Impact Explorer - January
We Are Impact Collective
We bring together impact experts to bring impact into play.
Dear Readers,
Welcome to the 18th edition of Impact Explorer, the first of the year 2025, marking our 1,095th day together as a collective. Over these days, we have journeyed through searching, growing, stumbling, and rising again. As we step into this new orbit around the sun, we find ourselves reflecting on what wishes we might extend to you—and to ourselves.
Can we genuinely wish for health, peace within, and peace in the world without overlooking the fractures in our systems, the struggles of the marginalised, or the crises faced by those in war-torn and climate-impacted regions? Can the simple turn of a calendar page truly mark a fresh start?
In honouring the complexity of our collective pursuit of systemic change, we offer this reflection from John Berger: “Reality is all we have to love.” May this year bring us all the courage to hold space for the disparity between the world as it is and the world as it could be—a place where dreams, ambitions, and efforts for meaningful impact take root.
Cheers to a year of contributing to meaningful and systemic change, in which we take regufe in the acknowledgment of complex realities, muster courage to question and bridge our figured worlds, and include and transcend societal divides to connect and weave impact for the better.
What’s cooking: continuing our mission in 2025
We are delighted to continue our mentoring work, supporting both impact investors and those navigating the complexities of renewable energy within funds and consultancy. Together, we strive to uncover the bigger picture—the systems and coherence behind the challenges we face. This exploration extends to our dilemma sessions, where we facilitate meaningful discussions on topics such as the role of military forces, the exclusivity of investments, climate-focused initiatives, and the growing importance of inclusion in the corporate world.
Recently, we hosted an in-depth session on ESG due diligence frameworks. These discussions aimed to bring clarity on what truly matters: distinguishing material issues, determining the scope and type of data to collect, and untangling the connections between legislation, 2025 impact reports, and long-term strategies.
We’re also preparing to guide a family office in transitioning its direct investments toward more impactful businesses. Meanwhile, our members are gearing up to bring sharper focus, greater context, and deeper connections to their efforts in 2025. Don’t miss out:
Wordt Molenbeek in 2030 naar aanleiding van 200 jaar Belgi? de Europese Hoofdstad voor Cultuur?
Vzw Molenbeek for Brussels 2030 zet zich volop in om Molenbeek klaar te stomen voor de selectie als Culturele Hoofdstad van Europa. De internationale jury heeft het voorgestelde project al met lof ontvangen, en Molenbeek behoort tot de drie kanshebbers voor deze prestigieuze titel.
Om deze ambitie te verwezenlijken, zijn we op zoek naar een financieel profiel met een sterke affiniteit voor de Brusselse culturele sector. Samen zullen we werken aan de funding voor het ECOC-project (European Capital of Culture), Molenbeek 2030.
Ben jij – of ken jij – iemand die het uitdagend vindt om vernieuwende methodes te ontwikkelen die leiden tot het genereren van eigen inkomsten? Meer informatie vind je hier. Voor potenti?le kandidaten is een heldere omschrijving van de zakelijke aanpak beschikbaar op eenvoudige vraag via [email protected]
Help dit biologisch regeneratieve akkerbouwbedrijf toekomstbestendig te maken!
Cornelis en Carolien Mosselman zijn gepassioneerde pioniers die op hun bedrijf op Goeree-Overflakkee dagelijks met eigen ogen zien hoe de natuur hersteld als je kiest voor een duurzame aanpak. Het resultaat? Een gezondere bodem, een bruisende biodiversiteit en voedsel zoals het bedoeld is – voedzaam en eerlijk. Met een positieve bijdrage aan landschap en milieu.
Bewijzen dat landbouw en natuur hand in hand kunnen gaan, is de grote droom van Cornelis Mosselman, boer en eigenaar van BI-JOVIRA. Het inspireren en bijstaan van andere boeren in het maken van de transitie naar regeneratieve landbouw, ook. Om dit mogelijk te maken, zijn deze prachtige pioniers op zoek naar (her)financiering.
Vind hier meer informatie over het bedrijf en kom via [email protected] in contact met Cornelis.
Unlocking the Social Economy: Towards Equity in the Green and Digital Transitions
Suzanne Wisse-Huiskes contributed to the World Economic Forum’s 2025 report. This report highlights the critical role of the social economy – comprising social enterprises, cooperatives and similar organizations – in promoting equity during these transitions. With 200 million jobs and over $2 trillion in turnover globally, the social economy drives inclusive innovation. It enhances affordability, accessibility and job creation while empowering marginalized groups through community-based solutions and impact investing.
By integrating lessons from social enterprises into policy frameworks, governments and businesses can ensure that the benefits of green and digital innovation reach everyone, creating a more inclusive, equitable and sustainable global economy.
