Emile van der Staak is the founder and head chef of restaurant De Groene Winkel located in Nijmegen. Awarded with 2 Michellin Stars and 1 Green Star it is the worldwide frontrunner on plant-based foods and taste. Furthermore they have an in-house lab where they develop the most amazing new products and tastes. In November 2022 they were named the best vegetable restaurant in the world in early November 2022. With his unique view on cooking Emile is developing more than just a kitchen with his botanical gastronomy, it’s a philosophy.

Meet Tracye McQuirter, MPH, a visionary leader. She’s a vegan activist, best-selling author, award-winning public health nutritionist, international speaker, and vegan trailblazer. In January, Tracye was featured in the Netflix docuseries “You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment.” The New York Times has cited her work as a critical factor driving the rise in veganism among African Americans, the fastest-growing vegan demographic in the U.S. Tracye founded 10 Million Black Vegan Women and was an advisor for the Black Women’s Health Imperative and Spelman College. That’s all? Certainly not. Tracye co-created the free African American Vegan Starter Guide, with nearly 500,000 copies ordered. She directed the first federally funded vegan nutrition program in the U.S., the Vegetarian Society of DC Eat Smart program. She has received the Compassionate Vegan Living Award from Farm Sanctuary and was inducted into the U.S. Animal Rights Hall of Fame.

Let’s be real: a book closet without a book by Rutger Bregman is hard to find these days. As a historian and writer, Rutger gained international recognition with his bestseller Utopia for Realists (Gratis Geld Voor Iedereen). In early 2019, he delivered his viral speech at Davos, which had over 30 million views. His book Humankind (De Meeste Mensen Deugen) has been published in 46 languages, selling more than one and a half million copies worldwide. A documentary series and a Hollywood movie are still on the way. His new book, Moral Ambition - Stop Wasting Your Talent and Make Work of Your Ideals, will be released on 19 March 2024. In this book, Rutger argues that the biggest waste of our time is the waste of talent. He pleads for us to strive for a new kind of success.

Molecular biologist Daan Luining has beef with beef! In 2013, the world got its first taste of something groundbreaking – the cultured hamburger. And from the very start of the project, Daan was involved with actualizing this remarkable idea: cultivating meat. His journey led to the creation of Meatable. With this company, Daan is on a mission to make the production of cultured meat widely available, allowing us to feed the world without harming any animal. Will he change the way we consume meat forever?

Marieke Eyskoot, presenter and writer, has an incredibly natural way of connecting people. You might know her as the writer of ‘This is a Good Guide’ and we can promise you, she is equally as good a host. And, not coincidentally, she knows a thing or two (or twenty) about sustainability. For many years, Marieke has been campaigning for sustainable lifestyles and has written books for both kids and adults to help her in that mission. She has also been a presenter and host for NPO, Netflix, the Dutch Design Week, and NRC Media.

Tom Peeters is the co-founder and CEO of Crisp. While studying Business Administration in Amsterdam, Tom co-founded RestaurantWeek.nl, a platform with annual international success for fifteen years, making culinary experiences accessible to a broad audience. His career started in London as an M&A advisor, but the desire to create something of his own reignited within him. In 2012, he and his partners established Westwing Home & Living, a digital home and living store that went public on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in 2018. Later that year, he created app-only supermarket Crisp together with two of his best friends Eric Klaassen and Michiel Roodenburg. With a shared love for good food and a schedule that didn’t leave them much time to search for that, they built a more sustainable solution. Crisp: the shortest route to better food.

​​Andy Shovel is the co-founder & co-CEO of THIS™, the UK’s fastest-growing food brand making hyper-realistic plant-based meat alternatives. (And great news: they just became available in The Netherlands!) Andy oversees the creative side of THIS™, creating ridiculously clever innovation while driving brand awareness. Being born with an entrepreneurial spirit, Andy set up his first business in recruitment fresh out of university before he went on to found, run, and then move on from the successful burger business, Chosen Bun. Andy believes plant-based eating plays an essential role in changing our food system for the better. And he is here to offer you a taste of the future.

Dr. Roanne van Voorst is a futures-anthropologist, writer, columnist and president of the Dutch Future Society. Recently, she joined Next Nature, where she investigates how we can get closer - not further - to nature. She’s currently affiliated with the University of Amsterdam as an assistant professor. Roanne has conducted research worldwide — from Inuit villages in Greenland to Jakarta's slums, refugee camps in Greece, and Austrian brothels. You might also know her from her book ‘Once upon a time we ate animals’. As an ‘anthropologist of the future’, her core research focuses on what she has coined ‘sustainable humanity’. In times of robotification, digitisation and big-data lead decision-making, she tries to answer the big question: What makes us human? And how does society remain humane?

