Saskia van den Muijsenberg therefore appeals to a broad audience with her lectures and workshops, which are interesting for anyone who wants practical tools and answers to the question: “How can I start making changes tomorrow in order to do better?”

Speaker, scientist, professor and world champion soccer-playing robots; Maarten Steinbuch simply cannot be pigeonholed. A brief summary of his career: he studied Mechanical Engineering at TU Delft, where he later obtained his PhD in Measurement and Control Technology. He worked for 12 years as a mechanical engineer (Philips) and at the age of 39 started working as a professor at TU Eindhoven.

Maarten takes his audience on a journey to the future and tells them about the speed of technological developments and their impact on our lives. When he speaks people are on the edge of their seat; young, old, scientist, director or engineer. And if not him, his faithful companion will make sure of that; a small, robotic dinosaur that even impressed the Dalai Lama in 2018.

Aniek was 19 when she first became aware of sustainability and the consequences of climate change. At home at the kitchen table, it was never discussed, nor was it part of the curriculum at school. Bizarre, she now thinks in retrospect.

“The climate crisis is the biggest challenge humanity has ever seen. Every reason for an ‘all hands on deck’ mentality.”

With a completed Bachelor degree ‘Societal Transitions’ at Erasmus University in her pocket, she does not rule out that her ambition will eventually lead her towards politics. She specializes in intergenerational justice, long-term decision-making, future design and Broad Prosperity.

In the lectures Aniek gives, she also argues for systemic change. Not making logical what is illogical and curbing things that are harmful to people, animals and the living environment. Not only climate change, but also themes such as social equality and diversity are on her agenda.

Aniek’s lectures confront, abrade and activate, because as she herself says:

“I don’t believe in hope, but in courage and commitment. Hope is passive, sitting back and thinking things will work themselves out won’t change anything.”

Read more about Aniek >>

If you ask Niek, we as a society are a collective burnout in the making. Climate change and high work pressure, these are the big issues of our time. How do we deal with them? How do we change and adapt? Last but not least; how do we become and stay happy? One word: Resilience.

If there is one person whose resilience has been put to the test, it is Niek van den Adel. His statements are anything but empty words, as he experienced firsthand that through resilience you can find a good portion of happiness, even in the deepest of valleys.

At age twenty-eight, he ended up in a wheelchair after a fatal incident. Although he could never have imagined this shortly after the accident, he works hard to see this event as a gift.

“Happiness is not in your legs but between your ears.”

Niek van den Adel is the resilience speaker of the moment. Book him for your event. Curious about Niek’s complete story? View his profile.

“Why do people do what they do?” A very important question that everyone in society and in organizations should study if you ask Mark. Because understanding our mind plays a big role in tackling major societal challenges and issues.

According to Mark, a better world starts by taking into account the different ways people function, work and change. Among other things, he draws inspiration from nature, cultural and healthcare organizations – pioneers who fulfill a social role and are people-oriented rather than commercial-oriented.

The traditional way of dealing with a problem – such as high workload – for example is to work faster, harder and more efficiently. But efficiency can actually make us ineffective if we put processes instead of people first, says Mark.

With his lectures, Mark wants to make a difference for people and organizations, by reminding them what their purpose is, showing them how their beliefs play a role and how they determine their behavior.

Marga’s drive to have maximum impact to make business more sustainable is the common thread in all her roles. Initially as a CEO, then as the leader of networks ‘De Groene Zaak’ and ‘Het Groene Brein’, now as an international writer, speaker and Board Member. She is deeply convinced that entrepreneurs can and should help solve world problems. They can, because it offers a range of business opportunities, according to Marga. Therefore, there is no reason not to do it, so she wants to help companies see how they can do it. Ultimately, her wish is for sustainable business to become the norm, rather than the exception.

Purpose is therefore her keyword and she helps companies find that purpose, make it concrete and lead the company from that insight. This means that companies actually focus on world challenges and then consider how their business can contribute to them, while maintaining or even increasing profitability and growth. In doing so, she likes to use the Sustainable Development Goals, which also form the core of her gold-winning new book ‘The Trillion Dollar Shift’.

A grandfather who was a policeman in the resistance during World War II. That is Tom Kok’s personal inspiration. Because thanks to the choices his grandfather made back then, Tom is not only inspired. He lives!