Read the full report here.
?? Launch of Shift International Architecture Competition
Over two years, Don Ritzen has been building in stealth mode for now proudly to unveil the newest chapter in his grand Shift vision: a ‘New World Wonder’ that inspires humanity to alter its current climate collision course and steer towards a new, more sustainable path.
To achieve this aim, Shift is launching the Shift International Architecture Competition, a bold and unorthodox design competition. The competition has a total prize pool of? €250.000 to encourage the brightest minds in architecture and design to submit concepts that will spark massive climate action. The first Shift Landmark will be located in The Netherlands, but it is the outspoken ambition to build Shift Landmarks on continents across the planet. The competition is open to all architects and design professionals, so please feel free to tap into your own networks and share this link and / or reach out to Don to know more!
We Are Impact Collective zoekt ondersteuning
Ben jij iemand die ons kan helpen om verder te springen, groter te dromen en meer te verbinden door te assisteren bij het opstellen van offertes, voorbereiden van presentaties en workshops? Word je blij van het organiseren van events – kleine én grotere? Krijg je energie van het scheppen van structuur en het bijhouden van overzicht: basecamp ontmoeting realiseren, administratieve ondersteuning (bijhouden van contacten, locaties, opstellen van begrotingen, inkopen, treintickets boeken, agendaverzoeken verzenden, opvolgen van de hello mailbox,..)? Zou je ons daarbij ook graag ondersteunen op vlak van communicatie (website, social media posts,..) ?
Dan verwelkomen we je graag! We zoeken iemand die affiniteit heeft met en interesse in impact investing, gestructureerd en nauwkeurig kan werken, flexibel is en een afwisselend takenpakket kan opnemen. Reken hiervoor een gemiddelde tijdsinvestering van 20 uur per week. Je werkt meestal remote met af en toe een fysieke bijeenkomst.
?? Ben je of ken je zo iemand?
Reach out via [email protected]
Don't take the temperature. Change the weather. ????????
Do you want to share a new narrative, a bright idea, or a solution that addresses the pressing challenges of our time? Here is your chance to take the stage at Love Tomorrow 25!
?? Applications are open until the 21st of February
??Food for thought
Get a glimpse in what occupies the minds of our experts:
De realiteit is grimmig. Toch moeten we haar liefhebben - De aarde kán een rechtvaardige, vreedzame en warme plek zijn – maar de realiteit is vaak anders. Hoe hou je jezelf staande in een wereld die zoveel lelijker is dan waar we van dromen? [lees meer]
Rest as Resistance - How do you find rest in a capitalist, white supremacist, patriarchal, ableist system? Rest is essential to our long-term survival as individuals and a collective. Birthing a creative renaissance requires rest that isn’t reliant on productivity. [read more]
领英推荐
Invisible Architects: Rethinking Consultancy in Philanthropy's Ecosystem - We've seen that the philanthropic sector stands at a critical juncture. New approaches and strategic priorities such as trust-based and flexible funding, funder collaboratives and systems change require foundations also to rethink the way they harness the required expertise within the sector at an affordable cost and in a sustainable manner. [read more]
?? Imagine a world where governance evolves as naturally as ecosystems – adapting, connecting, and thriving through voluntary cooperation - This is the promise of Coordi-nations, a framework for glocal collaboration that transcends traditional boundaries. [read more]
Hydroloog Patrick Willems: ‘Nog altijd hoor je mensen de klimaatverandering ontkennen. Onbegrijpelijk’ - Volgens mij moet je richting 200 miljoen euro per jaar gaan, aangevuld met een waterzekerheidsfonds. Zodat er over verschillende regeringen heen een constant investeringsritme in waterbeheer wordt aangehouden. [lees meer]
Feit: met feiten over migratie overtuig je niemand. Zo vertel je wél een pakkend progressief migratieverhaal - Of je het nu wilt opnemen voor migranten, lhbti’ers of welke minderheid dan ook – een winnend verhaal houdt zich altijd aan dezelfde regels. [lees meer]
De afgehaakte kiezer is aangehaakter dan ooit (en meer verrassende inzichten in het stemgedrag van Nederlanders) - Wordt Nederland steeds rechtser? Is links onpopulair geworden door neoliberaal beleid? [read more]
As a system thinker, I am.. being authentic, looking for patterns, asking where am I in this, seeing the world through the eyes of others, acting with an attitude of love. [read more]
What is a business’s ‘enough’? ?? It’s a question that regenerative leaders and organizations need to sit with, as the lure of unfettered growth and profit are dangled by today’s dominant systems. [read more]
Life in the Mirrorworld - For decades, sociologists have dreamed of building accurate simulations of human societies. One of the first computational social simulations was called Sugarscape. It aimed to model the social dynamics that arise via competition for scarce resources. [read more]
Acompany gave 1,000 AI agents access to Minecraft — and they built a society - What happens when the world's greatest sandbox game is attached to the almost limitless power of AI? You get Project Sid, a brilliant experiment dreamed up by ex-MIT professor and neuroscientist Dr Robert Yang. [read more]
Philanthropy Awards, 2024 - Foundations have famously been called “society’s passing gear,” but it doesn’t feel that way lately. While we’ve covered plenty of exciting and hopeful moves by funders in the past 12 months, our overall sense is that philanthropy has hit a wall on many of the toughest problems confronting America and the world. [read more]
Supporting Society’s Bridge Builders - We are living in a period of human history rife with paradoxes: Societal challenges like climate change, economic inequality, and social injustice are deeply entrenched and getting worse. Our collective ability to respond to these challenges is increasing, but the problems continue to outpace available resources and solutions. [read more]
The "Universe 25" experiment is one of the most terrifying experiments in the history of science - The idea of "Universe 25" Came from the American scientist John Calhoun, who created an "ideal world" in which hundreds of mice would live and reproduce. [read more]
??Mark your calendars..
