Melle Schellekens
Embolden your audience with Melle Schellekens!
Choosing Melle will also make your event truly memorable.
For everyone. In every aspect.
Looking for a catalyst?
Looking for a speaker to motivate your audience and spur them into action to initiate positive change? Melle Schellekens, with his experience as an entrepreneur is the person you need – whether it’s a speaker or chairman!
Impact vs commerce
Melle illustrates that making social impact while creating a good commercial concept don’t interfere, but in fact are two conditions to be a perfect future company – as Melle calls companies that have impact woven into their organization.
Make it simple
Whether you are organizing a conference or a small internal meeting, Melle’s energetic and interactive approach ensures that participants not only listen, but are also motivated to take sustainable actions within your organization and integrate them into their daily work.
Looking for a catalyst? Looking for a speaker to motivate your audience and spur them into action to initiate positive change? Melle Schellekens, with his experience as an entrepreneur is the person you need – whether it’s a speaker or chairman! Impact vs commerce Melle illustrates that making social impact while creating a good commercial concept don’t interfere, but in fact are two conditions to be View more…
What is Melle talking about?
Melle loves to inspire other companies and show that making social impact and a good commercial concept do not bite each other, but rather are two conditions for being a future proof company. Let him take you on to his journey during his inspiring keynotes.
Find some of his keynotes here. Customization is always an option, ask for the possibilities.
The impact of creative action
Creative entrepreneurship for a better world and a successful business
Melle’s story goes beyond the rolls; it’s about impact, creativity and the coolest changes. Whether it’s sustainability, entrepreneurial challenges or leadership, Melle is ready for an engaging conversation. His talks are full of real stories, humor and most importantly, an infectious dose of creativity and GOOD vibes for a better world.
“I not only want to create awareness around the crucial issues of our time, such as sustainable development and social responsibility, but also inspire and equip others with the knowledge and tools to take action themselves.”
Melle as moderator - humor, interactive and outgoing
With Melle Schellekens as your chairman of the day, your event will experience a dynamic transformation! His outgoing and energetic style makes the talks come alive and keeps the audience actively involved.
Melle creates an interactive atmosphere of collaboration and inspiration, encouraging participants to actively contribute. Choose Melle as moderator and make your event unforgettable!
The impact of creative action
Creative entrepreneurship for a better world and a successful business
Melle’s story goes beyond the rolls; it’s about impact, creativity and the coolest changes. Whether it’s sustainability, entrepreneurial challenges or leadership, Melle is ready for an engaging conversation. His talks are full of real stories, humor and most importantly, an infectious dose of creativity and GOOD vibes for a better world.
“I not only want to create awareness around the crucial issues of our time, such as sustainable development and social responsibility, but also inspire and equip others with the knowledge and tools to take action themselves.”
Melle as moderator - humor, interactive and outgoing
With Melle Schellekens as your chairman of the day, your event will experience a dynamic transformation! His outgoing and energetic style makes the talks come alive and keeps the audience actively involved.
Melle creates an interactive atmosphere of collaboration and inspiration, encouraging participants to actively contribute. Choose Melle as moderator and make your event unforgettable!
Creativity, sustainability & entrepreneurship
Melle Schellekens is the creative and entrepreneurial mind behind The Good Roll and NOA Collective, among others, and talks about entrepreneurship with great social impact.
Born and raised in Amsterdam Oud-West, Melle grew up with a commercial father and a left-wing mother whose interests included development work for women abroad. And while that may seem like a logical “formula” for Melle’s current activities – finding commercial solutions to social injustice – his career initially took a different tack.
“My mother handed out soup and sleeping bags on the streets when I was little, and even our living room was full of homeless people at Christmas. I thought it was just strange at the time; only later did I understand.”
Melle works in the hospitality industry at the age of fifteen and attends hotel school. This world is one big party and adventure for him. He lives and works in the most beautiful places abroad; a melting pot of people, cultures and stories. Beautiful stories, but also stories about world problems that are the order of the day.
He is doing major research on sustainability in the hospitality industry, which is giving him more and more insight into how polluting the hospitality industry actually is. Washing linen, transportation, and … toilet paper – enórmous amounts of toilet paper. He discovers that the paper industry is one of the most polluting, responsible for 14% of deforestation worldwide. One million trees are cut down every day for the production of paper alone.
Because of this, he realizes that change in something as seemingly insignificant as toilet paper can make gigantic impact. So in 2018, he founded The Good Roll, a toilet paper brand that not only uses renewable resources, but also invests in clean, safe public toilets in West Africa through The Good Roll Foundation. Something that also seems like a small problem, but has the potential to break the vicious cycle of poverty for many people. They work with the “SIMAVI Foundation,” among others.
