Inspire your audience to change the world.
Challenge your participants with our FORBES-praised tools & Cambridge University endorsed insights, to take powerful next steps towards a better future.
"Dr van de Velde's research is outstanding and a worthy winner of the Adam Smith Prize for PhD Excellence"
Research Director
Centre for Social Innovation
Cambridge University
Keynote speaker, workshops
​How can you invest effectively in a better future?
Why do some create a 200 to 400% better impact return compared to most?
And create a stronger competitive edge?​
Keynote
Inspire and challenge your audience
Inspire your audience with engaging stories and thought-leading insights based on award-winning research and real life experiences.
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What does the ultimate sustainability destination look like? What global best practices show these solutions in reality? Why do these achieve exceptional outcomes? Why does sustainability lead to far stronger competitive advantages for some compared to most? And how can you take powerful next steps towards this destination?
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Dr van de Velde's interactive talks take the audience on a profound journey. A journey, crystalising the direction for powerful next steps towards a genuinely better future.
Workshop
Sustainability as a powerful competitive edge
Sustainability can lead to substantial benefits. 'Purpose driven companies grow 3 times faster', according to a Deloitte Study. A Kantar report shows that purpose driven companies have experienced a +175% increase in valuation.
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But sustainability does not automatically lead to improved productivity, brand value, and business growth.
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Discover why some global best practices gain far more significant business benefits compared to most other companies that pursue sustainability.
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Be guided by our tools to reflect on your current competitive advantages, and consider as to how your sustainability efforts can lead to a more significant, authentic, competitive edge.
Workshop
The sustainability end game
​What is the end game of sustainability? What does this final destination look like across the biggest issues that we're facing as humanity?
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As for any ship that sets sail, understanding the final coordinates gives clear guidance for an effective journey towards its destination.
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Uncover how best practices achieve a 200-400% stronger impact return than most by setting course towards the ultimate sustainability destination.
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Be challenged by our tools and exercises to have ​meaningful conversations as to where your current initiatives sit compared to the end game of sustainability, and evaluate their power.
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​Get inspired to tease out ideas towards taking the best next steps on your journey for strong impact results, as well as boosting productivity and growth.
Speaker Bio
​Melanie van de Velde, MSc, MBA, PhD
Melanie is a Global Goals expert, recognized for her groundbreaking research on overcoming global challenges. Her research was awarded the Adam Smith Prize for PhD Excellence, nominated by the Social Innovation Research Director at Cambridge University. Her book LEAD LIKE A GENIUS: How to Outgrow the Competition and Transform Our World was praised by FORBES Books as “a powerhouse for sustainable growth.”
After empowering young women in a Nairobi slum and leading global markets for a tech giant, Melanie now supports those who want to create powerful change. She is the founder of the Global Goals Masters and the Global Goals Podcast Show, providing an exciting experience that addresses not only the climate crisis but the full spectrum of global issues—for lasting change and an authentic edge.
TEDxVUAmsterdam | April 2025
​YOU ARE BATMAN: The 3 choices that shape your future
I had the pleasure of listening to Melanie opening the 1st international ESG city conference, held in Brazil.
Without a doubt, this was the highlight of the event.
Exceptional experience and technique and a didactic that kept everyone engaged.
Marcus Maida
Lawyer and Business Consultant
Brazil
Testimonials
Inspirational.
Melanie’s MPACT Wheel simplifies this immensely complex topic that we want to tackle together.
It really helped to structure our thinking and which areas of the wheel we want to focus on.
Jules Prick
Co-Founder Koos Service Design
The Netherlands
The experience will have a profound impact on my life.
Since I started my MBA, I have been thinking a lot about ESG and sustainability. Despite its popularity, I have found it lacking in depth or workable solutions. Your insights opened my eyes and has not only deepened my understanding of sustainability but also provided me with a clearer direction and inspiration to make a positive difference in the world.
Yue Shue
Executive MBA student Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow
China
Way more insightful than what you get elsewhere.
Jamie Davidson
Director
Johnston Carmichael
UK
Inspirational.
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Bee Lin Chow
Head of Asia Energy Analytics ICIS RELX
Singapore
Amazing insights, this is the need of the hour.
Inir Pinheiro
Founder & CEO
Grassroutes
India
I came home bouncing after the sessions.
The UN SDGs used to feel overwhelming. Now they feel comfortable, and I can't wait to tackle them.
Merlijn Mazairac
CEO & Founder The Rookie Minds
The Netherlands
Finally, a tool to help identify effective impact initiatives.
The imperative to make a positive impact and deliver profits may seem paradoxical, but it is possible. Melanie has solved this with her simple, easy-to-adopt methodology to help businesses create powerful social and environmental impact strategies.
Mark Fallows
Founder Fabrica Collective & The Impossible Network
US
