Get ready to shake things up and connect with some incredible, passionate and impactful people. Join us for our next event on 22 June, from 6pm in Brussels in the Google Digital Atelier in BeCentral. We are excited to welcome you.
Run of event:
6pm: doors open + mingling.
7pm – 7.30pm: Lightning talks by some impressive people
7.30pm – 9pm: drinks + mingling.
Speakers:
Edel Shanahan An expert on a wide variety of topics in the environment world – from protected areas and marine ecosystems to deforestation-free supply chains and EU policy – Edel currently works as Technical Advisor at Sea Alarm.
Janique-ka John Software engineer and founder of Women in Tech Caribbean – a network of 200+ members, promoting opportunities, job offers and scholarships. Janique-ka is an experienced software engineer, entrepreneur and an inaugural member of Twitter Developer Insiders.
Dominique Roch Digital communication, marketing and transformation specialist – with a keen interest in sustainability.
Gabriela Chang Valdovinos Chief Sustainability Officer and co-founder of EthicHub, founder of Women & Blockchain Spain and former organic coffee producer – giving a voice to millions of smallholder farmers, who are excluded from traditional financial, certification and carbon credit systems.
This event is for people who
(Want to) work in policy, tech or sustainability.
Are passionate about improving the communities around them, open to collaboration.
All genders are welcome. Our goal is to support underrepresented groups including women of colour, members of the LGBTQI+ community, people with disabilities etc.
We particularly welcome people from diverse cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds, and we aim to accommodate any special needs. Write to us with any questions.
You can look forward to amazing people, inspiring lightning talks and of course delicious drinks. I’m thrilled about this edition’s speaker slate, as we’ll be focusing on Business and Entrepreneurshipfor Sustainability and Climate Action.
We are also welcoming new partners who want to tap into a network of incredible women and allies – could your company, organisation or initiative be next? Join to learn more!
What’s in today’s newsletter
EDITORIAL: What’s new?
NEXT EVENT: Our speakers for 27 October
READS: Recommended books and articles
NETWORK: People to watch (and support!)
YOU: How you can get involved
1. EDITORIAL
What’s new? In short: a whole lot.
Let’s begin with what hasn’t changed: this newsletter and event series started out as a space to bring together impact-driven people from the sectors of Tech x Policy x Sustainability.
After our last event, three things are clear:
Many solutions to planetary and societal challenges already exist. We know what we should be doing, because researchers, practitioners and communities have been telling us.
But in order to implement and scale those solutions we all have to work together – as scientists, civil society, policy and politics experts, industry and businesses. From there, we can take the next steps: Organise, share knowledge and transform our communities.
Good work is done by good people – and good people do the best work when they are inspired and supported by others.
These concepts – knowledge sharing, collaboration and inspiration – are at the core of this network, as well as the ethos of having diverse viewpoints and voices in our community.
And this is what you can expect from our upcoming event…
2. Speaker slate
Our next edition takes place on 27 October. We will be talking business – more precisely: how can business and entrepreneurship support more sustainability and effective climate action?
Our lightning talk speakers:
Tino Chibebe – Venture Capital expert working at the intersection of entrepreneurship and impact, and author of The Black Opportunity
Aikaterini Liakopoulou – Business coach advising clean tech startups, with experience in Venture Capital, Research and Development
Tamara Makoni – Inclusion expert and founder/CEO at Kazuri Consulting, helping leaders drive inclusion and empower diverse teams
Sevim Aktas – Policy officer at the European Commission working on the future of the carbon economy, and founder of The EU Green Deal brief
3. Books to read (and recommend)
I’ve asked my speakers for their best book recommendations – here they are:
Tamara:
Mismatch by Kat Holmes. Being intentional about inclusion can be a source of innovation and growth, especially for digital technologies. It can be a catalyst for creativity, a boost for a company’s bottom line, and an opportunity for more people to contribute to society in meaningful ways.
Sevim:
Phishing for Phools: The Economics of Manipulation and Deception by George Akerlof and Robert Shiller. Learn from Nobel Prize-winning economists why the free-market system encourages so much trickery even as it creates so much good – and how harms can be reduced through greater knowledge, reform, and regulation.
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. Do ideas that stick have a common “anatomy”? Can we make good ideas stickier? Learn about practiced and proven methods like the human scale principle, the Velcro Theory of Memory, and how to create curiosity gaps.
Tino:
Algorithms of Oppression by Safiya Noble. The internet was not created in a vacuum, but in the context of a world that is racist, sexist and classist. Algorithms of Oppression uncovers how negative biases are created, maintained, and disseminated in the 21st century.
