Our Team
Mirjam Koornneef
CEO
In a world where diversity and inclusion are becoming increasingly important, Mirjam Koornneef stands out as a practical bridge-builder, speaking not only from theory but especially from her rich experience "with her feet in the mud." In her inspiring lecture, Mirjam takes us on a journey through the reality of people with hearing or visual impairments, and the surprising insights she offers can fundamentally change our perspective on work and society.
Where to start?
Mirjam begins her story with a powerful opening that makes inclusion immediately tangible for the audience. This moment serves as a bridge to the realization that in the Netherlands alone, millions of people with disabilities live, many of whom are unnecessarily sidelined in the job market. She introduces us to the harsh reality: a significant portion of people with disabilities are unemployed, not because of a lack of talent, but due to a lack of inclusive opportunities.
Where to start?
Mirjam begins her story with a powerful opening that makes inclusion immediately tangible for the audience. This moment serves as a bridge to the realization that in the Netherlands alone, millions of people with disabilities live, many of whom are unnecessarily sidelined in the job market. She introduces us to the harsh reality: a significant portion of people with disabilities are unemployed, not because of a lack of talent, but due to a lack of inclusive opportunities.
In practice
Yet, Mirjam's message is one of hope and action. She reveals how diversity and inclusion are not only morally right, but also demonstrably lead to higher revenues, more innovation, and greater satisfaction in the workplace. With compelling data and personal stories, she illustrates how inclusive practices such as fair recruitment and adapted work processes truly make a difference.
Engaged
Her personal commitment is underscored by the development of inclusive projects such as city tours led by guides with disabilities. Awareness of inclusion starts with our children, which is why Mirjam created a children's book about diversity. These initiatives demonstrate that change begins with awareness and education from an early age.
The challenge
Mirjam challenges her audience to look beyond traditional quotas and percentages and truly consider what inclusion means. She urges us to recognize the unique value that people with disabilities can bring to the workplace and to act from a deeper motivation than merely meeting standards.
The chances
In this call to action, Mirjam emphasizes that true inclusion begins with individual choices and actions. She invites her audience to seize the opportunities that inclusivity offers, not just as a moral obligation but as a strategic advantage. With a blend of personal anecdotes, hard facts, and inspiring examples, Mirjam makes it clear that everyone has the power to create a more inclusive world. Her message is clear: dare to look differently, dare to act, and discover the untapped possibilities that inclusivity brings.
Marco - The power of conversation
Recruiter
Since January, Marco has been happily working on guiding job applicants. His biggest motivation? Real connection with people. He enjoys those moments when there’s a click — a good conversation where someone feels truly heard.
Marco sees his blindness as a strength: he doesn’t judge people by how they look, but by what they say and who they are. Bias plays no role — he focuses on talent and potential.
Marco feels proud when his conversations lead to a successful match and someone finds the right place. His work is all about meaningful connection and helping build a more inclusive job market. That’s what truly gives him energy!
Marianne – Kracht van echt luisteren
Recruiter
Marianne’s superpower? Listening. Truly listening.
In her work, it’s all about conversations with candidates, and she gets energy from those moments when she talks to someone and thinks: This person would be a perfect fit for that job! For her, it’s a big success when someone not only gets a chance, but simply feels heard. She knows how valuable it is to be invited for a conversation — especially in a world where many people get rejected without ever being heard.
What motivates her every day is taking action — helping people move forward and contributing to something meaningful. Her colleagues and the conversations with them also bring her joy at work. Marianne is proud of her phone skills: one-on-one conversations suit her better than group talks, partly because of her visual impairment. But in the end, it’s all about being open to people and truly listening. That’s what makes her work so meaningful.
What motivates her every day is taking action — helping people move forward and contributing to something meaningful. Her colleagues and the conversations with them also bring her joy at work. Marianne is proud of her phone skills: one-on-one conversations suit her better than group talks, partly because of her visual impairment. But in the end, it’s all about being open to people and truly listening. That’s what makes her work so meaningful.
Marian - Connecter with real interest
Recruiter
For Marian, work is all about connection. She gets the most energy when she’s truly in contact with people — face-to-face conversations where she meets candidates and explores opportunities together.
