The Next Economy: Netherlands Bios


Sustainable Hudson Valley's delegation from the Netherlands,
October 8 - 11, 2009 

Huib van Santen
Yvonne Bleize
Thea Groeneveld
Roel Geuzinge
Huib van Santen is manager of VAZO, the Business Association Amsterdam South East. A meeting place for companies in The Amsterdam Amstel Area: a modern, multi functional and lively business center, with headquarters of Delta Lloyd, Cisco and ING.   VAZO looks after the interests of 475 member-companies, with about 42.000 jobs. VAZO is also a network organization and participates in all kind of consultative body's and committees for the welfare of the members.

VAZO and the Chamber of Commerce of Amsterdam greet the principles of Cradle to Cradle as a motor for innovation and as guideline for the realization of a sustainable, productive, economic future. Yvonne Bleize, MCC - director Cartesius Institute. With her background in strategic communications and experience in politics, Yvonne transformed the institute in the direction of Transition Management. She works with Derk Luik, MSc - consultant Cartesius Institute a.i.,  who has a background in Industrial Organization. Together, they form a multidisciplinary team working on complex innovation- and transition issues. 

The Cartesius Institute is the Institute for Innovation and Transition of the Dutch Technical Universities.   The institute researches and develops new products and services in the area of Energy- and Watertransition. The institute offers research, expertise and knowledge to creative entrepreneurs, policymakers and social organizations. The goal is to foster economic development and to stimulate social profit as well.   The Cartesius Institute is established in the North of the Netherlands because of the ambitions of the provincial board joined with the headstrong innovation power of the Frisian entrepreneurs, which offers a wonderful breeding ground for applied scientific research. Beside this, the Northern provinces offer a great natural laboratory; the ambitions to strike new energy and to make this actually applicable are to us prior conditions to start new projects.   

Roel Geuzinge and Thea Groeneveld are owners of Geuzinge & Groeneveld in The Netherlands. Together with their two daughters and son in law they are family first in business. They advise, coach, train, publish and do project management for large scale organizational development programs.  They develop their own methods and models like Sustainable Development.    Their goal is to be the partner for The Amstel and Hudson Valley Sustainable Network and Platform.