Saskia van den Muijsenberg
“Solutions to the most complex challenges can be found simply in nature.”
Saskia van den Muijsenberg shows how biomimicry can contribute to solving issues in organizations and society
Biomimicry NL describes biomimicry as ‘imitating life’. Using nature as inspiration to solve problems in our human societies. Does that still sound a bit abstract? It doesn’t have to be according to biomimicry expert Saskia van den Muijsenberg. She explains in a practical way how biomimicry can help people and organizations face complex challenges. Because, “we are nature, and once you start seeing this, you start seeing connections all around you.”
Saskia van den Muijsenberg grew up in The Hague. She studied Psychology and Communication Science in Nijmegen, after which her media career took off. She worked for press agency ANP, various sports magazines and as a product manager for the Telegraaf. She later completed her MBA and started working for large organizations such as NS and Shell.
At Shell, she focused on change management and eventually on innovation. With the Shell Game Changer program she inspires people to explore whether their radical ideas and theories can be transformed into real concepts. Later on, she established the Innovation Workshop Program, where she used various methods to stimulate people’s creativity in approaching various challenges. One of the methods she discovered was biomimicry.
“The realization that solutions to the most complex challenges can be found on earth, in the very nature that we are part of, it grabbed me and didn’t let go.”
Together with a number of partners, Saskia founds Biomimicry Nederland and obtains her degree for the Biomimicry study program. Currently she is the only Certified Biomimicry Professional in The Netherlands. Currently she is also at the beginning of a PhD program concerning the organizational task of creating a circular economy.
With her workshops and lectures, Saskia aims to make people in organizations aware of how we can learn from nature to face social, organizational and technical challenges.
Saskia van den Muijsenberg shows how biomimicry can contribute to solving issues in organizations and society Biomimicry NL describes biomimicry as ‘imitating life’. Using nature as inspiration to solve problems in our human societies. Does that still sound a bit abstract? It doesn’t have to be according to biomimicry expert Saskia van den Muijsenberg. She explains in a practical way how biomimicry can help people and View more…
"Everything we do to nature, we do to ourselves. We are not only inseparable from it, we are nature."
"Take care of the place that takes care of you."
Rather biomimicry ‘omnivore’ than professional
“Take care of the place that takes care of you“, that’s really the essence. The reason biomimicry stayed on her mind when Saskia van den Muijsenberg 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.
“When you consider that the earth is 3.8 billion years old, you realize how very young we actually are as a species. We are basically toddlers; we still have a lot to learn. And we can do that from ancient natural models.”
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. “Biomimicry transcends specific challenges and themes; it is a philosophy and an approach that is applicable to a lot of different processes.”
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?”
Book Saskia van den Muijsenberg for your event
Would you like to book Saskia van den Muijsenberg as a speaker for your event, conference or lecture? Or would you like to know more about a customised workshop? Check for the price and her availability.
1. Hopeful
As humanity has only been on this earth for a short time, we still have a lot to learn. With her inspiring stories about biomimicry and vivid examples, Saskia casts a hopeful glance at the future.
2. Practical
No subject or challenge is too complex or tough for Saskia, complicated issues in particular fascinate her. During her lectures and workshops, she shows how these challenges can be approached in a practical way. This way, biomimicry as a philosophy really sticks with the participants.
3. Diversity
Biomimicry is not limited to just one theme. Whether it is about product design, society, business processes, organizational or financial challenges, biomimicry is relevant to every field. It offers opportunities for diverse organizations in all industries.
4. Authority
Although she prefers the title ‘biomimicry omnivore’, Saskia is indeed an authority in the field of biomimicry. She is the only person in the Netherlands who can call herself Certified Biomimicry Professional.
5. Customised
Because biomimicry is relevant on so many themes and levels, customization is necessary. Every lecture and workshop that Saskia gives is therefore adapted to the audience and the subjects and issues they find relevant.
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1. Hopeful
-
As humanity has only been on this earth for a short time, we still have a lot to learn. With her inspiring stories about biomimicry and vivid examples, Saskia casts a hopeful glance at the future.
-
-
2. Practical
-
No subject or challenge is too complex or tough for Saskia, complicated issues in particular fascinate her. During her lectures and workshops, she shows how these challenges can be approached in a practical way. This way, biomimicry as a philosophy really sticks with the participants.
-
-
3. Diversity
-
Biomimicry is not limited to just one theme. Whether it is about product design, society, business processes, organizational or financial challenges, biomimicry is relevant to every field. It offers opportunities for diverse organizations in all industries.
-
-
4. Authority
-
Although she prefers the title ‘biomimicry omnivore’, Saskia is indeed an authority in the field of biomimicry. She is the only person in the Netherlands who can call herself Certified Biomimicry Professional.
