Theme: Voyage

Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, “Life is a journey, not a Destination”. We all need to be reminded sometimes to have a healthy balance between doing and being, between planning and letting go, between producing results and going through the required processes. Life’s challenges often push us to become impatient and run from one destination to another. All the while, we forget to look around us for a friendly encounter, a helpless fellow, or an inspiring act of generosity. Small things that add an adventurous touch to our lives and enrich our path if we are open to them. When we take a step back and look at our own journeys, we put together seconds, minutes, years, and even decades. There is simply no reason to rush. From ancient Greek with Odyssey to modern times with The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, the focus lies on the journey, the experiences, and not the destination.

Grote Aula
26 Warmoesberg
Brussels, Bruxelles-Capitale, Région de (fr), Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest (nl), 1000
Belgium

Ben Marks

Campaigner + Impact Entrepreneur

Ben Marks is a campaigner, impact entrepreneur, and founder of the #WorkAnywhere Campaign, a global advocacy movement representing remote and hybrid workers. Ben is also the co-founder of the upcoming Future Workforce Alliance, an initiative bringing together politicians and sector leaders around an ambitious policy agenda for a more fair, healthy, and inclusive workforce. Through his work, he provides evidence of why the remote work revolution is actually a powerful social movement for global inclusion. A former Global Head of Innovation at CNN, Ben provides passionate and philosophical guidance to tackle the global well-being crisis. Fueled by his first-hand experience of mental ill health during the pandemic and his connections from the #WorkAnywhere Campaign, Ben wants to reveal what is truly at stake in the “remote vs. office” debate and share the stories of those affected.

Eva Champagne

Consultant + Master Health Coach

Eva Champagne is a visionary consultant and master health coach who has dedicated her career to helping individuals and organizations achieve optimal performance and well-being. Her personal motto, “People who feel well, do well”, reflects her belief that physical and emotional health is essential for success and happiness. She utilizes her background in coaching and her personal experience as a newcomer to the dating scene to tackle the superficial/time-consuming issue of dating app overload. Eva’s professional journey has taken her to different cultures and continents giving her unique perspectives on the importance of a holistic approach to health and happiness. Combining her expertise in consulting, her insights into human behavior, and the science of well-being, Eva opens up minds to the idea of a radically different approach when finding a life partner. One that challenges the status quo and offers a formula to achieve stability and love in a relationship: Conscious Coupling.

Gil Renders

Transformational/Leadership Coach + Theater Director

Gil Renders is the founder of Echte Leiders Dansen, a coaching agency guiding entrepreneurs, executives, and coaches on their path to transformational, authentic leadership. She combines her background as a Master's in literature and expertise in systemic constellation work, mindfulness, and connecting communication to address the paradigm in which powerful vulnerability and radical interconnectedness are replacing the old focus on profit and growth. Her work inspires us to look inward and stop running after things but rather allow what wants to manifest to come to us. Gil challenges our outdated worldview based on ratio over intuition and capitalism’s dominant emphasis on speed and results. She believes we hold a responsibility to look for a new story, where masculine yang qualities are brought in balance with feminine yin-competence in order to make a shift from thinking and living (in terms of separateness) to thinking and living (in terms of interconnectedness).

Gilles Denis

Professional Explorer/Travel Guide + Field Scientist + Entrepreneur in field of environmental/climate research

Gilles Dennis is an explorer, expedition guide, field scientist, and lecturer who has spent most of his life defining what it means to be a true explorer and discovering the responsibilities that come along with it in this era. Unlike the explorers of the past, Gilles believes modern-day exploration isn’t about conquering lands but about preserving them. Recently, Gilles completed the Nanok Expedition, an unprecedented five-month ski, sea kayak, and unassisted climbing expedition through Greenland at one of the most hostile corners of the globe. Gilles used the data from this expedition to communicate scientific environmental and climate results back to Belgium in hopes of creating awareness among the general public. His mission is to use his adventures in Greenland alongside his many experiences in the Arctic as a tool for a greener, cheaper, and more accessible field science to help preserve the lands of the world.

Koert Debeuf

Distinguished Adjunct Professor Middle East Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)

Koert Debeuf is a distinguished adjunct professor of Middle East at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and a senior political consultant at Avisa Partners. Through educating the youth and guiding a firm on economic intelligence, global advocacy, and cybersecurity, Koert’s influence has shaped and impacted the lives of both young and old. From 2016-2019, Koert was also the director of the Tahir Institute for Middle East Policy in Europe, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness of democratic transitions in the Middle East where he gained major insights into Middle East life and culture. A former editor-in-chief of the EUObserver, Koert has spent most of his life uncovering the hidden stories of the past and the present. His expertise in international politics and communications alongside his passion for Middle East history and culture allowed him to expose the greatest story of all, how the Renaissance actually originated in Baghdad.

Manon Brulard

Social Entrepreneur + Filmaker

Manon Brulard is the co-founder of “Welcome To My Garden” a social profit organization offering free camping spots in gardens for slow travelers. She has been at the forefront of fostering true social connections within a community that she helped create. As a traveler herself, Manon wants people to experience the hospitality and deep feeling of gratitude that she experienced during her year-long trip from Brussels to Tokyo. This is where she drew the inspiration of staying in a stranger’s garden. In just a few short years, Manon’s once small idea became a reality with “Welcome To My Graden” growing into a community of 32.000 slow travelers and hosts. Behind these numbers hide thousands of heartwarming stories that at their core are what we need most as humans; true social connections.

Steven Harageib

Youth developer specialist + Author + Social Worker + Former Pastor

Steven Harageib is a youth development specialist, author, social worker, and former pastor who has dedicated his career to advocating for youth, mental health, and gender-based violence issues in the development sector. As a co-founding member of the Young Achievers Empowerment Project, Steven has been at the forefront of providing inspiration and motivation for young people looking for their purpose in life. A former Director and Head of Programs in the Office of the First Lady of the Republic of Namibia, Steven spearheaded the #BeFree international youth movement that promotes non-judgmental dialogues. Through empathy, he wants to give a safe space for those who are misunderstood. He emphasizes the value of unfiltered conversations that often require us to confront our biases and prejudices and challenge our assumptions about the world. Steven believes only through these difficult conversations that we can truly grow the most.