Melle is also founding NOA Collective in 2022, which helps organizations (including startups) make more positive impact by supporting them in brand strategy and concept. Yet NOA Collective is anything but a marketing agency.
“We are a collective of specialists, selected on a project-by-project basis. So our clients always have a strong team of super-motivated people who want to make social impact at their disposal.”
As a speaker, Melle shares his stories and lessons on creative and sustainable entrepreneurship with anyone willing to make a difference in the world.
“My companies are my laboratories for innovation, where I experiment, adapt, and grow, driven by the unyielding engine of impact making.”
Melle Schellekens is the creative and entrepreneurial mind behind The Good Roll and NOA Collective, among others, and talks about entrepreneurship with great social impact. Born and raised in Amsterdam Oud-West, Melle grew up with a commercial father and a left-wing mother whose interests included development work for women abroad. And while that may seem like a logical “formula” for Melle’s current activities – finding commercial View more…
“How cool is it that you can build a system where a toilet visit contributes to a better world in many ways?”
“A better world starts with yourself, but much of the responsibility lies with businesses and government.”
Impact vs. commerce?
Years ago, Melle is with school at the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam. Somewhat thoughtlessly, he walks across the exhibition floor, until his attention is drawn to a booth that stands out for its simplicity. There is not much more to see than a toilet bowl. He is addressed by the stand holder who, pointing to the toilet, asks him, “Did you know that this is the basis for the solution to all the world’s problems? By this he is referring to the inequality formed by, among other things, the denial of access to clean water supplies as well as hygienic and safe sanitation. Although it didn’t mean much to Melle at the time, it did plant a seed.
“Girls in developing countries lag 30% behind their male classmates by not having access to clean sanitation and products during their periods.”
Fast Forward to the moment when Melle has just become a father of a baby daughter. With all the accompanying emotions of a newborn parent (“what kind of world do I want my child to grow up in?”), he realizes how ridiculous it is that sustainability is often used purely as a marketing tool. How ridiculous it is that creativity and talent are wasted on this. He decides to become a gamechanger in the toilet paper business, with creativity at the lead.
“We started very practically with a toilet paper subscription, but that turned out to be a solution to a problem that didn’t exist. We started to focus much more on creativity and “the story,” which is what gets people hooked.”
I Two things are central to that story. The first is a production process that is as environmentally friendly as possible and all stakeholders in the chain must benefit from it – The Circle of Goodness, as Melle also calls it – and at The Good Roll they take that as broadly as they take it seriously. The toilet paper is produced from 100% bamboo (grows 40 times faster than a tree) and recycled paper, without any harmful substances. In the process, 50% of profits are spent through The Good Roll Foundation on building public toilets in Ghana. But they go further, because building alone is not enough. There is more to it; customization, maintenance and education, for example.
“We really engage with people in the schools. It turned out that there was a need for changing rooms, showers and menstrual products. Menstruation is still very taboo, so we demand education in schools for girls as well as boys.”
In practice, The Circle of Goodness sometimes literally means closing circles. For example, feces is collected from the toilet facilities, supplemented with microorganisms and fermented, which serves as the basis for fertilizer that in turn is supplied to the farmer who supplies bamboo for toilet paper from The Good Roll. Which also provides this farmer with 50% more income.
“When we built our first toilet in Africa, I thought; this is what it’s all about, isn’t it? I can tell you, it makes you sleep a lot better!”
Now that The Good Roll is “running smoothly,” he would like to show other companies that making social impact and a good commercial concept are not mutually exclusive, but rather two prerequisites for being a future company – as Melle calls companies that have impact woven into their organization. In his lectures, he tells you about the bumpy road he has traveled, and is still traveling, during his entrepreneurial journey. The ups, the downs, but above all … the insight that something as simple as toilet paper can make a huge difference in the world.
Book Melle as a speaker?
Do you like to book Melle as a speaker for your event? Ask about the possibilities and his availability.
Why invite Melle Schellekens as a speaker for your event?
1. Interactive
Anyone expecting a half-hour monologue has not come to the right place with Melle. His lectures are always highly interactive and address what the needs or questions from the audience are driving at.
2. Disarming
Melle shares both the ups and downs of his own entrepreneurial journey. Not a “look at me” performance, but an honest, vulnerable and positive story.
3. Energetic
Melle’s smooth, energetic and inspired narrative style will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.
4. Broad Social
A practical story that highlights all facets of future-proof entrepreneurship, the ultimate balance between social, sustainable and commercial entrepreneurship.
5. Visual
Melle makes great use of attractive visuals to reinforce his story and make sure you won’t forget about it soon.
1. Interactive
Anyone expecting a half-hour monologue has not come to the right place with Melle. His lectures are always highly interactive and address what the needs or questions from the audience are driving at.