Over 23 years ago, Tom Kok said goodbye to his corporate career and his chairmanship of D66. What for? He didn’t exactly know. He did have a list of everything he wanted to be: millionaire, celebrated statesman, captain of industry, inspirer, warm dad. That list quickly dwindled, with the last two options remaining. Tom decided he had to choose and finally realized he didn’t want to be someone who hadn’t really inspired anyone in his life. And so he chose inspiration. A line he has continued ever since, in everything he does. And that’s a lot.

Tom is a speaker and can be hired for small and large groups; from 1-on-1 coaching to small-scale workshops and lectures for 1,000 people. With his stories, which are based on his own experiences and combined with theory, he gets his audience thinking about leadership, Stephen Covey’s 8th trait, energy and fundamental questions such as ‘who am I?’.

Tom is a man of many words who also knows and appreciates the power of silence. After a meeting with Tom, you will have plenty of food for thought as a listener. To which Tom warns:

“You may come to the conclusion that you need to make big decisions in your personal or professional life.”

“News and opinions about climate are often charged and negative. I want to change this to bold and positive.”

During the corona pandemic, Maartje Bregman – then a physical therapy student – decides to write a book; “The Power of Giving Back. Among other things, she researches veganism and its effect on health, climate, and animal welfare. The book is published but all this freshly acquired knowledge becomes a dilemma …

The realization that the situation is untenable grabs her by the throat.
Lagging behind and being despondent is not what she wants, ignoring this is also not an option either…. So, what then?

She decides to use her talent and large network for good. She founded an online platform for positive climate news, ‘happytimesmagazine.nl’, a physical magazine and gives lectures on sustainability with contagious enthusiasm, refreshing among all the heated climate debates.

“I want people to leave the room with their heads held high, realizing that they are part of the solution. I share the sincere concerns of my generation, but don’t point fingers. I show how things can be done differently in a fun way. With that positive approach, I get people on board.”

Read more about Maartje >>

We communicate largely online and almost everything is at our fingertips with just a swipe. But how good is this for the earth, for our social lives and mental health? He says we suffer quite a bit from the influence of technology. Although, according to Aaron Mirck, it is not as black and white as “online bad and offline good”.

“We don’t have much patience anymore; we are less creative and sometimes don’t know how to make real connections. We live in an age where we numb ourselves with digital distractions.”

According to Aaron, we must remain critical of technology and whether it still serves society. As such, his mission is to make sure we become “smart users”.

In his lectures, he broaches complex and fraught topics, such as digital ethics, etiquette, AI and consciously dealing with technology.

Full of humor, self-mockery and (sometimes painfully) recognizable situations for the audience, he explains, among other things, how algorithms influence our lives, what that does to you and what a social media diet delivers. A social media diet can offer more attention, focus, peace, time, creativity, productivity, and space to shape your life the way you want it.

Read more about Aaron Mirck >>

The care and well-being of people must and can be improved Egge van der Poel knows. That technology plays an important role in this, he believes, is beyond dispute. But despite insufficient hands at the bedside, he believes it is not the lack of technology that hinders progress.

“There is fear of change due to big-data and AI, among other things. Fear of losing jobs, of losing income, of losing privacy and control.”

Egge wants to overcome this fear by showing how we can harness the potential of people and data for good. He describes this in his book “Geheelmeesters – compromisloos radicaal betere zorg ontwerpen”, and he lectures on this and related topics.

In Egge’s lectures, the experiences from his “fragmented career” come in useful. Egge creates an unlikely bridge between the fields of physics, philosophy, data and communication he has studied, painting a rose-colored yet real picture of the future of healthcare.

Read more about Egge >>

A truly sustainable business model requires radical thinking, but it is possible, Ankie van Wersch knows. She is founder of Tika foundation, a foundation offering programmes for underprivileged children and young people in Nepal. She is also CEO of Powered by Enviu, an organisation that builds business models that create value for people and the environment.

Perhaps it is her grandfather’s words; ‘you must always do the right thing’, or perhaps it is her own experiences; ‘children are still dying of hunger’. Probably it is a combination of both that drive her to make the world a nicer place. And she successfully does so in various ways.

“We have reduced avocado waste by 95%, saved billions of litres of water, and prevented 25 million single-use plastics from ending up in the ocean. We also set up a pension fund in Ghana for people without formal jobs. They can now also build something for later.”

Although Ankie’s stories don’t leave you cold, a positive tone prevails in her lectures. She tells inspiringly that it can be done; as a company, making a positive impact on the environment and people’s lives. ‘Thinking big and starting small‘ is her motto.

