reviews
“Solving problems isn’t just about logic, it’s about perspective. By balancing fact with feeling, this program ensures our solutions carry a human resonance that words alone can’t capture.”
Ingrid van de Pol
achmea
“One of the biggest things I learned from the program is how powerful personal experiences can be, in creating meaningful ideas and impact. The program challenged me to think bigger, collaborate differently and translate empathy into concrete opportunities for wellbeing.
The program taught me that innovation starts with truly understanding people and their needs. I also learned how valuable it is to work with people from different background and perspectives to turn ideas into something real.”
Aida Musakadi
achmea
“Beyond building AMA Dynamic, this experience pushed us outside our comfort zone. From podcasts and panel discussions to presentations and even a theatre performance, we explored different ways of communicating ideas and learned how important storytelling is in creating engagement and momentum.
The programme showed us that innovation and social impact is not something you build alone. Coaching, partnerships, validation, visibility, and the right ecosystem around an idea are all needed to bring a startup to life. This experience not only gave us a practical framework to work with, but it also gave us access to an ecosystem and community that we can continue to learn from in our own entrepreneurial journeys.”
Marcel Venema
achmea
“One of the most valuable moments in my learning journey was the expert session. It helped us realise that although overweight is a major societal issue, creating real impact means starting with a focused target group. The session guided us from diverging to converging by focusing first on healthcare employees as our primary impact group.”
pim van der heijden
achmea
“During one of the Academy sessions in Utrecht, Michel Scholte challenged us to think how solutions could practically reach our target groups. That shift in perspective helped us in our decision-making process.”
marcel venema
achmea
“The most valuable insight I gained is the importance of being bold. I learned to speak up and stand my ground for our team’s vision. This program showed me that impact truly begins the moment you dare to use your voice.
A standout moment for me, was realizing the power of our diverse network. Hearing insights from different types of people from different organizations made of us a unique team. I found it very inspiring that, despite our different backgrounds, everyone was so open and genuinely willing to reach our common goal and back each other up when necessary.”
Isabelle Galofaro
team HDN
“What I especially appreciated about this program were the conversations we had with experts and stakeholders. It was inspiring to see that when you work on a socially relevant topic, people become genuinely enthusiastic and willing to contribute and help. That sense of involvement and shared motivation gave the program even more value to me.”
Bas Braunius
team HDN
“The most valuable lesson I learned, was that when you reach out to people that are really engaged in a subject, they tend to respond and appreciate your interest, even if you don’t know them.
The program really pushed me to step outside my comfort zone. As a result, I had some great conversations and got to know colleagues I wouldn’t normally interact with. I had these positive experiences not only within my organization but also outside of it. For example, when scheduling interviews, we were able to arrange one with everyone we approached—even with a government liaison who has a very busy schedule.
harmen schot
team HDN
“I learned to embrace the ‘messiness’ of the creative process. Building our business case from scratch, taught me that you don’t need all the answers at the start. Skills that it taught me were staying flexible, being open to feedback, and being able to shift our plan/strategy when things got though.”
kiki puijk
team HDN
What I learned? Go out of your comfort zone, trust the process and enjoy the journey!”
Mariam Chamoun
philips
“I learned to trust the process and keep moving. In the end you will look back and realize that every little step you took, every mountain you climbed and every low you got through – it all made sense and brought you somewhere.
It was incredibly inspiring and fruitful to sit down with industry experts to work on our case together. It made us feel like we can really reach for our dreams.
And working on a personal social media campaign – including recording a podcast – was something that made me step out of my comfort zone. I am so glad I leaned into it, it was an incredibly rewarding experience.”
diana müller
philips
“Sustainability isn’t about fixing what’s broken — it’s about designing what never becomes waste. Repairability is not the destination; it’s one loop in the greater circle. We should not focus solely on repairability, instead we should start engineering circularity by design.”
Juan Carlos Wang Zhao
philips
“The biggest lesson for me was stepping outside my comfort zone. Especially the theatre performance pushed me further than I expected, and looking back, that’s exactly where the real growth happened.
Also the podcast session stood out for me. It was the moment where we could really tell our story the way we wanted to, and honestly, I just loved the whole experience. It felt natural, which I didn’t expect.
What I appreciated most was the honesty. Not just the encouragement, but also the moments where people told us straight up when something wasn’t quite right yet. That kind of feedback is rare, and it made us better.”
raoul brouwer
Grant Thornton
“The expert session was a really valuable moment in our learning journey. It allowed us to talk directly with people our business case is actually meant for. Through these conversations, we gained valuable insights into the challenges faced by female entrepreneurs and investors, and we discussed the kinds of questions they encounter in practice.
These insights helped us further shape and adjust our business case to real-life needs, strengthening both its feasibility and potential impact. We also stayed in touch with the experts throughout the process and reached out to them at later stages to validate our developments. Looking ahead, we’re confident this connection will continue – and who knows, they might even become some of our first clients.”
Iris Theunis
Grant Thornton
“What stood out to me was the enthusiasm from everyone we pitched our impact-idea to, within Grant Thornton. People were genuinely interested, gave positive feedback and actually saw the potential in what we were doing. That kind of support from your own organisation is something you don’t take for granted.”