Venture Deals – Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer And Venture Capitalist by Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson. Have you ever wondered how venture capital deals come together? This book has you covered. It explains the inner-workings of VC deals, from negotiating strategies to the different stages and types of financings, including equity, traditional convertible debt, venture bank debt, or one of the newer practices of crowdfunding and pre-sales.
Aurélie Mulowa founded Entreprenoires – a platform promoting female-led Afro-Belgian businesses. Entreprenoires helps people find and create opportunities and make themselves known. It also connects them with potential investors and supporters. Watch an interview with Aurélie here (in French).
Leïla Maidane founded begreator – an AI-driven tool that helps job seekers navigate the job market. It also supports companies and education providers in hiring more diverse talent. This is just the latest project from Leïla, having previously founded Femmes Fières – an entrepreneurial ecosystem that supports women in building their digital skills and through the process of setting up a business. Listen to an interview with Leïla here (in French).
Sarah Lokman – as Head of Sustainability at Greenomy, Sarah helps companies and investors better measure, disclose and improve their sustainability reports. This is particularly important with the sometimes complex national and EU sustainable finance standards, like the EU Taxonomy for Sustainable Activities. Besides this, she is involved in civic and political projects in Brussels to empower young girls to lead change and take ownership of their future. Watch an interview with Sarah here.
If you would like to get involved in the Tech x Policy x Sustainability network, the best place to start is to join us on 27 October from 6pm, at BeCentral Brussels, in the Google Digital Atelier. You will meet amazing people and hear some inspiring talks.
If you’d like to join our organising team, you’re more than welcome – we’re looking for social media and digital marketing support in particular (but not only).
If your company is interested in tapping into a diverse network of impressive women and allies, consider partnering with us – send me a DM and let’s talk. We are always looking for sponsors to ensure our events remain accessible and free for everyone.
If you’d like to speak at our next event, contribute to this newsletter as a guest editor or have recommendations on who to watch and support – shoot me a DM.
See you on Thursday 27 October from 6pm, at BeCentral Brussels, in the Google Digital Atelier! 🍸🌱
…so we can make sure we don’t run out of bubbles (and non-alcoholic drinks). We can’t wait to see you there!
This event is for people who
(Want to) work in policy, tech or sustainability.
Are passionate about improving the communities around them, open to collaboration.
While many of the community members identify as women, all genders are welcome. Men are welcome if they want to support women, in particular black women and women of colour, members of the LGBTQI+ community, people with disabilities.
We particularly welcome people from diverse cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds, and we aim to accommodate any special needs. Write to us with any questions.
What’s in today’s newsletter
EDITORIAL: What is mentorship to me
RESEARCH: The power of listening to oneself
READS: Recommended books and articles
MEDIA: Movies, shows and more
NETWORK: People to watch (and support!)
YOU: How you can get involved
1. One question… what is (good) mentorship for you?
One question I have always asked myself (and others) is: What would I advise my younger self, if I could meet her? What’s something I wish I had understood earlier?
When I think about the early days of my career, it brings up images of having to figure out how to get by on your own, and every now and then you meet a great person, a role model or someone you simply enjoy spending time with. For me, mentorship never involved some benevolent mentor helping me out (though sometimes I wished). Rather, it’s about peers who decide to break the silence around certain topics – verbalising and sharing their experiences and supporting each other with their learnings.
Mentorship is and should be a decentralised concept. Run by peers – not hierarchies nor binaries.
How to spot good people, and how to best support ourselves and each other
How to quicker identify the energy suckers and secret sabotagers around me.
And so, my friends and I became our own mentors. And each others’.
The way I see it, every person already has five excellent mentors, or let’s say: advisers or counsellors. They are: fear, anger, joy, disgust, sadness. Our emotions play a crucial role in our lives, and emotional literacy is powerful.
Base emotions, reflexes and instincts fulfil important functions. They help us identify when something needs to change or when we have to get the hell out of here. We may need to adjust our own thoughts or attitudes, or actively change something outside of ourselves, in our environment or relationships.
For the German speakers – in my podcast I discuss why emotional literacy is so crucial for having a successful career as well as for solving crises like fighting for climate justice, equity and so much more. I might do an English episode on this if you’re interested – just let me know.
2. Gut feeling Galore
Ok, buckle up for a quick story.
