Kathalijn Kalawati Vergeer
Transform your event with Kathalijn Vergeer!
Booking Kathalijn makes your event unforgettable.
For everybody. In every aspect.
Looking for transition?
Are you looking for a speaker who not only turns change into something concrete, playful and inspiring? But also knows how to connect worlds like no other? Kathalijn Vergeer is the speaker you need!
From insight, via connection to action
With her energetic and personal style, Kathalijn connects rational thinking with intuition and creativity. She invites her audience not only to listen, but also to experience and get move themselves. Her approach is profound and light-hearted, inspiring and practical. Her stories are universal and recognizable to everyone.
Make change accessible and inspiring
Kathalijn makes change concrete, playful and inspiring and brings complex issues back to the essence. Her lectures and workshops not only provide new insights, but also activate the confidence to get moving.
Looking for transition? Are you looking for a speaker who not only turns change into something concrete, playful and inspiring? But also knows how to connect worlds like no other? Kathalijn Vergeer is the speaker you need! From insight, via connection to action With her energetic and personal style, Kathalijn connects rational thinking with intuition and creativity. She invites her audience not only to listen, but View more…
What is Kathalijn talking about?
Ready to embrace change and strengthen your resilience? Kathalijn offers practical tools to actually take steps in your journey to growth.
In her keynotes, Kathalijn combines deep insights with interactive elements, using her experience in change management and her unique playful approach. Her keynotes encourage action and offer new perspectives on personal and societal transitions.
Find some of her keynotes here. Customization is always an option, please ask about the possibilities.
New life
Do you like to reflect on your life path and embrace the power of transition? This keynote based on Kathalijn’ book ‘New Life, on a journey to yourself you can never get lost’, takes you through a process of self-examination and storytelling. In this process, participants will learn how to navigate through change processes with playfulness and openness.
- Deepen your self-awareness by exploring key moments and their impact on your life.
- Find stability in change by exploring new ways of thinking and acting.
- Recognize and use your key moments as guideposts for your future steps.
This lecture offers a creative approach to personal transition, with space for reflection, discovery and action.
Destination Unknown
This keynote is for pioneers and organizations who find themselves in an uncertain future and are ready to embrace the unknown. In a time of constant change, it is essential to learn how to experiment, explore and discover what works. During this talk, I will share tools and insights to find direction in uncertain times.
- Build bridges to the future by experimenting with new perspectives and ideas.
- Learn to discover by doing: step off the beaten track and discover what works for you.
- Find direction in a changing world by remaining flexible and agile in dealing with change.
This lecture will inspire you to take on the adventure of unknown paths, without knowing exactly where you will end up – but with confidence in the process.
Playfully in Transition
For organizations and teams stuck in change and looking for renewal, this keynote offers tools for transitions and sustainable change. Through storytelling, creative work forms and interactive sessions, it lays the foundation for transformation to new possibilities. Learn how to be playful in transition.
- Break stuck patterns that block growth and progress.
- Increase agility and resilience by making space for new ideas and perspectives.
- Stimulate creative problem-solving skills to tackle problems in new, innovative ways.
This keynote will focus on the power of change and how being playful in transition is an indispensable skill in today’s era, both for the individual and the organization.
Customized keynote
In addition to the above keynotes, customiZation is always possible. Empathic, thought-provoking and with room for reflection, Kathalijn will gladly take you or your organization through one (or a combination) of the themes below.
- diversity and inclusion
- resilient and flexible society
- happiness at work and positive health
- (new) leadership/ownership
- playful and creative problem solving: from thinking to doing
- cooperation on social issues
There is the option for a musical keynote with guitarist Ruud Post or subsequent workshops and master classes. Feel free to contact us for more information.
New life
Do you like to reflect on your life path and embrace the power of transition? This keynote based on Kathalijn’ book ‘New Life, on a journey to yourself you can never get lost’, takes you through a process of self-examination and storytelling. In this process, participants will learn how to navigate through change processes with playfulness and openness.
- Deepen your self-awareness by exploring key moments and their impact on your life.
- Find stability in change by exploring new ways of thinking and acting.
- Recognize and use your key moments as guideposts for your future steps.
This lecture offers a creative approach to personal transition, with space for reflection, discovery and action.
Destination Unknown
This keynote is for pioneers and organizations who find themselves in an uncertain future and are ready to embrace the unknown. In a time of constant change, it is essential to learn how to experiment, explore and discover what works. During this talk, I will share tools and insights to find direction in uncertain times.
- Build bridges to the future by experimenting with new perspectives and ideas.