Since joining Cosun in 2021, Hans has led the organisation’s new strategy: Unlock25. With this strategy, Cosun aims for a structurally better financial return, establishment of a future-proof sustainable chain and strong, profitable growth in four core areas. Those include a portfolio transformation of plant-based and health-promoting ingredients. Before his position at Royal Cosun, Hans worked in various international executive leadership positions at DSM and dairy cooperative FrieslandCampina.

Marjolijn Niggebrugge is a dedicated leader in the plant-based food industry, currently leading the way plant-forward as Business Head of Garden Gourmet at Nestlé. Marjolijn has been part of Nestle for over 15 years in various commercial roles. It provided her with a unique understanding of marketing and sales, and an expertise in creating long-term commercial strategies and innovative marketing plans that drive growth and market leadership. Her distinctive focus on sustainable food sets her apart. Marjolijn dreams of offering nutritionally sound and delicious plant-based options to consumers everywhere. She finds her inspiration in exploring the plant-based kitchen in and out of home across Europe. In her talks, Marjolijn shares her findings on how to inspire consumers to embrace sustainable and nutritious food choices.

Romain Jolivet worked in sales, marketing & creative functions at Danone across the UK, France, Mexico, and Scandinavia, before becoming Global Marketing Director at Danone in 2020. And then he decided to do it all differently. Romain shifted his career and dedicated his talent (mostly a kind of sense of humor) to joining two plant-based entrepreneurs in creating La Vie from scratch. Two years later, La Vie is in the middle of a wild rollercoaster ride of internationalisation in Europe and beyond.

As a dairy farmer, representative of young farmers and sustainable agriculture consultant, Amber combines policy and practice. Talking AND doing. For her, that connection between the two is crucial when looking for the much-needed joint solutions. With a passion for the primary sector, she is researching and taking on the challenging issues that arise in the agro-food environment. Together with colleagues and clients, Amber works towards future-proof agriculture as part of a more sustainable food system.

Back in 2017, Adnan Oner discovered something no one else seemed to be focusing on: brewing food independently from agricultural land. Farmless is a world-first technology to ferment renewable energy into delicious food using full biomass fermentation, potentially becoming the most affordable protein source in the next decade while decoupling food production from agricultural land. And with a 4.8 million investment last year, Adnan is ready for take-off!

Can we predict the future? Chloé Rutzerveld tries every day. Being a visionary in the realm of food design, she creatively explores new ways of food production and consumption. Chloé translates multidisciplinary research into speculative future scenarios. Through prototypes and interactive installations, she helps others fathom both the desirable and undesirable ‘What if’ food futures. Beyond the work in her Food Design studio, Chloé serves as a curator, guest teacher, consultant, and inspirational speaker. In 2018, she authored ‘Food Futures’, and in 2019, she curated the innovative exhibition ‘Food of Tomorrow’ at the NEMO Science Museum in Amsterdam. From 2020 to 2022, Chloé held the role of curator at the Embassy of Food.

Jelle Beemsterboer (BBB) is the Regional Minister of the province of North Holland, overseeing Housing, Agriculture, Fisheries, Nitrogen Trade Systems, and the Provincial Rural Area Program (PPLG). Focussing on addressing the nitrogen issue, Jelle looks for solutions that connect agriculture and nature. A key priority on his agenda is the Protein Transition, including his search for local, efficient and sustainable food chains that provide a good income for farmers in North Holland.

Ama van Dantzig spends her time building bridges between seemingly different worlds, Africa and Europe. Her goal? Blending diverse perspectives to tackle global challenges like the climate crisis and inequality. With over a decade of experience in sustainability, she leads international initiatives such as facilitating the UNDP forest dialogues and the Obama Foundation, and supporting Leading Buzz Women in their scale-up on the African continent. Ama co-founded Dr. Monk, a social innovation agency addressing global issues, and remains involved through the Dr. Monk Foundation in Ghana. She also advises on committees, including Stimuleringsfonds for the creative industries. She’s a board member of Church of Climate Change, Impact Makers, Africadelic, and The Memphis Foundation. And that makes Ama one of the most dedicated figures in creating meaningful impact and fostering collaboration worldwide.

For Dutch arable farmers, one thing is clear: the protein transition is a central theme in shaping the future of our food. André Hoogendijk, General Director of BO Akkerbouw, delves into the topic in his compelling work 'Ruimte voor de Nieuwe Akker!'. As both an agriculturalist and historian, André brings a broad awareness that adds depth to his role as a trailblazer in the realm of arable farming.