While phone calls can lead to nice conversations, she prefers personal contact. Her biggest motivation? Being able to make a difference for others and contribute in a meaningful way.
What makes Marian happy at work is collaboration. She’s open to others, shows genuine interest, and finds it important to truly listen. That doesn’t just make her a great colleague — it also makes her a strong conversation partner for both candidates and companies. Her superpower? A deep interest in people, which allows her to support them in an honest and caring way.
What makes Marian happy at work is collaboration. She’s open to others, shows genuine interest, and finds it important to truly listen. That doesn’t just make her a great colleague — it also makes her a strong conversation partner for both candidates and companies. Her superpower? A deep interest in people, which allows her to support them in an honest and caring way.
Thirza – Creatieve kracht met een missie
Graphic designer
For Thirza, creativity is key. She gets the most energy from projects where she can think outside the box — like designing a game for a children’s book about inclusion.
Her superpower? Her creative perspective, shaped in part by her autism. She thinks differently, sees new angles, and uses her talents to bring meaningful projects to life.
What drives her is the feeling that she’s contributing something good to society. Although she’s not a recruiter, she supports others on their way to work through her designs and help with projects. She knows how hard it can be to wait for a chance and feels deeply connected to the company’s mission. This is Thirza’s very first job — and yet it already feels like home. She once doubted whether her studies would lead to a place in the job market, but now she knows she’s exactly where she belongs. “I waited a long time, but it was worth it. This is meant to be.”
What drives her is the feeling that she’s contributing something good to society. Although she’s not a recruiter, she supports others on their way to work through her designs and help with projects. She knows how hard it can be to wait for a chance and feels deeply connected to the company’s mission. This is Thirza’s very first job — and yet it already feels like home. She once doubted whether her studies would lead to a place in the job market, but now she knows she’s exactly where she belongs. “I waited a long time, but it was worth it. This is meant to be.”
Urvashi – De strategische matchmaker
Recruiter
For Urvashi, finding the perfect candidate for a job is the ultimate source of energy. The satisfaction of making both the candidate and the client happy motivates her to keep getting better at what she does.
She actively takes in feedback and continues to grow — always with the goal of making even more impact.
Wat haar trots maakt, is niet alleen het leren van nieuwe software en tools, maar vooral de groei in haar netwerk en de kansen om anderen te ontmoeten tijdens evenementen en conferenties. Dit helpt haar om nog beter in haar vak te worden en waardevolle connecties te leggen.
Outside of work, Urvashi finds happiness in nature, with animals, and through mindfulness. Yoga, meditation, and even stargazing help her stay balanced and recharge her energy.
Her superpower? Strong strategic and technical knowledge. Thanks to her expertise in IT recruitment, she feels confident in finding the right candidates and making the perfect match. This gives her strength and sets her apart as a true specialist in her field.
Wat haar trots maakt, is niet alleen het leren van nieuwe software en tools, maar vooral de groei in haar netwerk en de kansen om anderen te ontmoeten tijdens evenementen en conferenties. Dit helpt haar om nog beter in haar vak te worden en waardevolle connecties te leggen.
Outside of work, Urvashi finds happiness in nature, with animals, and through mindfulness. Yoga, meditation, and even stargazing help her stay balanced and recharge her energy.
Her superpower? Strong strategic and technical knowledge. Thanks to her expertise in IT recruitment, she feels confident in finding the right candidates and making the perfect match. This gives her strength and sets her apart as a true specialist in her field.
Nico – The Structured Go-Getter
Recruiter
For Nico, the energy in his work comes from the moments when a candidate he found actually gets invited for an interview with a client. That gives him a boost to keep going, even though hearing “no” is sometimes part of the job.
Still, he stays grounded: it’s work, and there are more important things in life.
What motivates him every day is mainly working together in a small and close-knit team. His background is in a different field, but that’s exactly what makes the work interesting. It’s new, challenging, and something he truly enjoys.
