This summer, we designed an inspiring day for Inholland University's Creative Team on Zeeburgereiland in Amsterdam, where their new campus is under construction. We guided the team through the island's transforming landscape, exploring its rich history and hidden areas. They met local communities of artists and makers, now facing eviction due to upcoming developments, and heard powerful stories from changemakers about the significance of this place.

After a communal lunch with local produce, we facilitated a creative workshop on envisioning a utopian future for the neighborhood. The day was informative, interactive, and sparked deep conversations about future living. We're excited for more inspiring team-building programs ahead!

For this exciting program we took the delegates from the global CEO summit on an inspiring walk through the history of trade in Amsterdam. A story of tremendous success but also of painful suffering. But lessons from the past can give us incentives to create a better future!

Meet the changemakers!

We finished the tour at Kanaal 40, a venue owned by a group of young people of colonial descent. One of the founders gave a talk about their mission to empower young people with diverse ethnicities to claim the cultural space.

It was followed by a speech from Tony Chocolonely explaining their goal to produce slave free chocolate. Everybody walked away with a customized chocolate bar from the UFI global summit, a tangible example of how you can do trade in a different way.

For the annual employee day of EIT Food we created a customized e-boat to inspire and connect to our circular city. We took the 200 participants on a journey on some of the most beautiful saloon boats of the Amsterdam canals sharing Stories of Change. We had 4 professional storytellers sharing stories of the past and present giving inspiration for the future.

What makes Amsterdam different from any other city in the world? Which stories influence the pioneering spirit we still feel today?

We’ve been working for CIEE for years now and they always have interesting groups and requests. A group of students from the University of Pittsburgh came the whole month of May to study sustainability. We adapted our Circular City tour to fit their needs, picking them up from their accommodation at Bob W in the North. The walk had a focus on sustainability and urban design. After meeting some interesting change-makers of the Noord and a plant based lunch at Cafe de Ceuvel, it was time to give something back to the community. They helped create a community garden at a social center and painted doors to share their skills.

We took a group of creative students from Wageningen University & Research to explore what lies around Oosterdok, a place where innovation and adventure come together to solve urban challenges.

During the tour we talked about colonialism and migration, discovering what lies behind the pioneering spirit of Amsterdam. We visited change makers like A Beautiful Mess, Mediamatic and Rederij Lampedua and learned how they work towards a better future.

Then it was time for the students of to come up with some innovative solutions themselves. The Marine Terrein Amsterdam is facing a big problem of trash (mainly cigarette butts). From garbage games to paid pigeons, creative ideas were a valuable giveback of this tour!