Jeroen Willemsen is Lead Protein Shift at Foodvalley NL. In this position, he brings people and brands together and advises farmers, citizens, companies and politicians on smart ways to make the protein transition a success for everyone. On behalf of Foodvalley NL, he was also the initiator of the Bean Deal (part of the governments’ green deals) that was signed in the summer of 2022. He sees that the Netherlands is gradually moving towards a more plant-based future and is positive about knowledge and opportunities. “The Netherlands has a golden position as a protein country that we can use even better.”

Maartje kick-started her career in sales and marketing at de Librije***, then delved into pastry and gastronomy at Bijenkorf HQ conceptualising innovative food concepts and campaigns. After attending the Slow Food Youth Network (SFYN) Academy, she co-founded The Food Line-up in 2013, revolutionising event catering through sustainability. Leading the charge, she introduced groundbreaking concepts like Brasserie 2050 and DGTL’s Circular Foodcourt. The Food Line-up earned the first B-Corp certification for event caterers in Europe in 2020. Since 2021, Maartje has ventured into startups like Snack With Benefits and co-founded Plant FWD, driven by her commitment to sustainable impact in business.

Berno Strootman is a landscape architect and the founder of the Amsterdam-based landscape practice Strootman Landschapsarchitecten. With his team of roughly 20 people, he works on a wide range of assignments. From design research and strategy to development plans for both rural and urban areas on a national, regional, and local scale. That work has won several awards over the years. From 2016 to 2020, Berno was a Government Advisor for the Physical Environment, where he provided solicited (and unsolicited) advice to the National Government on spatial quality in relation to climate adaptation, energy transition, the forest strategy, increasing biodiversity, soil subsidence and the sustainability of agriculture. Additionally, Berno is a teacher, a judge at design competitions, a supervisor, a member of advisory committees and a board member of Natuurmonumenten. Yeah. We also get the feeling Berno has more hours in a day than we do.

Science helps us understand the world around us. At the same time, it’s what makes the world pretty incomprehensible. As a moderator, Desiree Hoving makes science-related events purposeful, interactive and understandable for all kinds of participants. She constantly finds parallels between different scientific disciplines, between theory and practice and between science and society. Her affinity with all things scientific started with her first job at the research institute TNO and Technical University Delft. After five years, she founded her own business and worked as a science journalist for ten years. Now, Desiree spends all her time demystifying science when moderating, hosting and leading discussions at business events.

Corné is the human embodiment of the sentence ‘We got the science to back it up’. As an ecological nutritionist, Dr.ir. Corné van Dooren has been part of Wildlife Fund Netherlands (WWF NL), researching systemic change in the food system that could cut the footprint of our consumption in half by 2030. Prior, he was a sustainable food expert at the Dutch Nutrition Centre (Voedingscentrum). Corné published studies on sustainable diets, dietary guidelines, food waste and the protein transition and wrote an award-winning paper on the sustainability and acceptability of the traditional Lowlands Diet in 2016. In 2022 he was, for the third time, listed in Food100 as one of the most influential food pioneers in the Netherlands.

Florine Kremer, researcher at Wageningen University and Research, is a pioneering force moving us plant-forward. With a Bachelor's degree in Consumer Behaviour and a Master's in Sustainable Food Consumption, she combines consultancy and academia to support and promote the protein transition. Her work ranges from creating the National Protein Monitor to assessing protein balance in the Dutch prison system. Besides being an advocate for plant-based proteins, Florine is researching more sustainable animal-based proteins and alternative proteins. As a panellist at Plant FWD 2024, she will offer insights into promoting plant-based foods in retail and food service, contributing to the ongoing dialogue on sustainable and healthy diets.

Meet Marcel van der Heijden, the visionary co-founder propelling the Plant FWD initiative forward. After spending more than a decade building digital advertising agencies and working on top 500 brands, Marcel co-founded the plant-based start-up Karma Kebab in 2020. Realising the importance and the impact of the protein transition for both consumers and our planet as a whole, Marcel co-founded Plant FWD together with Maartje Nelissen and Tom van Duijn in 2022. With a wealth of experience in developing and scaling companies, a passion for sustainability paired with a strong marketing background, Marcel ensures Plant FWD flourishes by crafting impactful branding and fostering partnerships to advance our mission.

