After Growth?

Nhi believes the climate crisis has a communication problem as much as a coordination problem. An artist, applied researcher and founder, she works across climate justice, science, deeptech, robotics and storytelling to close the gap between what we know and what we do. Through her ventures, she explores collective storytelling, advocacy and education, bringing what she calls “ruthless hope” to the challenge.

Fieke Opdam went from spending nearly ten years as a cloistered nun to becoming a stand-up comedian. Today, she uses humour and storytelling to explore trauma, identity, resilience and the unexpected things that can grow from difficult experiences. Her story moves from religious life to the stage, asking us to consider whether the experiences that change us might also shape the things we eventually have to offer the world.

Jelle Postma spent his career inside Dutch intelligence, national security and international diplomacy before founding Justice for Prosperity. A former AIVD intelligence officer, he now investigates disinformation, foreign interference and the forces that can deliberately undermine democratic societies. His work looks closely at the systems behind polarisation and fear, and how those divisions are created.

Rivelino Rigters, known as Blackrockstar, has spent more than two decades turning music and storytelling into a vehicle for connection and change. The Dutch-Surinamese artist, author and social entrepreneur founded Criminal Minded, where he works with young people in- and out of detention through creativity, mentoring and talent development. His work explores the role creativity can play in helping people see themselves, their choices and their possibilities differently.

Dr. Hans Stegeman has spent two decades inside the Dutch financial system, from CPB and Rabobank to his current role as Chief Economist at Triodos Bank. A PhD economist and columnist, he writes about the systems shaping our economy and society. His work challenges one assumption we rarely question: that economies must keep growing, and asks what happens when growth is no longer taken for granted.

Creator of Identity Intelligence™, a framework exploring how lived experience shapes the way people perceive, decide and lead, Ingrid Tappin is also the founder of Diverse Leaders in Tech. She has spent years working with leaders and organisations on identity, leadership and systemic change.

Juan Cruz Tubio is using fungi to rethink one of our most fundamental infrastructure challenges: how we treat water. He is the founder of MycoFarming, a Netherlands-based deep-tech company developing scalable mycofiltration systems that use fungi to filter and regenerate water. His work explores what might become possible when we stop looking only to technology for solutions and start looking more closely at nature.

Dr Lucy van de Wiel studies what happens when Silicon Valley and venture capital enter the world of fertility. A Senior Lecturer at King’s College London and international speaker on reproductive technology, she researches developments from egg freezing to embryo selection and reproductive optimisation. Her work looks beyond what these technologies can do, considering how they might change our ideas about reproduction.

Joe Wilson is an entrepreneur, former Microsoft executive and Chief Evangelist at bunq whose career spans startups, global technology and sustainable investment. He has founded five companies, achieved two successful exits and lived with his family across multiple countries and cultures. A lifelong traveler, Joe brings a global perspective to questions of identity, belonging and connection.

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