- Learn to discover by doing: step off the beaten track and discover what works for you.
- Find direction in a changing world by remaining flexible and agile in dealing with change.
This lecture will inspire you to take on the adventure of unknown paths, without knowing exactly where you will end up – but with confidence in the process.
Playfully in Transition
For organizations and teams stuck in change and looking for renewal, this keynote offers tools for transitions and sustainable change. Through storytelling, creative work forms and interactive sessions, it lays the foundation for transformation to new possibilities. Learn how to be playful in transition.
- Break stuck patterns that block growth and progress.
- Increase agility and resilience by making space for new ideas and perspectives.
- Stimulate creative problem-solving skills to tackle problems in new, innovative ways.
This keynote will focus on the power of change and how being playful in transition is an indispensable skill in today’s era, both for the individual and the organization.
Customized keynote
In addition to the above keynotes, customiZation is always possible. Empathic, thought-provoking and with room for reflection, Kathalijn will gladly take you or your organization through one (or a combination) of the themes below.
- diversity and inclusion
- resilient and flexible society
- happiness at work and positive health
- (new) leadership/ownership
- playful and creative problem solving: from thinking to doing
- cooperation on social issues
There is the option for a musical keynote with guitarist Ruud Post or subsequent workshops and master classes. Feel free to contact us for more information.
‘You cannot choose the cards you are dealt in life, but you can choose how you play the game.’
Kathalijn Kalawati Vergeer is an author, speaker, playful intelligence and transition specialist, and above all: human.
As a facilitator, coach and speaker, she relies on her own life experience. On several occasions, Kathalijn travelled to India, the country where she was born as Kalawati. In search of where she belonged, she found what belonged to her. About this expedition, Kathalijn wrote the book ‘New Life, on a journey to yourself you can never get lost’. She also talked about it in her TEDx-talk ‘How to play the cards in life‘. And in her theatre performance ‘On a journey to new life‘. As an adoptee, she learned early on to switch between different worlds – between cultures, between ratio and intuition, between systems thinking and humanity. She was always looking for how to connect the best of both sides.
‘Movement’ is key in Kathalijn’s approach. Because if there is anything she has learned, it is that if you move, your environment moves. If the destination is unknown, you always find a new way by moving. Even if you cannot yet foresee where this road will lead.
With her book ‘New Life, a journey to new life’, her TEDx talks, hundreds of sessions as a facilitator and as co-founder of various social initiatives, she brings with her a well-filled backpack of knowledge, skills and experience. And she helps people and organizations become more agile in change. Not by giving ready-made answers, but by creating space for new perspectives. Whether it concerns personal growth, leadership or organizational development.
Kath takes you along, together on an expedition into the unknown – with all the unexpected wonderful moments that come with it.
With her characteristic playfulness, creativity and accessibility, Kath knows how to open up difficult topics and loosen what is stuck. With her enthusiasm and personal approach, she leaves the audience with a ‘where-do-you-wait-for-energy’.
Will you join us on this expedition?
Kathalijn Kalawati Vergeer is an author, speaker, playful intelligence and transition specialist, and above all: human. As a facilitator, coach and speaker, she relies on her own life experience. On several occasions, Kathalijn travelled to India, the country where she was born as Kalawati. In search of where she belonged, she found what belonged to her. About this expedition, Kathalijn wrote the book ‘New Life, on View more…
"I want to get people moving. Because when we move, the world moves around us."
‘On a journey to yourself, you can never get lost.’
The power of connecting different worlds of life
We are constantly moving between different worlds – between ratio and feeling, system and humanity, old structures and new possibilities. Thinking and doing. Black and white. Often we feel the pressure to choose. But what if the greatest strength lies precisely in connecting the two? Not if, but and. Combining the best of different worlds creates new perspectives, unexpected insights and sustainable change.
‘I want to get people moving. Because when we move, the world moves around us.‘
Keeping this motto in mind in everything she does, Kathalijn truly transpires the following:
- Inspire
- Connect
- Activate
In doing so, she focuses on three overarching themes:
- Change
- Resilience
- Connection
Is it time for change, in your life or within your organization? With ease Kathalijn knows how to use the past to look forward while staying in motion and shows you how to embark on every journey about transitions with tailor-made answers.
Book Kathalijn as a speaker?
Would you like to book Kathalijn Vergeer as a speaker for your event? Ask about the possibilities and her availability.
Why do you want Kathalijn to speak at your event?