Marloes van der Have, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at Sodexo, is a dynamic force in driving positive change. With a proven track record in sustainability and diversity projects, Marloes leads Sodexo's corporate responsibility program in the Netherlands, spearheading the #BetterTomorrow initiative. Drawing on diverse sectoral experience, including private, non-profit and governmental roles, she brings a unique perspective to the table. Through advisory, facilitation, and leadership roles, Marloes has made significant contributions to diversity and inclusion, climate action, responsible sourcing, and sustainable food solutions. Marloes has a passion for creating a better everyday. Not just within Sodexo, but in the broader community.

With his contagious enthusiasm, Rune-Christoffer Dragsdahl is the mastermind and strategic partner behind Denmark’s front-running plant-based policies and funds. Rune-Christoffer is the Secretary-General of the Vegetarian Society of Denmark, Regional Representative for Europe, and Director of Policy Initiatives at the International Vegetarian Union (IVU). He and his organisation brought several strategic initiatives to Denmark, paving the way for a landmark deal between the Government and Parliament, which resulted in almost 200 million euros earmarked for developing the plant-based foods sector from farm to fork. With the deal, Denmark promised to create a National Action Plan for Plant-Based Foods, which the Government launched in October 2023. Rune-Christoffer is also a Board Member of the Danish Government’s Plant-Based Food Grant and the Steering Committee of Plant2Food, a research and development initiative launched by the Novo Nordisk Foundation.

Lotte Sluiter is on a mission to make sure everyone on this earth has access to a healthy, affordable and sustainable meal. That's where the love of plants comes in! She is partner & program director of Plant FWD, and loves to set up good conversations that bring people's hearts and minds in places they haven't been. Furthermore she is on the advisory board of the Barth Misset Fund for the better welfare of livestock. She works freelance across the country as a moderator, researcher and content creator for live food events ranging from farmers, politicians and CEO's to NRC Media and De Voedselbank.

Rebekah Simmons, Sustainability Specialist at Lidl Netherlands, is committed to making sustainable food accessible and affordable to all. After working as a researcher in food sustainability, she joined the sustainability team of the third largest retailer of the Netherlands in 2021. At Lidl, Rebekah works on a wide range of sustainability themes, from human rights to the protein transition. Lidl has set the ambitious target of 60% plant-based protein sales in 2030. During Plant FWD 2024, Rebekah will give insights into Lidl’s journey towards a more plant-based future.

After completing a master’s degree in business economics, Marco had a successful career in banking and finance. But the lack of passion for that field of work led him to do a full gearshift. He founded a hotel group. Marco Lemmers started Conscious Hotels in 2009. Being a new father, he wanted to care for the planet for future generations. And he dove right in making hard-core sustainable choices for his hotel without losing its quirky style and fun. Conscious Hotels unites a unique design, personal connection, lots of humour, and leading sustainability standards all at once. In 2022, NIPA Capital got on board, and in 2023, Amsterdam-based Hotel V was added to the hotel group. Conscious Group will grow further, expanding to Europe in the upcoming years.

Growing up in Bladel, a small village in the south of the Netherlands, a young Renee van den Oetelaar dreamt of one day moving to Amsterdam and turning her (day)dreams into reality. After immersing herself in the creative world, she was able to specialise in social media, focusing on content creation and the use of new platforms. With that experience, she’s now head of Boomerang FT, an agency part of Publicis Groupe, which specialises in connecting brands and Gen Z. She knows what the hashtag is going on.

Sebastiaan is the co-founder and Strategy Director of Food Cabinet, a creative agency for good food – in every sense of the word. With over a decade of experience in food, marketing, and creative strategy, Sebastiaan is the go-to person for passionate brand managers, marketers, and entrepreneurs in the food industry eager to step up their game. As changing eating habits is one of the hardest things to do, Sebastiaan recommends a specialised approach. In collaboration with the Future of Food Institute, he developed Food Profiles, a tool for sharing consumer insights on food preferences and making them more easily applicable. Additionally, Sebastiaan serves as a board member of the Low Food Foundation and director of the Low Food Festival.

Can plants help us stay or get healthier? Economist, dietician and researcher Wendy Walrabenstein has been digging for the answer to that question. Undoubtedly one of the foremost voices in the field, Wendy researched the effect of plant-based nutrition, exercise, stress reduction, and sleep on those with rheumatic diseases during her groundbreaking PhD research. The results? Highly promising! Besides her study, Wendy is a strategic advisor and sparring partner for organisations that want to create impact. At the same time, she works as a director for several organisations that are close to her heart.

Tobias Leenaert is strategic, effective altruist as he identifies himself. He’s also one of the founders of ProVeg, and he wrote :How to Create a Vegan World: a Pragmatic Approach" (Lantern Press, 2017), which has been published in twelve languages. He really thinks about the best ways to achieve a compassionate society. Tobias thinks about strategy and gives presentations world-wide about the plant based movement and about vegan advocacy, both to companies and to activists.

