Nature^Squared is committed to creating a truly sustainable Planet Earth on which people, companies, and societies prosper. According to us, nature is the starting point to reach that goal and biodiversity is the engine behind a planet that can provide for our needs.
Nature^Squared is guided by the idea that the way we look at nature is fundamentally wrong. Nature is often seen as an expense and cost-base. The idea that a choice should be made between nature and economy prevails. We believe that nature is essential for us, humans, and that our ecosystems represent a tremendous wealth, both ecologically and economically.
We have summarised our vision of the value of nature in a short video.
And the best
is just about to happen!
In order to arrive at a green economy, we need to join forces. We are an active member of leading network organizations, such as the Natural Capital Coalition (technical advisor), Ecosystem Services Partnership, Businesss@Biodiversity, and MVO Nederland. We already have a lot of knowledge and experience in-house, but we can only accelerate if we learn from each other and work together.
A real system thinker, Daan acts as a ‘spider in the web’. Founded Nature^Squared in 2012 together with Erwin, because he is convinced that nature...
Read MoreAnalyst and connector. Iris works on achieving a just and inclusive world and views sustainable agriculture as the crucial link. After her degree on Social...
Read MoreAssociative and results-oriented. Toms power in organising and collaborating. After a career in business and IT, he turned things around to actively aid the effort...
Read MoreGo-getter and questioner. Merlissa’s ambition is to make environmental policy work for the people and nature at the same time. With a broad background in...
Read MoreEngaged and enterprising. Jorien feels that there is a lot to gain in the way that we use natural capital. After her master's in Political...
Read MoreAfter working for two years at Verstegen Spices & Sauces as an international project manager on regenerative agriculture and as strategic impact manager, Tom Kools...
Read MoreInquisitive and analytical. Eli believes that greening the financial sector is essential in creating a sustainable future. At Nature^Squared, Eli is focusing on the linkages...
Read MoreCurious and engaged. Boje has a special interest in the relationship between humans and their environment and believes in the value of interdisplinary and intercultural...
Read MoreDetermined and curious. Kayleigh believes that in order to regenerate nature, we have to empower people and communities too. A systems thinker with a BA...
Read MoreDynamic and open-minded. Trained in environmental economics, and, having recently graduated from a Masters in Environment and resource management, Che works as an intern developing...
Read MoreA real system thinker, Daan acts as a ‘spider in the web’. Founded Nature^Squared in 2012 together with Erwin, because he is convinced that nature restoration is part of the solution for almost all of the major challenges we are currently facing: climate change, inequality, health, and migration. Daan regularly acts as moderator/facilitator and workshop leader. He was acknowledged as one of the most influential sustainability professionals of The Netherlands, being included on the Sustainable 100, as well as on the Food100 (2017), Young Sustainable 100 (2018, 2017, 2014), and was nominated for the VHG Green Award on Sustainable Tuesday on behalf of Nature^Squared. Daan is professor ‘Innovative Entrepreneurship in Rural Areas’ at the HAS University of Applied Sciences since 2017 and together with Erwin, he published the book ‘Earning a good living with Nature’ (only in Dutch). Daan graduated cum laude as a political scientist with a specialization on International Relations and started his first job at Deloitte (2005-2009).
Contact me NowAnalyst and connector. Iris works on achieving a just and inclusive world and views sustainable agriculture as the crucial link. After her degree on Social Geography (University of Copenhagen), she started working at Nature^Squared. As befits a true geographer, she easily switches between different scale levels and knows how to combine economic, environmental and social questions. Iris brings valuable international experience and mainly works on delivering projects for our corporate clients, with a specific focus on the transformation of supply chains.
Contact me NowAssociative and results-oriented. Toms power in organising and collaborating. After a career in business and IT, he turned things around to actively aid the effort for biodiversity. A lot of global problems arise from the way that we use our nature: it's time to change! At Nature^Squared, Tom works on a diverse group of projects, from valuing ecosystem services to researching innovations for wildlife management.
Contact me NowGo-getter and questioner. Merlissa’s ambition is to make environmental policy work for the people and nature at the same time. With a broad background in environmental economics and policy and her analytisch outlook, she is capable of addressing complex issues from multiple angles. At Nature^Squared, she works on developing sustainable business cases for nature-inclusive agriculture and monetising ecosystem services.
Contact me NowAfter working for two years at Verstegen Spices & Sauces as an international project manager on regenerative agriculture and as strategic impact manager, Tom Kools has rejoined forces with Nature^Squared. Tom worked previously at Nature^Squared and has vast experience on biodiversity and business and on the topic of ecosystem valuation. He will focus on biodiversity strategy's for businesses and green building. Tom loves all things Latin America, sports and tries to meditate on a daily basis.
Contact me NowInquisitive and analytical. Eli believes that greening the financial sector is essential in creating a sustainable future. At Nature^Squared, Eli is focusing on the linkages between biodiversity and finance. She has a background in Environmental Resource Management, Political Science and Environmental Governance. With this broad toolkit, she works on projects related to business cases for Forest Landscape Restoration and platforms for biodiversity and finance.
Contact me NowCurious and engaged. Boje has a special interest in the relationship between humans and their environment and believes in the value of interdisplinary and intercultural cooperation. At Nature^Squared, Boje works as an intern to stem the tide of biodiversity loss by mapping the value of nature. Boje strives for the recognition of the intrinsic value of nature but also sees the added value of employing ecosystem services valuation in bringing about the necessary systemic changes in the relationship between humans and the environment.
Contact me NowDetermined and curious. Kayleigh believes that in order to regenerate nature, we have to empower people and communities too. A systems thinker with a BA in Geography and Political Science and a MSc in Sustainable Development, Kayleigh aims to apply her analytical skills towards protecting both nature and human rights. As an intern at Nature^Squared, she works on educational materials for businesses to help them measure their impact on Social & Human capital. Her interests include social innovation and the role of new (and old!) technologies in advancing sustainable development.
Contact me NowDynamic and open-minded. Trained in environmental economics, and, having recently graduated from a Masters in Environment and resource management, Che works as an intern developing the landscape restoration tool Greener.LAND and, is a helping hand on other projects at Nature squared. With a truly multicultural background, Che has a capacity for making sense of different ideas, perspectives, and values. He strives to understand what unites us beyond our differences, recognizing that our interdependence with the natural world is one such thing. Che has a particular interest in the economics and ecology of socio-ecological systems (where people and nature meet).
Contact me NowWe currently have an internship opportunity for Master’s students:
Internship Landscape Restoration – Greener.LAND
Aside from our vacancies, we are always open to accommodate ambitious students looking for an internship opportunity. This can be on one of the topics below, but we are also interested in hearing your ideas! Interested? Then please get in touch!
