Everyone is a
changemaker
but who will act?

What, for you, was the trigger that made you realise our world needs change?
Around 2005, I worked in advertising and owned an advertising agency. We asked our potential customers how we could help them but all their answers were the same: sell more stuff. Whether it was chips, beer or insurance, I realised that this infinite production and consumption could not go on forever. That’s when I decided that companies could be part of the solution instead of the problem.

Which challenge do you want to tackle?
With my tableware brand The Table, I focus on a fair and clean business process. We work with craftsmen around the world, pay them fairly and honour their crafts. We use plastic-free packaging, offset our CO2 emissions and inspire consumers to mix and match old with new items; giving old tableware a new life.

What are you most proud of? What have you made a positive impact with?
We have just launched The Table, and I am very proud of this new concept. I am also happy to be Co-Founder for the successful bedding brand Yumeko, where we set up a clean and fair supply chain for sleeping and bathroom products.

How do you inspire other people to initiate change (whether big or small)?
By giving them a good example to follow. By showing them that it is possible to run a good business with a holistic approach. And by showing them that it is fun to do it too!

Is there anything else you would like to add?
I have come to realise that life is not all about me. In fact, it is about what I can do for others (although I still don’t always succeed).

What, for you, was the trigger that made you realise our world needs change?
I have been working in the sustainable investment world since 1998. Basically based on my conviction that if you invest in a company with venture capital, you better do this in innovations that are moving the world in the right direction.

Which challenge do you want to tackle?
In order to maintain a liveable world, all people and materials must be deployed to their best potential. This is nowhere near the case.

What are you most proud of? What have you made a positive impact with?
I am most proud of the entrepreneurs who came to us with a business plan and managed to turn it into a real company.

How do you inspire other people to initiate change (whether big or small)?
We reach most people through our crowdfunding platform Oneplanetcrowd. This platform offers everyone the opportunity to participate in a project or company they believe in and the topic they want to contribute to.

What, for you, was the trigger that made you realise our world needs change?
This has evolved for me over the years. When I was just a month old the first man landed on the moon. As a young boy, I saw the famous “Earthrise” photo, showing us that the world is a beautiful but fragile whole. Despite this, I saw people building boundaries and emphasising differences, instead of working together. When I returned from an internship in Japan, taking the Trans-Siberian train instead of flying, my image of the then Soviet Union was considerably shaken. A later visit to Iran to develop protective training for people who cleared mines along the border with Iraq also had a major impact on me. For me, the image evolved that we live on a very beautiful planet, but that we make a mess of taking care of it together. That can, and must, be done differently.

Which challenge do you want to tackle?
The way we handle materials responsibly so we can live in balance together with the planet. The way we can design products from responsibly-sourced, non-toxic materials that can be reused or recycled back into raw material for new products.

What are you most proud of? What have you made a positive impact with?
I am most proud of the energy and inspiration that I have been able to create in others to bring beautifully designed circular products to the market, such as an Air.0 carpet from Mohawk and circular mattresses Bedzzzy from Auping.

How do you inspire other people to initiate change (whether big or small)?
By looking mainly at opportunities and not shying away from rolling my sleeves up and using the knowledge of my entire network.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
We must start with systematic changes and associated behaviour within ourselves. That is not going to be easy, but if we are committed, it will be very satisfying.

What, for you, was the trigger that made you realise our world needs change?
Back in the early 80s, I was on a road trip abroad and while traveling; I earned some cash working on a chicken farm. I was shocked to see the degrading practices being used and from that moment on I first realised that we need to rethink our relationship with animals and nature. I support the Wakker Dier (Awake Animal) foundation, which is committed to a life worth living for all animals in livestock farming.

Which challenge do you want to tackle?
My challenge as Co-Founder of ClearCircle is to tackle plastic packaging and chemical waste.

What are you most proud of? What have you made a positive impact with?
I am proud of my colleagues who wholeheartedly inspire customers and show how we can make change together every day. With our circular cleaning products brand, we have created a closed-loop packaging process for our business clients. By re-using and 100% recycling, the packaging and resources remain in the product loop and are not released into the environment.

How do you inspire other people to initiate change (whether big or small)?
I don’t believe you should try to convince other people and tell them what to do. I believe in inspiring them by doing what needs to be done.