Esther Lagendijk has been at the forefront of food innovation in Amsterdam Noord for decades. (And she isn’t about to stop.) First, as the director of a cultural festival. Now as the district executive for the City of Amsterdam (North). After being appointed for the latter in 2022, Esther has been responsible for everything food-related in the city, while she also furthered the implementation of Kate Raworth’s doughnut (circular economy). As a GroenLinks politician, she is committed to the protein transition and everything else within the realm of sustainability. Her strengths lie in connecting people from various disciplines and harmonizing their strengths. Whenever she can, Esther aims to make our beautiful city even brighter and greener.

Meet Tom van Duijn, co-founder of Plant FWD. He thrives on forging new partnerships with companies committed to building a Plant Forward future. With a background in retail, business development, and consultancy, Tom navigates the complexities of creating a sustainable food system with creativity and determination.

Wouter Staal, the founder and CEO of the impact-driven organization YB (formerly known as Yoghurt Barn), is a dedicated sustainability strategist. Through his recently founded venture, Climates, he helps organizations in becoming more sustainable businesses. As ‘making an impact’ is his greatest driving force, Wouter knows all about the ups and downs of conscious entrepreneurship. During his interactive talks, he shares all about his successes and the major mistakes to teach others about initiating behavioural change.

Iris Schimmel has been serving as the new location director of Bidfood Amsterdam since December 2023. After graduating from Hotelschool The Hague, Campus Amsterdam, she spent the initial years of her career in the hotel industry before transitioning with enthusiasm to the wholesale sector. With a background in sales, she now oversees the crossdock facility at Bidfood Amsterdam.

​​Lisette Weustenenk is an advocate and national coordinator for the Plant Based Treaty campaign, dedicated to catalyzing the shift towards a more sustainable and compassionate food system. Committed to environmental sustainability and animal welfare, Lisette sees (and promotes) plant-based diets as a crucial solution to mitigate climate change and protect biodiversity. Through strategic planning, coalition building, and advocacy efforts, she aims to influence policymakers, businesses, and communities worldwide. Lisette's ambitions stem from her belief in the interconnectedness of human, animal, and planetary well-being. Through her advocacy work, she strives to inspire us, others and organizations to embrace plant-based alternatives, paving the way for a harmonious future for all.

Gustaaf Haan studied Logic and Philosophy in Amsterdam. He works at Questionmark, a think tank dedicated to a healthy and sustainable food system. Questionmark gives unsolicited advice to power holders in the food system and inspires them to take ever bigger steps forward. One of Questionmark's most impactful projects is Superlist, a comparative assessment of supermarkets and their contribution to sustainable food. A major indicator in this assessment is the extent to which supermarkets reduce the sales of meat.

Living a long and healthy life; It’s what most of us dream of, right? You might not know it, but Patrick Deckers helps us do so. With Caring Doctors, a fast-growing NGO, Patrick and other healthcare professionals support hospitals and universities in moving towards a plant-based food system as a default. A mainly plant-based food system has proven to reduce (preventable) noncommunicable diseases like obesity, heart conditions, diabetes type 2, cancer, and joint diseases. While creating a healthier world as well.

Meet chef and entrepreneur Pepijn Schmeink! He is on a mission to get all Dutchies to eat a different but great plate of food. This Rotterdam-based plant-based entrepreneur has been pioneering in plants for ages. (Long before we even considered oat milk in our coffee.) He’s an ambassador for “Het Nieuwe Nassen”, and you can find him advising with hands, head and tastebuds. You might know Schmeink from the restaurant Jack Bean of Thirteen in Rotterdam. He recently opened catering service Eendracht. His ambition? Making an impact and rolling out Eendracht as a sustainable chain, serving plant-based dishes made from ingredients of regenerative and local farmers.

As the Nutrition & Health Expert of ProVeg Netherlands, Martine van Haperen delves into the latest developments in plant-based food daily. With her academic background, hands-on insights, and broad knowledge of the plant-based market, she revolutionizes our food system—making it more sustainable, healthier, and animal-friendly. Her innovative approach to promoting plant-based options made her a force in accelerating the protein transition. Martine has supported dozens of companies and organizations successfully expanding their plant-based range.

Durk has a crystal clear mantra: better consumer understanding leads to more successful innovation and more effective communication. That’s why he founded Future of Food Institute 5 years ago, the only market research agency specialised in sustainable food. Since then he has helped many sustainable food brands with invaluable insights into what consumers choose and why they choose it.