In the 16th edition of TEDxAmsterdam, we open the floor to dissect the questions that could shape what comes next.What happens when technology changes what it means to be human? Can we build economies that thrive without perpetual growth? What does it take to remain hopeful when the problems we face feel bigger than any one of us? And how do we decide what and who gets to shape the world that comes next?
From the personal to the political, the human to the technological, After Growth asks us to look at the world we’ve inherited and question what comes next.
About the speakers
Dr. Hans Stegeman
Chief Economist Questioning Perpetual Growth
Dr. Hans Stegeman has spent two decades inside the Dutch financial system, from CPB and Rabobank to his current role as Chief Economist at Triodos Bank. A PhD economist and columnist, he writes about the systems shaping our economy and society. His work challenges one assumption we rarely question: that economies must keep growing, and asks what happens when growth is no longer taken for granted.
Dr. Lucy van de Wiel
Fertility Technology Researcher & International Speaker
Dr. Lucy van de Wiel studies what happens when Silicon Valley and venture capital enter the world of fertility. A Senior Lecturer at King’s College London and international speaker on reproductive technology, she researches developments from egg freezing to embryo selection and reproductive optimisation. Her work looks beyond what these technologies can do, considering how they might change our ideas about reproduction.
Fieke Opdam
Former Nun Turned Comedian
Fieke Opdam went from spending nearly ten years as a cloistered nun to becoming a stand-up comedian. Today, she uses humour and storytelling to explore trauma, identity, resilience and the unexpected things that can grow from difficult experiences. Her story moves from religious life to the stage, asking us to consider whether the experiences that change us might also shape the things we eventually have to offer the world.
Ingrid Tappin
Leadership Strategist, Author & Creator of Identity Intelligence™
Creator of Identity Intelligence™, a framework exploring how lived experience shapes the way people perceive, decide and lead, Ingrid Tappin is also the founder of Diverse Leaders in Tech. She has spent years working with leaders and organisations on identity, leadership and systemic change.
Jelle Postma
Former AIVD intelligence officer
Jelle Postma spent his career inside Dutch intelligence, national security and international diplomacy before founding Justice for Prosperity. A former AIVD intelligence officer, he now investigates disinformation, foreign interference and the forces that can deliberately undermine democratic societies. His work looks closely at the systems behind polarisation and fear, and how those divisions are created.
Joe Wilson
Entrepreneur, Global Citizen, Chief Evangelist at bunq
Joe Wilson is an entrepreneur, former Microsoft executive and Chief Evangelist at bunq whose career spans startups, global technology and sustainable investment. He has founded five companies, achieved two successful exits and lived with his family across multiple countries and cultures. A lifelong traveler, Joe brings a global perspective to questions of identity, belonging and connection.
Juan Cruz Tubio
Fungal Biotech Entrepreneur
Juan Cruz Tubio is using fungi to rethink one of our most fundamental infrastructure challenges: how we treat water. He is the founder of MycoFarming, a Netherlands-based deep-tech company developing scalable mycofiltration systems that use fungi to filter and regenerate water. His work explores what might become possible when we stop looking only to technology for solutions and start looking more closely at nature.
Nhiyc (Nhi)
Artist, climate storyteller, advocate, and activist. Founder of Nū Atlas and creator of the Ruthless Hope framework.
Nhi believes the climate crisis has a communication problem as much as a coordination problem. An artist, applied researcher and founder, she works across climate justice, science, deeptech, robotics and storytelling to close the gap between what we know and what we do. Through her ventures, she explores collective storytelling, advocacy and education, bringing what she calls “ruthless hope” to the challenge.
Rivelino Rigters
Artist & Founder of Criminal Minded
Rivelino Rigters, known as Blackrockstar, has spent more than two decades turning music and storytelling into a vehicle for connection and change. The Dutch-Surinamese artist, author and social entrepreneur founded Criminal Minded, where he works with young people in- and out of detention through creativity, mentoring and talent development. His work explores the role creativity can play in helping people see themselves, their choices and their possibilities differently.
Our 2026 main event will bring an exciting lineup of speakers to the TEDxAmsterdam stage and their talks could go on to reach audiences far beyond Amsterdam through the official TEDx YouTube channel.