Outside of work, Nico finds happiness in many different things, depending on his mood. He recently had a special moment with his daughter when they went to a concert together. He discovered that she has a passion for live music, and decided to take her to see a band he himself really wanted to experience. It was a spontaneous evening that truly made him happy.
In the workplace, Nico sees his superpower as his strong ability to concentrate. While true multitasking doesn’t really exist, he knows how to organize and prioritize multiple tasks at once. He can focus well and work efficiently without losing track.
His experience in an inclusive work environment has been very positive. He fully supports the goal of creating more inclusivity — whether it’s about gender equality in top positions or opportunities for people with disabilities. He finds it meaningful to contribute to this and truly feels like part of the team.
What motivates him every day is mainly working together in a small and close-knit team. His background is in a different field, but that’s exactly what makes the work interesting. It’s new, challenging, and something he truly enjoys.
Outside of work, Nico finds happiness in many different things, depending on his mood. He recently had a special moment with his daughter when they went to a concert together. He discovered that she has a passion for live music, and decided to take her to see a band he himself really wanted to experience. It was a spontaneous evening that truly made him happy.
In the workplace, Nico sees his superpower as his strong ability to concentrate. While true multitasking doesn’t really exist, he knows how to organize and prioritize multiple tasks at once. He can focus well and work efficiently without losing track.
His experience in an inclusive work environment has been very positive. He fully supports the goal of creating more inclusivity — whether it’s about gender equality in top positions or opportunities for people with disabilities. He finds it meaningful to contribute to this and truly feels like part of the team.
Jonna – De creatieve verbinder
Recruiter
For Jonna, the energy in her work mainly comes from being part of an organization that focuses on inclusivity and gives space to people with a distance to the job market. She finds it special to see how people do the same work in their own way — and how they grow in it.
She also gets a lot of satisfaction from contributing to the growth of the organization: building networks, taking the business to the next level, and raising awareness about inclusion in the workplace.
Jonna still sees many companies that are hesitant to hire people with disabilities, and she sees it as a meaningful challenge to help change that perspective.
What makes her work meaningful is exactly that combination of growth and impact. She finds it valuable to strengthen the organization step by step, while also creating broader change in the Netherlands. Her work doesn’t just help the organization — it also creates more opportunities for people who would otherwise have a harder time finding a job. This makes her work feel much fuller and more purposeful than, for example, a typical part-time job.
Outside of work, Jonna enjoys being creative and thinking outside the box. She loves coming up with new ideas and gets all the space she needs to do this in her job. Strict rules and little room to explore would demotivate her, so she’s glad she can fully use her creativity here. For example, she worked on creating a survey for partner organizations to better understand their needs and experiences, and also helped develop a slogan for the organization. She sees possibilities everywhere and finds it important to think in terms of opportunities, not limitations.
Her superpower in the workplace is her creativity, but also her ability to connect people. She enjoys meeting new people and building relationships. While she works well online, she finds face-to-face contact especially valuable. She’s also strong in planning and organizing — making lists and structuring things comes naturally to her. She applies her experience with university consulting projects to her work as well, thinking strategically about the organization’s growth and development.
What makes her work meaningful is exactly that combination of growth and impact. She finds it valuable to strengthen the organization step by step, while also creating broader change in the Netherlands. Her work doesn’t just help the organization — it also creates more opportunities for people who would otherwise have a harder time finding a job. This makes her work feel much fuller and more purposeful than, for example, a typical part-time job.
Outside of work, Jonna enjoys being creative and thinking outside the box. She loves coming up with new ideas and gets all the space she needs to do this in her job. Strict rules and little room to explore would demotivate her, so she’s glad she can fully use her creativity here. For example, she worked on creating a survey for partner organizations to better understand their needs and experiences, and also helped develop a slogan for the organization. She sees possibilities everywhere and finds it important to think in terms of opportunities, not limitations.
Her superpower in the workplace is her creativity, but also her ability to connect people. She enjoys meeting new people and building relationships. While she works well online, she finds face-to-face contact especially valuable. She’s also strong in planning and organizing — making lists and structuring things comes naturally to her. She applies her experience with university consulting projects to her work as well, thinking strategically about the organization’s growth and development.
