Biologist. Expert in tropical ecology, biodiversity and agriculture. Entrepreneur and managing director. Worked worldwide in nature conservation and restoration. Former director IUCN Netherlands and initiator of nature initiatives.

I like business - building strategies - and I love nature. Working at Commonland enables me to combine these interests. Based on a business-model approach, we contribute to changing the world, and we can concretely see the impact we create. Deeply inspiring… it’s what drives me daily in my work.

I have always been attracted by the interconnectedness of things. At Commonland we try to see and make connections between different worlds, where we can openly and respectfully engage with indigenous leaders, or with farmers, in the same way we would engage with an investor, or the government. Commonland allows me to work in line with my values.

At Commonland we aim to bring the world of economy and ecology together and create common grounds for common solutions via a common language – this inspires me.

I enjoy developing solutions and exploring opportunities to connect economy and ecology together with academia and stakeholders on the ground. Commonland’s holistic approach, sense of urgency and long-term perspective inspire me. It aligns with my values and mission: to care for creation and contribute to restoring landscapes and revitalizing communities.

After working for a long time in a commercial business industry, I wanted to work for an organisation that contributes to the improvement of our living environment. Surrounded with passionate colleagues I’m learning a lot.

To develop a sustainable world, we need to bring people together to listen, learn, grow and act in a safe and innovative space. Only then can we restore landscapes and create thriving communities.

Commonland’s holistic yet pragmatic way of working towards sustainable change excites me. We work with all the different stakeholders in a landscape and focus on building bridges, taking into account the local context and working with them to develop robust solutions that address the issues at their root.

We recognise that there are many inspiring people, initiatives and stories doing the work of our time “restoring nature”, whilst we are still missing the large-scale stories. Therefore, we bring people, initiatives and organisations together to create a safe space for them to write their own collective stories of transformation and regenerative impact.

I am convinced that restoring landscapes benefits people, biodiversity, and the climate. My work at Commonland involves creating a methodology for estimating peat soil carbon emissions in the Netherlands and developing carbon projects for landscape restoration. To successfully restore landscapes, we must improve soil carbon storage, which we link to existing voluntary carbon markets.

Growing up, I was already aware of my environment, what I consumed, and its impact on nature. But unfortunately, hospitality and sustainability are not always aligned, so this is where I felt the need to act and create bridges between our western consumption mindset and taking care of our planet.

My mission is to reconnect man and nature by realising innovative business models supporting conservation and restoration of nature and biodiversity. This is exactly what I do in my role at Commonland by mobilising funding for large-scale landscape restoration initiatives around the world.

I believe that ecosystems and communities can only thrive together – hand in hand. I’m passionate and excited about sparking that change: getting others involved in this collective movement and making them aware of the beautiful world we live in!

I like the combination of working with local communities, restoring landscapes and building resilient livelihoods. It brings together every aspect I have worked on in my career. It is rewarding and unique.

The work and vision of Commonland, and the passion of the people who work for the organisation appeal to me most. And combining finance with a subject that is close to my heart, that’s what drives me.

 I want to contribute to an inclusive regenerative and restorative movement. Where we, humans, will become partners of nature. My work at Commonland allows me to make this contribution.

Commonland’s focus on making a positive impact to our earth, instead of just reducing our negative impacts immediately appealed to me. And the fact that its holistic approach allows for its impact to be long-lasting and large-scale. I really enjoy working with my colleagues and our landscape partners.

My two passions are soil regeneration and participatory processes. Since holistic regeneration of our soils requires collaboration of the whole system I can bring both passions together at Commonland. As we all strive together to reach the (bold) 2040 goal we step into a big responsibility, with the freedom and flexibility to design how to get there.

What excites me is that the 4 Returns framework provides a common language for farmers, entrepreneurs, communities, investors, funders and governments. Being able to connect these groups and forming partnerships with others will be crucial in achieving our mission.

The way Commonland works with and trusts its partners is quite unconventional, in my experience. Our approach is unique: it takes dedication for an organisation to work holistically. Also, the sense of trust allows people to be creative and to give more energy to work.

I love working at Commonland because of our green mission and our contribution to make the world a greener place. Also, Commonland is an open-minded organisation with passionate and inspiring people: my colleagues.

Commonland offers a mature approach to landscape restoration. People at Commonland are so passionate about their work. And I really enjoy being a part of that. Here, I can combine my two interests: storytelling and the relation between people and nature.