Joris’ view of the world is fundamentally different from that of his colleagues. Does it have something to do with his former martial arts career? The rules of the game are “if you want to win you must try harder”, but this doens’t seem to apply easily in business. Or does it have to do with how he grew up, with two mothers and an open-minded view of the world? The equality and diversity so common to him doesn’t seem so natural in the workplace.

Company politics, playing games, prejudice, winning by kicking down are incompatible with his own values. With Google he found an employer where he finally felt truly at home. In the 12 years he has worked here – much longer than he initially planned – what he had long avoided happend: he became a manager.

“I decided to become the manager I would have liked to have had myself one day. Not someone who is only concerned with his own career, but who invests in and cares for his team.”

His unique perspective on leadership and outstanding reviews by his team didn’t go unnoticed by Google. He also began training fellow managers according to the principle of leading from trust, rather than from fear and control.

Joris wrote a book about his leadership style, ‘Managing without power’. In 2023 he will establish his own training agency ‘Managing without power’. He also gives lectures, for every leader or manager who wants to take steps towards moral leadership.

Read more about Joris >>>

For over twenty years Karin Bosman has worked for several international advertising agencies. She felt confident with two feet in the ground in this man’s world. Sexually explicit jokes were part of the culture and meant little to her.

But during her last job, things went much further.  For two years, she was sexually harassed by her supervisor. She was dumbfounded, her self-confidence and self-esteem disappeared, and she no longer recognized herself.

It was difficult for her to verbalize what she had been through, so she decided to write her story  to process it and help those around her understand. As a result, she discovered a new strength and direction in her life. Her book “Spitting on Hans’ Sandwich” was published in 2016 and impressed readers worldwide.

She studies NAADAC in the US on Social Safety and Psychosocial Workload, collects data on a large scale and develops a platform for reporting inappropriate behavior.

Since 2015, Karin has been traveling the world advising companies on prevention policies and creating awareness among executives and HR professionals, among others, concerning a safe working environment. To this end she uses her unique mix of communication and legal knowledge and (personal) experience.

As a speaker she makes a deep impression, with the power of humor and the courage of vulnerability.

Read more about Karin Bosman >>

Frank Peters is founder and owner of VIRTUS Communications, a boutique consulting firm focused on building and protecting reputations. From his agency, Frank advises clients in business, nonprofit and government.

Frank works and speaks for leading companies and organizations in a variety of industries, including banks, insurers, and other financial service providers.  Frank is also a sought-after speaker in the agri/food sector, as well as in the world of healthcare and well-being, where Frank regularly speaks for executives and healthcare professionals at hospitals and related parties.

Furthermore, Frank is also associated as a guest lecturer at various universities and business schools, including Nyenrode, TIAS and Beeckestijn.

Frank is also a successful writer and bestselling author of several management books, including “Doing the Right Thing when No One Is Looking (2021)” and “From Profit to Value” (2022) and “Stop the Silence (2023).

Two of his former books made it to the shortlist (top 5) of ‘Nominated Management Book of the Year.

Read more about Frank >>

Inge used to be a flight attendant and flew around the world.

Now she is a sustainability consultant and green influencer. At the time of the corona pandemic, she began to delve into the world of fashion and sustainability and the dark side of the fashion industry.

She was shocked by the effect it had on the planet and how people were treated in production chains, not just in fashion, but in other industries as well. One problem many companies experience is that the barrier is unnecessarily high due to complex language and legislation. Also, sustainability is often unnecessarily seen as expensive. This is something she wants to change.

“I want to show the business community that sustainability does not have to be expensive or complicated, despite complex regulations.”

In her talks and workshops, Inge convinces companies the value of developing a sustainable business strategy. She is well prepared for the topics and challenges that concern the audience.

By telling her story, she wants to make it clear that everyone, every individual, can make a difference; by moving in a more sustainable direction or by making an impact in the workplace.

Read more about Inge Westerink >>

On a summer day in 2009, Merijn Everaarts is sitting on the sunny beach in Bloemendaal. At the end of the day, he notices how much plastic waste is left on the beach. Waste that is not cleaned up by people, but ends up in the sea. At that time, Merijn is still working in the events industry. He cannot deny that huge amounts of plastic are wasted there, too.

“We danced at festivals on carpets made of plastic.”

Surely that can be done differently? And it can, Merijn shows. In 2010, Dopper was “born. Since then, the colorful, three-piece bottle has become indispensable in our sports bags and backpacks. But according to Merijn, Dopper is not just ‘a fun brand that wants to improve the world’.