1. Eloquent
When Kathalijn speaks about her key moments, you can hear a pin drop in the room – everyone hangs on her every word. Especially when combined with musical accompaniment. Her story is so visual that it plays out in your mind like a film, and you immediately wonder how you would interpret it yourself.
2. Activating
With a story that leaves you speechless, her intuitive approach, adaptability and a large dose of enthusiasm, she knows how to get people involved, to inspire and connect. Her talks are always interactive, dynamic and will set you in motion.
Because when your head and heart are connected, your hands start doing the right things.
3. Experienced
Kathalijn, and the experiences she brings to the table seem endless..
- As a columnist for De Gelderlander
- As a traveller to, among others, India, South America, China and Japan
- As a thinker at the National Thinker and Spoor van Vernieuwing
- As a booster of LetBloom and the Changeclub
- As a consultant via Pentascope, at Rijkswaterstaat and UWV, among others
- As game maker of Bonje in de stallen, escape rooms, who is the mole and so on
- And in many more places and roles
4. Playful
Kathalijn shows that fear of the unknown is a mental block that can be broken through. She does this through play, creativity and humor. Serious gaming is one of the tools Kathalijn uses in her projects. Playfully, she deals with serious themes, and she is able to inspire by making the universal personal and helps you discover your own wisdom in a playful way.
5. Connecting
What would it be like to…? Everyone has different paths their lives could have taken and their ‘what-ifs’. And everyone has a life that only you can live. Only you know what it is like to be you and knows the thing that hold you back or help you deal with and shape whatever comes your way. Kathalijn inspires by making the universal personal and playfully helps you to recognize your own wisdom, and to recognize each other. Because when I see myself, I see the other.
1. Eloquent
When Kathalijn speaks about her key moments, you can hear a pin drop in the room – everyone hangs on her every word. Especially when combined with musical accompaniment. Her story is so visual that it plays out in your mind like a film, and you immediately wonder how you would interpret it yourself.
2. Activating
With a story that leaves you speechless, her intuitive approach, adaptability and a large dose of enthusiasm, she knows how to get people involved, to inspire and connect. Her talks are always interactive, dynamic and will set you in motion.
Because when your head and heart are connected, your hands start doing the right things.
3. Experienced
Kathalijn, and the experiences she brings to the table seem endless..
- As a columnist for De Gelderlander
- As a traveller to, among others, India, South America, China and Japan
- As a thinker at the National Thinker and Spoor van Vernieuwing
- As a booster of LetBloom and the Changeclub
- As a consultant via Pentascope, at Rijkswaterstaat and UWV, among others
- As game maker of Bonje in de stallen, escape rooms, who is the mole and so on
- And in many more places and roles
4. Playful
Kathalijn shows that fear of the unknown is a mental block that can be broken through. She does this through play, creativity and humor. Serious gaming is one of the tools Kathalijn uses in her projects. Playfully, she deals with serious themes, and she is able to inspire by making the universal personal and helps you discover your own wisdom in a playful way.
5. Connecting
What would it be like to…? Everyone has different paths their lives could have taken and their ‘what-ifs’. And everyone has a life that only you can live. Only you know what it is like to be you and knows the thing that hold you back or help you deal with and shape whatever comes your way. Kathalijn inspires by making the universal personal and playfully helps you to recognize your own wisdom, and to recognize each other. Because when I see myself, I see the other.
Interview with Kathalijn Kalawati Vergeer
For Good: What does that mean to you?
“Doing what is most obtainable within your capabilities. For yourself, for another and for the world. That can be in small gestures, like offering a helping hand, a listening ear and a cup of coffee. But also, in the choices you make every day. Choosing clients who want to make the world a better place, traveling by public transport or bicycle, reusing items and eating sustainably. Really anyone can do something.”
Walk the talk: how are you of value?
“My book ‘Nieuw Leven’ (‘New Life’) may be a personal story, but my quest is not. I hope to invite people to look into their own lives and souls and give it to another. For as I see myself, I see the other. I hope that this, first, helps us to understand ourselves more and get a grasp on the world around us. But it also helps in an individualistic driven world and polarized society to get a little more compassion for us and each other. To recognize and approach ourselves and each other as human beings again. With ‘Nieuw Leven’ I hope to inspire others, to encourage them to go on their own journey and, well, given my professional background, I like to do that in a playful and interactive way.”
Who is your great role model or inspiration?
“Whoopi Goldberg; a woman of color, with a very warm personality, easy-going, but also an activist. She particularly impressed me with her role in Sister Act, probably because it evoked recognition. Had I not been adopted; I might have led a nun’s life myself. But the biggest inspiration is my little son who was born on January 3, 2024. Every smile he gives and every little milestone he reaches fills me with happiness. But also what it ignites in myself as a mother; wanting to go completely through fire and water for him, that abundance of love, it’s something else for sure.”