-
-
5. Customised
-
Because biomimicry is relevant on so many themes and levels, customization is necessary. Every lecture and workshop that Saskia gives is therefore adapted to the audience and the subjects and issues they find relevant.
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Five questions for:
Saskia van den Muijsenberg
For Good: what does it mean to you?
“Anything you can use for good, you can also use for bad. Biomimicry, for example, offers insight into solutions to the climate problem, but you can also learn from nature to make a new kind of weapon. So, as is usually the case with innovation, there is also the ethos aspect to biomimicry. I will, of course, show how to use biomimicry ‘for good’.”
Walk the Talk: what is your added value?
“Well, I bring 3.8 billion years of R&D experience! Tried and tested strategies from nature that allow us to tackle big, tough and complex issues in business and society. I could call myself a specialist after 12 years of experience, but I prefer the term biomimicry omnivore myself.
Our country already has a few more biomimicry specialists, but they often work in a specific niche. My view is broad, which allows me to see endless possibilities to apply biomimicry. I help people and organizations – using examples – to develop a new perspective for action, which allows them to put it into practice immediately.”
Who is your great example or inspiration?
“Nature is of course my greatest teacher. There are also many people in my field who inspire me, but someone in particular is Claire Janisch, one of my teachers and founder of Biomimicry South Africa. Sadly, she has passed away far too young in early 2022, but has inspired me immensely. How she managed to bring things together, connect dots; truly a thinker from another planet. Another personal great example is my mother. She taught me to be autonomous, that you should always act honestly and that you can achieve anything if you truly want to.”
What do you love and what makes you typically Saskia?
“I love my family and friends of course, the seasons that pass and the smell of freshly cut grass. Actually, I just genuinely love our earth, which is so big and small at the same time, moving through space at 2.16 million kilometers per hour.
Regarding my lectures and workshops, I often get feedback that I am energetic and come across naturally. That my energy and enthusiasm are contagious. I also regularly manage to move people, especially those with sustainability ambitions or innovation issues. Sometimes even a tear is shed.”
What can the audience expect from you?
“I bring them something new, so they become aware of the knowledge and experience that nature has to offer and how they can make use of it. Practical tools are essential to succeed. For example, during workshops participants go outside to observe and investigate. Why does the leaf of a certain plant have that particular shape? How do animals and plants seek cooling in the heat? By seeing and experiencing you become more inventive and creative, it brings my participants into motion.”
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For Good: what does it mean to you?
-
“Anything you can use for good, you can also use for bad. Biomimicry, for example, offers insight into solutions to the climate problem, but you can also learn from nature to make a new kind of weapon. So, as is usually the case with innovation, there is also the ethos aspect to biomimicry. I will, of course, show how to use biomimicry ‘for good’.”
-
-
Walk the Talk: what is your added value?
-
“Well, I bring 3.8 billion years of R&D experience! Tried and tested strategies from nature that allow us to tackle big, tough and complex issues in business and society. I could call myself a specialist after 12 years of experience, but I prefer the term biomimicry omnivore myself.
Our country already has a few more biomimicry specialists, but they often work in a specific niche. My view is broad, which allows me to see endless possibilities to apply biomimicry. I help people and organizations – using examples – to develop a new perspective for action, which allows them to put it into practice immediately.”
-
-
Who is your great example or inspiration?
-
“Nature is of course my greatest teacher. There are also many people in my field who inspire me, but someone in particular is Claire Janisch, one of my teachers and founder of Biomimicry South Africa. Sadly, she has passed away far too young in early 2022, but has inspired me immensely. How she managed to bring things together, connect dots; truly a thinker from another planet. Another personal great example is my mother. She taught me to be autonomous, that you should always act honestly and that you can achieve anything if you truly want to.”
-
-
What do you love and what makes you typically Saskia?
-
“I love my family and friends of course, the seasons that pass and the smell of freshly cut grass. Actually, I just genuinely love our earth, which is so big and small at the same time, moving through space at 2.16 million kilometers per hour.
Regarding my lectures and workshops, I often get feedback that I am energetic and come across naturally. That my energy and enthusiasm are contagious. I also regularly manage to move people, especially those with sustainability ambitions or innovation issues. Sometimes even a tear is shed.”
-
-
What can the audience expect from you?
-
“I bring them something new, so they become aware of the knowledge and experience that nature has to offer and how they can make use of it. Practical tools are essential to succeed. For example, during workshops participants go outside to observe and investigate. Why does the leaf of a certain plant have that particular shape? How do animals and plants seek cooling in the heat? By seeing and experiencing you become more inventive and creative, it brings my participants into motion.”
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TEDxAUCollege
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