Did you know that your own gut-feeling is so much smarter than your conscious self? Psychologist Antonio Damasio did a study that illustrated this beautifully: Some people were put in front of four decks of cards on a computer. They were asked to choose which card to turn over. And, depending on which card they pulled, they would either lose money or gain money. So people started clicking on the decks and turning over cards. Unbeknownst to them, two of the decks were “good” decks. They contained many more rewards than punishments. And two of the decks were bad decks.
Here’s where it gets interesting
As the participants were playing this game, the researchers were monitoring their skin conductance, which is a measure of our nervous system arousal. As the game progressed and the players were turning over these cards, their skin conductance started to flare up whenever they considered taking a card from the bad deck, indicating that their bodies, their physiology was reacting to the presence of a threat. And yet consciously, the players, when asked, had no idea that two decks were good and two decks were bad. They had no clue about the pattern that was present in the game.
But they began slowly but surely to learn this pattern in an unconscious way and avoid those bad decks more and more as the game went on, showing that they were learning, in a sense, from their gut feeling. But again, this was all non-conscious. So those of us who are more in touch with our internal sensations, and those of us who trust themselves, are more successful and better at avoiding threats. And this is an ability that can be deliberately cultivated to make better use of that wisdom and experience stored within our body.
In short:
Trusting your gut feeling PAYS off, quite literally.
Before I meet you at the launch event on18 May, 6pm, (remember to RSVP here) I want to leave you with some reflections and recommendations.
3. Books to read (and recommend)
The Ministry for the Future. I would describe this as a dystopian futuristic science fiction novel, with a stubborn and radically optimistic spin. What happens to geopolitics, the global economy and human society once the climate crisis runs its course? How can one rebuild a sick planet in order to survive and thrive on it?
If you work in policy, recommend this novel to your colleagues. Let me know what they say!
If you want to learn more about what people are already doing to preserve and restore the planet, check out this year’s Regens Unite conference on 19/20 May in Brussels – a 2 day hackathon to explore how we can move from sustaining an unsustainable status quo to regenerating natural habitats, communities and more.
Empress Dowager Cixi – The Concubine Who Launched Modern China (my second favourite historical biography after Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman. This book describes the exceptional life and work of the woman who controlled the Manchu Qing Dynasty in China for half a century (1861 to her death in 1908). Coincidentally. It is a beautiful take on female perspectives on domestic and foreign policy, and inevitably ends up exposing the omnipresent patriarchal (toxic) masculine leadership styles, debacles and atrocities.
Station Eleven – Survivors of a devastating flu (ring a bell, anyone?) attempt to rebuild and reimagine the world anew. For me, this show brings up a lot of big questions: What happens after the end of the world? What does it mean for our capacity for empathy, when every single person on Earth has lived through the same trauma? What happens to people, when life and death depends on identifying whether another person is your ally or a potential enemy? What happens to communities, when people decide to hold on to the best of what’s been lost, and radically do away with the harmful old?
Queen of Katwe – This is the true story of Phiona Mutesi. At 14 years old, living in Katwe, Kampala, Uganda, Phiona’s life changes radically when she meets chess coach Robert Katende and is introduced to the game of chess. I’m not going to spoil anything – go watch it! Today Phiona supports many more children through sports outreach and education. You can check it out and donate here
5. People to watch (and support!)
So many amazing people are doing incredible work to restore the health of our planet, communities and people. The best part is: There are equally many easy ways to support them.
Janique-ka John is the founder of Women in Tech Caribbean – a network of 200+ members, promoting opportunities, job offers and scholarships. Janique-ka is an experienced software engineer, entrepreneur and an inaugural member of Twitter Developer Insiders.
Chloé Bailly is an experienced marketing expert, and manages Events and Community outreach at Le Wagon in Brussels – a coding school based out of 40 cities in 25 countries. Originally from France, she now works in the heart of Europe.
If you’re reading this, chances are you are already thinking about what you want to bring to the world and the people around you, and what you want for yourself. There are so many organisations and networks in Brussels – or in any city.
Share your knowledge, interests or project with someone – and if you like, share it with me and find other community members.
If you want to explore new topics or give a talk on something you’re interested in – it’s easier than you might think! Here are some tips I learned once.
*** The Idealist Quarterly started out as a networking event for the idealists and progressives of Brussels, run by Bruno Selun. The below events were organised by him. In 2023, the project was taken over by Christina Wunder, who is now organising the community’s networking events. ***
IQ 13: WHAT COVID-19 IS TELLING US ABOUT OUR HEALTH SYSTEMS WITH ALANNA SHAIKH – APRIL 24 2020
The current crisis is stretching our European public healthcare systems. Our economic and social lives are on hold to #flattenthecurve and keep deaths to a minimum.
However, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is not the first, nor the last challenge to our healthcare systems, as experts expect additional phases to the current epidemic and additional epidemics in the future.
What lessons does this crisis hold for our future healthcare systems? And how is this crisis changing us individually?
On April 24th, Alanna Shaikh, a health systems expert specialised in individual, organisational and systemic resilience, will be the guest of our upcoming Idealist Quarterly event. Her TEDx speech about the recent pandemic has been viewed over 15 million times.
Alanna will join the Idealist Quarterly’s very first online edition on 24 April 2020 at 11:45.
Alanna at TEDxSMU:
IQ 12: A GREENER-THAN-EVER EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT! WITH MEP TERRY REINTKE – SEPTEMBER 10, 2019
Although populist and far-right parties won big in a few Member States, the predicted success of anti-EU parties failed to materialise in Brussels.
Instead, across Europe – and especially in Germany – voters young and old sent a green wave to Brussels. The Greens saw their biggest turnout ever in European elections, setting the stage for what may be a deeper, more significant, and long-term change in European politics.
What made this possible? What was the campaign like from within? And what role will the Greens play in the next European Parliament?
Coming back to Brussels for a fierce second mandate, MEP Terry Reintke (Greens-EFA/Germany) shared inside campaign stories, told us what’s on the Greens’ agenda for the new legislature, and – most importantly – cheered with us to progressive EU politics.
IQ 11: WHY HUMAN RIGHTS MUST EVOLVE OR DIE, WITH JONATHAN ROWSON – JULY 11, 2019
Human rights and today’s global liberal order were forged in the hot ashes of two world wars. But as the twenty-first century unfolds, our global paradigm evolves.Instead of old war, we must reckon with our global environmental crisis, AI, and life- and ethics-changing science.
Are yesterday’s solutions still suitable for today’s problems?
In a fascinating conversation, Scottish philosopher and Open Society fellow Jonathan Rowson will take us through the questions we must ask of human rights, of politics, and of ourselves in this century.
Jointly brought to you by the Open Society European Policy Institute and The Idealist Quarterly.
IQ10: CAN EUROPE SAVE HUNGARIAN DEMOCRACY? – SEPTEMBER 4, 2018
Over the last eight years, sweeping reforms have taken aim at judges, free media, higher education… and now NGOs.
The pillars of Hungarian democracy are under attack, and yet we know little about those defending it.
Meet Márta Pardavi: a lawyer, activist, and co-chair of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, a leading human rights organisation in Budapest.
Márta will tell us what a crackdown against democracy really looks like, how NGOs are responding, and what Europe should do to defend democracy in Hungary.
IQ9: REINVENTING PROGRESSIVE POLITICS FOR THE 2020S – JUNE 26, 2018
As the world grows ever more divided, so does politics. And in a climate of distrust, what chances are left for progressives to win elections and transform politics?
Frances Foley from Compass, who works across parties, campaigns and communities to make the UK’s political culture more progressive.
In the 2017 general election, Frances and her team nurtured over 40 cross-party alliances in which candidates stepped aside to support the best-placed progressive candidates – regardless of the party.
Frances shared her thoughts on how to work across political boundaries, how to rebuild trust between activists and politicians, and when to put political differences aside for a common cause.
IQ8: A DIFFERENT TAKE ON MIGRATION WITH ADAM ELSOD – MAY 3, 2018
Migration is fast becoming THE defining issue in European politics. Yet, migrants themselves can rarely join the debate.
Meet Adam Elsod, co-Founder of The Young Republic: a youth organisation that empowers young refugees to engage and participate in their host communities in Europe.
A provocative and pragmatic speaker, Adam shared his thoughts on the current narrative around migration, and how we must welcome more voices to truly become inclusive democracies.
IQ7: “DEAR POLITICS, TIME TO MEET CREATIVITY!” WITH STEPHEN BOUCHER – NOVEMBER 28, 2017
If we say “innovation”, do you think “politics”? Probably not.
Our challenging and uncertain times call for creative problem-solving. Can politicians hope to address 21st-century issues with 20th-century tactics? And if not, what do creative politics look like in practice?
On November 28 Stephen Boucher, author of The Little Manual of Political Creativity joined for the 7th Idealist Quarterly. A Harvard graduate with a wealth of experience in public affairs, Stephen previously worked at the European Climate Foundation, advised the Belgian government, and currently lectures at Brussels’ Solvay Business School.
Stephen’s book left us positively enthused and hopeful about what politics could be, and probably will be.