2. Disarming
Melle shares both the ups and downs of his own entrepreneurial journey. Not a “look at me” performance, but an honest, vulnerable and positive story.
3. Energetic
Melle’s smooth, energetic and inspired narrative style will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.
4. Broad Social
A practical story that highlights all facets of future-proof entrepreneurship, the ultimate balance between social, sustainable and commercial entrepreneurship.
5. Visual
Melle makes great use of attractive visuals to reinforce his story and make sure you won’t forget about it soon.
Four questions for Melle Schellekens
For Good: What does "good" mean to you?
“‘For Good’ is my North Star in the entrepreneurial universe, where the power of doing and the beauty of imperfection come together to change worlds. I believe in building bridges where others see walls, in creating impact through action, not anticipation. Success and social progress, in my view, are a dance, sometimes synchronous, sometimes a chaotic tango, but always with the goal of improving the world one step at a time.”
Walk the talk: How are you of value?
“I am a pioneer at the intersection of entrepreneurship and social change, someone who learns through every misstep and celebrates with every victory. In my world, perfectionism is the enemy of progression. I have learned that the most valuable lessons often come from the most unexpected places. My companies are my laboratories for innovation, where I experiment, adapt, and grow, driven by the unyielding engine of making impact – even if that impact is not always immediately visible or scalable.”
Do you have an example or inspiration of your own?
“Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia. Chouinard is an icon of sustainable entrepreneurship; he built an outdoor apparel brand that is not only financially successful but also a leader in environmental protection and sustainability. Patagonia is committed to preserving natural habitats, regularly donates a portion of its profits to environmental organizations, and encourages other companies to reduce their carbon footprint. Chouinard’s philosophy of ‘doing good’ is woven into every aspect of his business, making him a powerful example of how companies can be a positive force in the world.”
What makes you happy?
“When I notice that I can influence a different way of doing and thinking of people in their daily lives, even if it is with small steps. That gives energy. So does the sun for that matter! I love summer immensely. And of doing and discovering fun things with my wife and children. Being a real dad.”
For Good: What does "good" mean to you?
“‘For Good’ is my North Star in the entrepreneurial universe, where the power of doing and the beauty of imperfection come together to change worlds. I believe in building bridges where others see walls, in creating impact through action, not anticipation. Success and social progress, in my view, are a dance, sometimes synchronous, sometimes a chaotic tango, but always with the goal of improving the world one step at a time.”
Walk the talk: How are you of value?
“I am a pioneer at the intersection of entrepreneurship and social change, someone who learns through every misstep and celebrates with every victory. In my world, perfectionism is the enemy of progression. I have learned that the most valuable lessons often come from the most unexpected places. My companies are my laboratories for innovation, where I experiment, adapt, and grow, driven by the unyielding engine of making impact – even if that impact is not always immediately visible or scalable.”
Do you have an example or inspiration of your own?
“Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia. Chouinard is an icon of sustainable entrepreneurship; he built an outdoor apparel brand that is not only financially successful but also a leader in environmental protection and sustainability. Patagonia is committed to preserving natural habitats, regularly donates a portion of its profits to environmental organizations, and encourages other companies to reduce their carbon footprint. Chouinard’s philosophy of ‘doing good’ is woven into every aspect of his business, making him a powerful example of how companies can be a positive force in the world.”
What makes you happy?
“When I notice that I can influence a different way of doing and thinking of people in their daily lives, even if it is with small steps. That gives energy. So does the sun for that matter! I love summer immensely. And of doing and discovering fun things with my wife and children. Being a real dad.”
A selection of companies that Melle Schellekens already had impactful collaborations with….
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Melle Schellekens inspires the employees of Univé with humor and enthusiasm about sustainable entrepreneurship and shows them how you can make money as well as contribute.
Univé
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Melle Schellekens inspires the employees of Centraal Beheer with humor and enthusiasm about sustainable entrepreneurship and shows them how you can make money as well as contribute.
Centraal Beheer -
Melle Schellekens inspires the employees of Bol.com with humor and enthusiasm about sustainable entrepreneurship and shows them how you can make money as well as contribute.
Bol.com -
Melle Schellekens inspires the employees of Gemeente Amsterdam with humor and enthusiasm about sustainable entrepreneurship and shows them how you can make money as well as contribute.
Gemeente Amsterdam -
Melle Schellekens inspires the employees of the University of Amsterdam with humor and enthusiasm about sustainable entrepreneurship and shows them how you can make money as well as contribute.
UvA -
Melle Schellekens inspires the employees of Volvo with humor and enthusiasm about sustainable entrepreneurship and shows them how you can make money as well as contribute.
Volvo -
Melle Schellekens inspires the employees of Impact Hub with humor and enthusiasm about sustainable entrepreneurship and shows them how you can make money as well as contribute.
Impact Hub