“We have become more combative and show our face where policy is made.”

Meanwhile, sustainability and serving Mother Earth has become Merijn’s life mission. Under the appropriate name, he is establishing plant-based restaurant ‘Mama Gaia’ as well as sustainable co-working space ‘Oceans’ in 2020, both located in the same building in Haarlem.

With his drive, experience and knowledge from founding several impact companies, he inspires as a speaker. He makes you aware of your potential impact. He speaks for a wide audience, from Greenpeace to Shell, because “to make the wave of change bigger we need everyone.” Merijn certainly does not shy away from this challenge.

Read more about Merijn Everaarts >>

He is not a scientist, neuropsychologist or change manager. And yet these disciplines are deeply intertwined with everything he does and talks about. He was triggered by the statement “We say what we think and do what we feel. If that is not balanced, confidence is lost “

This reinforced his fascination with human behavior, and he wrote a book about it ‘360º trust’. He also owns a center of expertise ‘Grip on Trust’; where he helps leaders and managers shape their leadership based on trust.

Jan talks about the power of trust and how to make it understandable and concrete. He pleads for Gross National Trust and advocates for feminine leadership. He does this with contagious energy and enormous enthusiasm.

Read more about Jan van der Spoel >>

In his career, Henk Jan Kamsteeg has interviewed numerous leadership visionaries, such as Ken Blanchard and Stephen Covey, and discusses a new book on leadership in a weekly blog.

Now an expert on leadership himself, he has eight books to his name, including ‘Servant Leadership’, ‘The Power of Compliment’ and ‘Pure Profit’. He also trains and coaches executives based on his vision: authentic, servant and inclusive leadership.

“Servant leadership is not a trick, it is a heart thing. People sense the difference
flawlessly.”

Henk Jan is also a storyteller for International Justice Mission (IJM), a foundation that fights against violence and slavery worldwide. Injustice that continues to touch him. He wrote the book ‘A plague of violence’ on this subject.

His lectures are about servant leadership, inclusive leadership and storytelling for leaders and organisations. All with the aim of making positive impact, or in Henk Jan’s own words:

“Instead of frustrating, we can create a world where we serve others and nature, instead of exploiting them to benefit ourselves. I believe we can do that.”

Read more about Henk Jan Kamsteeg >>

‘The sky is the limit’ is sometimes said, but as far as Ariane Roos is concerned, it could all be a bit less in our growth- and consumption-driven society.

“How bizarre is it that we find it normal to wear cheap jeans sewn together by Uighurs in ‘re-education camps’?”

Once a graduate in aerospace engineering, she founded a tech platform on the eve of the internet revolution and worked at a strategic level for major corporates such as KPN, Vodafone, Fokker, and Philips.

A tough time of chemo treatments only strengthened her vision. The vision that doing work that energizes you and gives meaning to your life not only strengthens your mindset but can also make the world a much more beautiful place.

Ariane speaks – full of powerful vulnerability – about ‘doing business for good’ and about how every company can become an impact organization.

Read more about Ariane Roos >>

The way and what children learn not only has a major impact on the inner world, but we also see it reflected in the outer world in the long term, for example, through the loss of biodiversity, toxic substances in food, air, soil and drinking water, and decline of animal species essential for children’s futures.

According to Juliëtte, we are not facing a climate crisis, but a generational crisis that we passed on created by culture and driven by endless economic growth. Because we have placed ourselves above nature, children grow up without connection to their inner and outer worlds.

Juliëtte says, “Education is still based on the principles from the industrial revolution. “Children are trained efficiently and standardized to become better consumers instead of better people. This is diametrically opposed to a holistic lifestyle, which has a focus on connecting with nature.”

This was the experience of Juliëtte, who has been contributing to a more beautiful world with creativity, entrepreneurship, and vision since childhood.

Juliëtte has founded several regenerative businesses with an impact mission, including NOWSCHOOL, a blueprint for holistic education worldwide. This initiative fosters a generation of holistic thinkers and doers by building a new ecosystem that increases impact and empowers each other. Not by kicking the system, but by rolling up our sleeves together and building a new ecosystem for the next 7 generations.

“What if happiness, health, freedom and collaboration were given a central role in education? What if we unlearned the self-imposed frameworks and formed a new model for the child and the future?”

Juliëtte talks about holistic education, holistic living and creating a holistic learning and living environment. She advocates a shift from a linear system to a learning ecosystem with a living curriculum, inspired by new science, ancient wisdom, and her own experiences.

