Born in the Netherlands and raised in Canada, I developed my love for the outdoors and my commitment to conserving nature from a young age. Reading works by trailblazing urbanists Jane Jacobs and James Howard Kunstler as a teenager, I questioned the imbalance between nature and the encroaching urban sprawl I saw around me in suburban Canada.
As an ecological engineer, driven by a love for ecology and a fascination with technology, I research, develop, and bring to market emerging technologies to build better communities for people and nature. A concept I call the “Internet of Nature” (IoN).
The IoN is now a global movement of courageous practitioners who are leveraging emerging technologies to build nature-rich communities. My podcast, Internet of Nature Podcast, with over 25K downloads, showcases the incredible work of these entrepreneurs and innovators.
Nature for everyone
Photo credit: Roger Cremers for National Geographic
With over a decade of experience in academia across four continents, scientific research is squarely in my wheelhouse. But my research combined with my years working at—and building my own—tech start-ups is where I stand out. I now deliver keynotes, moderate global events, disseminate knowledge, and launch products at the nexus of nature, people, and technology.
My work has been featured in documentaries produced by BBC Earth and arte.tv; on multiple British, Irish, and Dutch radio shows; and in several print publications, including Newsweek, ELLE, and National Geographic, in which my Ph.D. research at was the subject of a five-page feature.
I have been the recipient of both academic and entrepreneurial awards, including a Fulbright scholarship for a fellowship at MIT Senseable City Lab, where I still hold a research affiliation; inclusion on the Sustainable Top 100 list of young Dutch entrepreneurs for three consecutive years in a row (the maximum allowed); and the European Space Agency’s top prize, a “Space Oscar,” for my work on individual tree crown delineation to combat urban deforestation. Forbes and Elsevier selected me for their respective “30 under 30” lists.
Clients, colleagues, and friends value my ability to take ownership of the results. I like to think this ability, combined with my honesty, empathy, and ingenuity, is what makes me a leader capable of successfully leading teams to accomplish a shared mission.
I am excited about the path I'm on, researching and building knowledge to “take nature online” and I take great pride in the fact that my head is in science, but my heart is in communicating. I look forward to translating academic and technological discoveries into public information across different media.
In 2024 I was named a National Geographic Explorer, researching how growing cities across Latin America are plugging into the Internet of Nature. My debut book, The Nature of Our Cities: Harnessing the Power of the Natural World to Survive a Changing Planet, will be published by HarperCollins on June 18, 2024. You can now pre-order the book here.
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