You might encounter some of us at following events:
January 22, 2025: Davos Mental Health Day - Switzerland Together, THE REAL and Convergence are crossing borders between the U.S. ????and Switzerland ????to emphasize one universal truth: mental health is a global issue that affects everyone. [more information]
February 6: Thriving Networks - online An 8-week online course that will help you take your collective, community or distributed organization to the next level and find support from peers to address common challenges around money, value and leadership. [more information]
April 6, 2025: PYM Impact Days - Amsterdam Since its inception in 2011, Impact Days has been the most impact-first focussed conference, setting it apart. Its unique feature is the balanced audience of private investors and impact entrepreneurs, making it a must-attend event for both parties. [more information]
April 24-26, 2025: Change Now - Paris At the midway point of the 2020-2030 decade for decisive climate action, and echoing the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, ChangeNOW 2025 gathers 1,000 groundbreaking solutions and visionary leaders in a spectacular showcase to accelerate the transition towards a sustainable world. [info and tickets]
April 23, 2025: United Leaders Summit - Paris After their tremendously successful 3rd Summit in the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam, B for Good Leaders is now preparing to organize a summit inside the Change Now Conference. [info and tickets]
March 13, 2025: Open Huis Delsart: vrouwelijk ondernemerschap - Leuven De voormiddag staat in het teken van korte talks: telkens in zeven minuten geeft een spreker een inspirerende kijk op wat vrouwelijk ondernemerschap is en kan zijn (we treden daarbij ook buiten de oevers van het “ondernemen door vrouwen”). In de namiddag diepen we samen uit hoe Huis Delsart een verwelkomende plek kan zijn voor dat vrouwelijk ondernemerschap (en meer): lokaal verankerd, maar ongezien. [info and tickets]
May 1-3, 2025: Fluisterfestival - Belgium The Fluisterfestival connects professionals in the field of female sensuality with women who are curious but hesitant to step into this world themselves. In a safe, joyful, and accessible setting, women can explore, share, and discover their own palette of sensuality and sexuality. Carefully curated, focused on pleasure and sisterhood. [info and tickets]
? June 5, 2025: Impact Into Play - Antwerp (invitation only)? In a haunted castle, deep under sea level or while recording an action movie: the brainstorm for the third edition of the Impact Into Play Day is wild. For now, make sure to block June 5th since you’ll want to be part of what the impact meets fun meets experience meets connection meets wonder event that We Are Impact Collective is preparing.
October 7-9, 2025: GIIN Impact Forum - Berlin The GIIN Impact Forum is a global impact investing event with unparalleled opportunities to learn from thought-provoking speakers, participate in interactive sessions and network with impact investing leaders from six continents. [info and tickets]
Help us compile this newsletter by sharing interesting impact news and events with us. We’d love to strengthen visibility of all things impact related: events, information, programmes, challenges,.. in Belgium or abroad. Make sure to reach out and let us know what content you’d like to see featured in the next Impact Explorer!
????Looking forward and beyond
As Antonio Gaudi said: ““There is no reason to regret that I cannot finish the church. I will grow old but others will come after me. What must always be conserved is the spirit of the work, but its life has to depend on the generations it is handed down to and with whom it lives and is incarnated.”
We're all about involving game changers and impact players with tranfsormative initiatives that generate durable impact. Here's to pushing boundaries, making informed choices, and shifting the mindset from competition to collaboration.
Onwards and Upwards!
The Team at We Are Impact Collective