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B Corps for inspiration or accreditation?
Collectively, B Corps aspire to be a growing global movement of people using business as a force for good. Individually, B Corps are for-profit companies certified to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. On January 22, I attended the B Corps Netherlands community event, hosted by Patagonia at their Amsterdam offices. …
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Simon (Sinek) Says “Start with Why”
One of my New Year’s resolutions was to read more from my huge pile of non fiction books before it buries me. And with 2016 as my year of positive change, I thought Start with Why by Simon Sinek would be an appropriate place to start – and it was! Not only did it help me formulate…
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Creating local connections for positive change
Meet Nick Davies, the founder of Neighbourly, an online platform that connects community projects with businesses that want to help. I recently met Nick at the launch of the platform in the Netherlands – and followed up with an interview. Here’s what he said about corporate responsibility, opportunities for brands and the leadership to drive…
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Sustainable food tastes like more!
On June 18, I had the pleasure to moderate an evening for alumni and students at Nyenrode Business University in the Netherlands, about creating a sustainable food value chain. Here’s what the event was all about. Creating a sustainable food chain is a continuous process. Whether you are a small local chocolate brand like Tony’s Chocolonely…
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Shining bright: doing well by doing good
Meet Camille van Gestel, the co-founder and co-CEO of WakaWaka, a highly successful social enterprise with the mission to provide sustainable energy and light solutions for over a billion people who lack access to electricity. During the interview, he convinced me that he’s got plenty of energy himself to activate many to make this ambitious…
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If business needs to integrate sustainability, so should business schools
On October 10, 2014, I chaired a workshop at Business University Nyenrode to further integrate sustainability into Nyenrode’s core business: its programs. A diverse group of alumni, students and faculty members worked together across three areas: Degree Programs, Executive Education and Research. Leadership – Entrepreneurship – Stewardship Dean Leen Paape kicked off the workshop through the…
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Bursting bubbles to drive human understanding
Meet Marjella Alma, CEO of the inspiring tech startup eRevalue, which offers a tailored process for integrating Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) factors into business strategy. What is your vision of a sustainable future? A world without so much emphasis on the material, on beauty and on individuals. I’d like to see society de-materialize, de-beautify and…
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Patents to protect or drive innovation?
What are patents all about? According to Wikipedia, a patent is a set of exclusive rights granted to an inventor or assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for detailed public disclosure of an invention. The exclusive right granted to a patentee in most countries is the right to prevent others from commercially…
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Dare to care: the way to a virtuous economic model
Meet Benoit Beaufils, Co-Founder and Business Humanizer at In8motion, a company that helps integrate human sense and sustainability into brands and businesses. What is your vision of a sustainable future? I am much happier when my life is simpler, closer to nature and well-balanced. For me, sustainability is all about creating a world where…
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Leveraging the power of people, technology and information for better decisions
Meet Michel Scholte, Co-Founder and Director of External Affairs at True Price, driving change by helping organizations uncover and calculate social and environmental costs, in order to improve their decision-making. What is your vision of a sustainable world? Sustainability is all about balance. Balance between your own needs as a consumer or company and the…