How do I discover and shape New Life?
“By learning to recognize the moments of change. Amazement plays an important role in that. Acknowledging how you look at reality now and what you long for. By listening to the whispers of your heart and bringing out your deepest desire, which is inseparable from your fear. This step is crucial. You will see that slowing down creates movement and creates connection with yourself and others. It can in fact lead to inspired action.”
For Good: What does that mean to you?
“Doing what is most obtainable within your capabilities. For yourself, for another and for the world. That can be in small gestures, like offering a helping hand, a listening ear and a cup of coffee. But also, in the choices you make every day. Choosing clients who want to make the world a better place, traveling by public transport or bicycle, reusing items and eating sustainably. Really anyone can do something.”
Walk the talk: how are you of value?
“My book ‘Nieuw Leven’ (‘New Life’) may be a personal story, but my quest is not. I hope to invite people to look into their own lives and souls and give it to another. For as I see myself, I see the other. I hope that this, first, helps us to understand ourselves more and get a grasp on the world around us. But it also helps in an individualistic driven world and polarized society to get a little more compassion for us and each other. To recognize and approach ourselves and each other as human beings again. With ‘Nieuw Leven’ I hope to inspire others, to encourage them to go on their own journey and, well, given my professional background, I like to do that in a playful and interactive way.”
Who is your great role model or inspiration?
“Whoopi Goldberg; a woman of color, with a very warm personality, easy-going, but also an activist. She particularly impressed me with her role in Sister Act, probably because it evoked recognition. Had I not been adopted; I might have led a nun’s life myself. But the biggest inspiration is my little son who was born on January 3, 2024. Every smile he gives and every little milestone he reaches fills me with happiness. But also what it ignites in myself as a mother; wanting to go completely through fire and water for him, that abundance of love, it’s something else for sure.”
How do I discover and shape New Life?
“By learning to recognize the moments of change. Amazement plays an important role in that. Acknowledging how you look at reality now and what you long for. By listening to the whispers of your heart and bringing out your deepest desire, which is inseparable from your fear. This step is crucial. You will see that slowing down creates movement and creates connection with yourself and others. It can in fact lead to inspired action.”
Kathalijn as moderator
2025
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On a journey to a new future
TET Event Speakers for the World 2024
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Fear and Desire
TET Event Speakers for the World 2024
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Theatershow: On a Journey to a New Life
Fotograaf Gerrit Smalbrugge
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TED Talk - 'How to play your cards in life'
2019
Psychologie Magazine
2024
A selection of companies that Kathalijn Vergeer already had impactful collaborations with….
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Kathalijn Vergeer as a speaker leaves a deep impression on Red Cross staff with her talk on transitions.
Rode Kruis -
Rijkswaterstaat.Rijkswaterstaat
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We had the special experience of attending Kathalijn’s book launch. She had designed it in a surprising way. It was literally and figuratively colourful. Her style is pure, open and honest and she takes you straight into her personal inspiring life story, which is ultimately about all of us. Afterwards, beautiful cards with quotes challenged everyone to think about this and write something. I immediately asked her to be a speaker for an event. So many stories were told after listening to Cathalijn’s presentation! – Monique
Monique -
As a speaker, Kathalijn Vergeer left a deep impression on UWV employees with her talk on transition and resilience.
UWV -
‘Kathalijn Kalawati Vergeer’s autobiography strikes me as a ‘must read’ for anyone dealing with adopting children from other cultures.Rarely have I seen a more honest and lucid description of the various stages of the search for oneself’.Of course, I have much more , but that doesn’t belong in the quote, it belongs in our next conversation!I am also curious to know whether your writing “lump” has gained other impulses as a result, because your use of language is captivating and captured with a sense of humour and relativity. – Thony Ruys
Thony Ruys -
Kathalijn, thanks for the special words yesterday. And the conversation afterwards. You got me thinking about this topic: adoption is a great way to fulfil your childhood wish. At the same time, how do you place this in your life path alongside other issues you have to deal with. The conversation, and your book as a reference, help with this. – Felix
Gemeente Tilburg -
Utrecht University.Utrecht University
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Gemeente Haarlem.Gemeente Haarlem
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Terra Nova Foundation.Terra Nova Foundation
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cisco.cisco
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Het Grootste Kennisfestival.Het Grootste Kennisfestival
