Speakers of 2026
Geert Jan Groeneveld is a professor of clinical neuropharmacology at Leiden University Medical Center and CEO of the Centre for Human Drug Research in Leiden, where early clinical studies with new medicines are conducted. Alongside his scientific work, he has practiced Zen meditation since 2006.
In his talk, he connects the theme Inside Out to growth as both a biological and human process: how attention shapes experience, how the brain’s “default mode network” can amplify rumination and suffering, and how practices like meditation, as well as emerging, carefully controlled therapies, may help create space around thoughts and emotions. This inner space matters not only for patients living with chronic pain, but also for anyone navigating stress, responsibility, or change. He is particularly interested in how daily habits can become lasting neural pathways and how inner training can translate into wiser action in the world. To him, growth starts quietly: by learning to observe, pause, and choose one’s response.
Defne Saral started her career working for a branded food company, then moved to the world of B2B. She got the opportunity to lead a major business in food ingredients over 10 years ago and is now at her third food ingredients company. She has worked on almost every type of ingredient, from biotech to naturals, and interacts daily with some of the best innovation experts in food. Along the way, she has learned how food is constructed, what it takes to eat with pleasure, and what it takes to feel healthy.
She is deeply passionate about nutrition, food, and the gut microbiome. She loves exploring how what we eat shapes our health, energy, and overall well-being, fueling her desire to keep learning and to integrate science-based insights into everyday life. Probiotics and digestive enzymes are some of the first things she brings up to a friend who tells her they are tired, anxious, or generally unwell. Her life has been shaped by global travel, which has strengthened her appreciation for different ways of living, thinking, connecting, and eating.
Leo van Woerden is a neuroscientist, sleep expert, and speaker with more than 25 years of research experience on the brain, stress, performance, and recovery. His work focuses on a defining challenge of our time: as technology becomes more powerful, how do people remain clear, adaptive, and resilient under increasing pressure?
In his TEDx talk, Leo explores why the real bottleneck is often not the technology itself, but the human system trying to keep up with it. This directly connects to the theme of growth. Real growth does not begin with more speed, more output, or more tools, but with the capacity to recover, regulate, and make sound decisions in complex environments. His message is clear: sustainable growth depends on how well we understand and train the brain and body that must navigate change.
Veroniek Vermeulen is the founder and CEO of Silatha, a health-tech company dedicated to transforming how workplaces support women’s health and authentic leadership. An engineer by training with a background in male-dominated corporates, she combines rigorous business experience with years of inner work in monasteries. Her work centers on creating psychologically safe workplaces where women can lead from their full selves, instead of fitting into outdated systems that ignore their bodies, emotions, and life transitions such as endometriosis, fertility, and menopause.
In her TEDx Talk in Groningen, “Becoming yourself is a leadership advantage,” Veroniek shares how missiles over Qatar, corporate pressure, and women’s untold health stories led her to redefine leadership and build Silatha as a catalyst for more human, future-ready organizations.
Roland Mees is a Professor of Practice of Business Ethics at the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Groningen. Before entering academia, he was Director of Sustainable Finance at ING Wholesale Banking until mid-2025, where he worked closely with CFOs, treasurers, and sustainability managers of major global companies. He is the inventor of the Sustainability-Linked Loan (SLL), a financial product that links loan interest rates to a company’s year-on-year sustainability performance, measured through independently verified Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
Alongside his role at ING, he completed a PhD at the Ethics Institute of Utrecht University in 2017, with his research monograph published in 2020. His work explores why it is so difficult to motivate action toward preserving the planet for future generations. At the RUG, he inspires students by showing how personal growth can develop along parallel paths that eventually converge to create meaningful, positive change.
Kaumudi Goda is the founder of The Human Conversation, where she builds cultures of integrity, inclusion and inspiration for organizations. She serves on the AI Coaching Coalition Europe Council, the Global Diversity Council of the International Coach Federation, and as Country Leader for European Women on Boards, advancing responsible business and inclusive leadership across regions.
A doctoral candidate at École des Ponts Business School and Fellow at École des Ponts Business School’s ReTech Center, she studies how emerging technologies and human‑centered leadership can drive shared value and sustainable growth for the future. Previously a practicing attorney in New York City, she holds an MBA from the Indian School of Business and an LLM from the University of Virginia. She is a ICF PCC executive coach, an international speaker, and published author.