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Giving back vs paying it forward
Early May 2024, I addressed my class at our Northwestern University – Kellogg School of Management reunion. On a panel about the road less traveled by MBAs, focused on my role as a lecturer at UPEACE and Nyenrode Business University. I was honored to be on stage with impressive gentlemen: Milton Liu who leads the…
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Talent, transition, and time to think big in retail
Everything we buy has an impact on the planet, on society. Perhaps you already eat as much organic food as you can find and only use renewable energy sources to heat and light your house. For other categories – such as fashion, lifestyle and beauty – it is more challenging to find sustainable, circular options…
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4 ingredients for business as a force for good
“Degrowth is not the solution I see for a more sustainable future. Instead, I really see the companies of the future as a force for good. Companies exist to create value. Unfortunately, in many cases, this is focused on just one kind of value-creation: financial value for shareholders. This might still be viable in the…
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Patagonia’s tips for better business models
“We need to move away from extractive capitalism, which only takes and does not give back to our one and only planet. In some ways, we are like Eric Carle’s Very Hungry Caterpillar. We’re insatiable in our need to collect more than we really need. In the past, it was normal to have just one…
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The chicken and the egg of the food transition
On June 6, I visited Kipster, the most animal, environment and people friendly poultry farm in the world. Inspired farmer and co-founder Ruud Zanders told a diverse group of Nyenrode Business University alumni all about global food production issues and the downs and outs of farmers and chicken. The poultry farmer’s dilemma His story started just after…
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Starting small to build trust and to inspire big change
Meet Andrea van der Graaf, managing director of renewable energy company Tegenstroom and of sustainable investment fund Meermaker. Andrea and I used to work together at Greenpeace in the late ‘90’s. After a recent event about climate change, which we co-hosted at Nyenrode Business University, it was high time for an interview with her. Here’s…
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Why change is all about curves, choices and chaos
Meet Rob Wetzels, an inspiring and highly dedicated coach, teacher, and expert on sustainable development. Rob and I met on the day he retired from Nyenrode’s Center for Sustainability. It was odd that we’d not before, but since then, we – unsurprisingly- keep running into each other at events related to sustainable business. I interviewed him…
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Meet a business activist urging us to consume and produce less
Meet Mihela Hladin-Wolfe, Environment and Social Initiatives Manager at Patagonia. Unsurprisingly, we keep running into each other at various sustainability events. Most recently, we ran into each other at the People’s Climate March in Amsterdam. It’s high time for climate action. And for an interview with a woman who has dedicated so much of her…
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Shared learning and action to reduce plastic waste in Amsterdam
On Tuesday, May 23, 2017, The Terrace hosted a diverse group of people to talk about plastic waste and the circular economy. The evening kicked off with an interview with Leontine Gast, founder of The Terrace, followed by a roundtable discussion on plastic waste in our lives, led by Nelmara Arbex, CEO of Arbex &…
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In search of purpose for Fairphone
To really connect with consumers, brands can no longer present a facade and sell. To thrive, brands need to create an emotional connection with people, stemming from a clear brand purpose. A purpose that addresses a real societal issue and that strives to create a movement to resolve this issue. In May 2017, we organized…