IQ6: BUILDING FEARLESS DEMOCRACIES WITH GERALD HENSEL – SEPTEMBER 26, 2017
Meet Gerald, Founder of Fearless Democracy: a network of advertising and communication professionals helping politicians, citizens and companies counter hate online.
After receiving thousands of hate messages and death threats for his campaign to divert advertising money from far-right media, Gerald turned his talent to supporting victims of online mobbing and shifting the conversation about online hate.
Gerald shared his inspiring journey from victim to digital activist, and his thoughts on what lies ahead in the fight against online hate speech.
Couldn’t join us? Watch the recorded live session here.
IQ5: DOES EUROPE STILL NEED FEMINISM? THOUGHTS FROM AN IRISH ACTIVIST – JUNE 22, 2017
For over 40 years, Ailbhe Smyth has led countless social movements in Ireland. From women’s rights in the 1970s, to marriage equality in 2015, to abortion today… A lecturer, author and impassioned feminist, Ailbhe Smyth explained to us why feminism remains as relevant as ever.
Ailbhe Smyth: Feminist and reproductive rights activist. Women’s rights have come a long way over the last 50 years, so far in fact that some might ask, do we still need feminism at all? For over 40 years Ailbhe Smyth has been a leading figure in countless social movements in Ireland. Fighting for women’s rights as a college student in the 1970s, to playing a central role in the campaign for Marriage equality in 2015, Ailbhe is now leading the fight to repeal the eighth amendment. As a lecturer, author and impassioned feminist activist Ailbhe Smyth will tell us why feminism remains as relevant as ever.
IQ4: CAN PROGRESSIVE STORIES SURVIVE OUR POST-TRUTH ERA? – APRIL 6, 2017
On 6 April Rita Ruduša joined us to share her experience as a veteran journalist and author reporting and telling progressive stories in Latvia just as it gained independence from the USSR.
In a time of blazing debates on fake news and post-truth, Rita explained how facts can still move, convey and convince.
Rita Ruduša: Executive Director of the Baltic Centre for Media Excellence, Rita Ruduša has been a journalist and editor since the early nineties. She was among the first special correspondents following Latvia’s independence, where she covered fast cultural and political changes at a key moment for Europe. She has worked for progressive media, both in print and broadcast, and is the author of the book Forced Underground about homosexuals in Soviet Latvia.
IQ3: HOW THE IRISH PEOPLE SAID “YES!” – DECEMBER 8, 2016
In 2015, the Irish people said yes to marriage equality: the first country in the world to do so by referendum. How was this contentious vote won by a staggering 62%? Can we still make a nationwide case for progressive issues?
On 8 December 2016 Brian Sheehan wowed the IQ crowd with his portrayal of how the campaign for marriage equality in Ireland managed to persuade, reassure and mobilise voters – across generations – to create positive change.
Brian Sheehan: As co-director of the award winning YesEquality campaign and Execute Director of GLEN (Gay Lesbian Equality Network), Brian Sheehan played a central role in creating a truly inspiring and ingenious progressive movement both in Ireland and internationally.
IQ2: CAN DESIGN CHANGE THE WORLD? WITH YARA AL-ADIB – OCTOBER 11, 2016
The second edition of Idealist Quarterly took place on 11 October 2016 when we were joined by the refreshing Yara Al- Adib, a bright young designer and social entrepreneur. Born in Syria, studied in Kuwait and Italy now living and working in Brussels, Yara Al-Adib has a unique perspective on the world and uses her skills as a designer to create effective social change. Yara truly inspired our community of progressive and idealists with her outlook on the world and her ability to focus on the solutions – not the problems.
Yara Al-Adib – Designer and social entrepreneur: Combining strategy, user experience design, communication and social innovation, Yara Al-Adib works to find solutions for societal and busness challenges based on empathy and co-creation. A unique mediator between East and West, Yara Al-Adib is a bright young designer – with a conscience. With experience spanning Syria, Kuwait, Lebanon, Italy and Belgium, Yara Al-Adib will share her insights on how design can help individuals and societies flourish.
IQ1: AN EVENING WITH SOPHIE IN ‘T VELD MEP – JUNE 15, 2016
On 15 June 2016, we held our first Idealist Quarterly with progressive MEP Sophie in ‘t Veld. Sophie engaged the crowd with her vast experience and continued fight for progressive values in Europe.
Sophie in ‘t Veld MEP: Sophie is one of Politico’s 40 MEPs who actually matter, and the first Vice-President of the ALDE group in the European Parliament. Elected since 2004, her outspoken voice has found no equal in landmark debates on civil liberties – and especially women’s rights, LGBTI rights and secularism.