Read more about Juliëtte >>

Law and ethics form the foundation of everything Jan van de Venis undertakes in his life and career. After his early years in commercial law, he joined Greenpeace International as a lawyer; the beginning of a new direction, conservation and human rights.

“I became increasingly aware of the pressure on nature and the planet, and that our current law is not working to protect nature and future generations.”

A healthy environment is a human right and from this perspective he advised and supported – among others with his company JustLaw – citizens and NGOs in UN trajectories and lawsuits against companies and institutions violating human and children’s rights. The coalition of NGOs he is involved with also won the UN Human Rights Prize in 2023.

Jan is additionally a great ambassador of seventh generation thinking. He is concerned with the question, “what choices should we make now to ensure a good future for future generations?”. In his lectures he challenges his audience to think about this with him.

Read more about Jan van de Venis >>

Miranda is author of the upcoming book “How to include and represent the brightest possible future,” a book with a seven-generation design. In her company “Our Kids Future,” she introduces organizations such as municipalities, businesses, and schools to seventh generation thinking.

In her lectures, Miranda also advocates “a place at the table” for future generations in companies and governments.  As far as she is concerned, the question everyone should ask themselves over and over again is? ‘How to become a good ancestor; would my (great) grandchild be proud of the decision I make today?’

Miranda created the character “M,” who not only symbolizes the future generation living in 2050, but who literally influences every decision she makes. He is her future great-grandchild.

“Overwhelming people with ‘rocket science’ doesn’t work.  Put yourself in ‘the shoes’ of your grand- and great-grandchildren. That makes the future, and the problems future generations have to deal with tangible and palpable.”

In her lectures, trainings and workshops, Miranda lets you experience this power and inspires you to ‘be a good ancestor’!

Read more about Miranda Willems >>

It was never Joris’ intention to become a Keynote Speaker. As a teenager, he wanted to become a professional tennis player. He was ranked fifth in the Netherlands and was well on his way. Yet, ten years later, he woke up in an office, in the Corporate Communications department to be precise, literally in the form of a panic attack. He got stuck in e-mails, powerpoint presentations and office jargon.

That’s when he decided to change course. Together with my wife, he cycled from Mongolia to India. On his bike, he had one question with me: if everything is possible, what would I want to do with my life? Keynote Speaker was the answer.

Back in the Netherlands, he delved into Change Strategy. Why do some organizations succeed in their plans, while others do not?

His mission is crystal clear: 

“I want to turn the world of leadership upside down!” 

Read more about Joris Mencke >>

Gert-Jan was an active member of the House of Representatives for the Christian Union for 10 years. Characteristic were his talent and drive to connect dissenters to the same mission – to eliminate injustice in any form. For example, he co-shaped the current climate policy and championed humane labor migration and bringing back the student basic grant.

In 2023, Gert-Jan left politics and continued his mission as an advisor for various NGOs and companies working from a social perspective. Among others, he works for the Salvation Army and International Justice Mission – an organization that seeks to eliminate modern-day slavery.

“All that injustice needs to win, is good people doing nothing.”

Gert-Jan Segers has also written several books, including his most recent, “Power and powerlessness: politician in a divided country. This is also one of his keynotes as a professional speaker.

Read more about Gert-Jan Segers >>

Melle has built a fine career in the vibrant hospitality life, in all kinds of special places around the world. But both the birth of his daughter (with accompanying existential emotions) and the realization that the hospitality industry is hugely polluting made him take a completely different path.

He finds it hard to stomach the fact that a million trees a day are cut down for the production of paper, including toilet paper that is flushed down the toilet carelessly. He decided to change the toilet paper industry for good and founded The Good Roll in 2018, with 50% of profits going to building toilet facilities in Africa.

“How cool is it that you can build a system where a toilet visit contributes to a better world in many ways?”

Melle also founded the NOA Collective in 2022, which helps organizations (including startups) to make a more positive impact, by supporting them on brand strategy and concept.

As a speaker, Melle shares his stories and lessons on creative and sustainable entrepreneurship with anyone willing to make a difference in the world.

Read more about Melle Schellekens >>

Ever since she saw An Inconvenient Truth as a child, two topics have set the course of Bodine’s life and career to date: her fascination with human behavior AND with sustainability.

Every day she tries to find deeper explanations for why people do as they do. Why they make choices that conflict with their deeper beliefs and where resistance to change comes from.

Bodine worked as a behavioral scientist and podcast creator and now an entrepreneur. In 2019, she founded her company SustainableSpot, helping sustainability managers build support for sustainability within their organizations.

“Only when you know what drives people and why something creates resistance can you map out a route to sustainable behavior. Change doesn’t happen ‘overnight.”

Knowledge and awareness alone do not guarantee behavioral change. In a clear manner and with striking examples she shows that nothing human is strange to us, but that change is really possible.

Read more about Bodine van Styrum>>

Nikki Trip wants to inspire you to discover, as she did herself, how to effectively use your talents-find your own impact niche-for a better world.

When Nikki discovered the power of big money (Dutch pension funds collectively invest some 1,500 billion euros) she couldn’t go back. There was still little representation of the broad prosperity perspective and few young people taking to the barricade. She seized that opportunity and made it her own.

“You have no use for good financial returns if there will soon be no livable world or social society left. That actually applies to everything we do. Broad prosperity is the only way forward.”

Nikki works as a sustainability specialist for AF Advisors, where she supports asset managers in their sustainability strategy, in addition she is active with several NGOs she founded. By connecting these two worlds, she aims to inspire companies to make future-proof choices

Read more about Nikki Trip>>

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.

Read more about The Climate Theater >>

Kremena Yordanova is a visionary leader who places resilience and compassion at the center of her approach. As a mentor and fractional CMO, she inspires other leaders by leveraging self-development and creativity for positive change.

After a successful career with major brands such as Adidas and Reebok, she chose a freelance path in 2023 as a marketing consultant focused on companies with a positive impact.

Kremena uses her experience in the corporate world to guide leaders in balancing ambition and integrity. Her insights stem from a holistic approach, helping leaders to act authentically and conscientiously in a rapidly changing world.

“There is more than one way to build a career without compromising your integrity.”

Book Kremena for inspiring keynotes and workshops on authentic leadership and discover how you can grow and make a lasting impact.

Read more about Kremena >>

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 >>

Mirjam from Brabant was also called ‘Mother Nature’ as a child. The fire to contribute to sustainability – especially the circular economy – was only kindled in her when she started working on circularity after studying mechanical engineering at Philips.

She now inspires and activates companies and organizations to sustainability and creates real impact together with their employees. She does this by planting seeds and helping companies with their sustainability strategy. She makes extra impact as a speaker herself!

“I bring a lot of energy, bad jokes and an honest story, even if it rubs someone the wrong way.”

Her directness creates instant action, partly due to her disarming cheerfulness, energy and unmistakable Brabant accent. This makes Mirjam the choice keynote speaker if you really want to get your organization moving. Her lectures and workshops are packed with interactive methods that will always keep you on the edge of your seat.

Read more about Mirjam van Laarhoven >>

Kathalijn Kalawati Vergeer is a speaker, coach and amplifier of transition, using her colourful experience and skills to strengthen and accelerate transitions. Whether it is a personal, organisational or societal transition – any transition can lead to new life. With her playful and personal approach Kathalijn exhibits how to recognize, acknowledge, and, of course, harness transitions into collaborative inspired action.

‘New Life is the movement that comes together and is passed on’ 

Get ready for an interactive and dynamic talk. From her experiences, she has developed a unique approach to getting people moving. Her playful and creative methods make even complex topics such as diversity, inclusion, collaboration surrounding a common goal, new leadership or behavioural change digestible and discussable.

“Feel free to play and play to feel free. To break free of what you are stuck in. To reinvent yourself over and over again. Even if the destination is unknown, on a journey to yourself, you can never get lost.”

Kathalijn inspires her audience to switch their heads off, their hearts on, and get moving together.

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In a candid manner, Peter Kapitein speaks and writes about his own diagnosis, his road to recovery and what he and his talents are working tirelessly for today.

He wrote the book “Ik heb kanker.. en ik leef een goed, gelukkig en gezond leven”(Translated: ‘I have cancer … and I live a good, happy and healthy life’) and – strongly driven by gratitude for life – he organizes the now famous Alpe d’HuZes with a friend.

Next to that he also founded Inspire2Live – an international movement working tirelessly for equality, autonomy and knowledge for cancer patients worldwide. Learn how Peter connects scientists, patients and policymakers with Inspire2Live to improve quality of life and accelerate breakthroughs in medicine.

“With Inspire2Live, we connect ALL stakeholders in the medical industry field and challenge them to do even better together.”

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