BAM Netherlands
How it started…
We hardly knew each other when we gathered on a chilly evening in December 2018, but the exchange released a lot of warmth and energy in the living room. Even though we came from different backgrounds and had different perspectives, we shared a mutual desire to integrate business and mission.
Relationships grew,
as we developed vision, values and objectives,
with the aim to help facilitate a movement.
Meet our team:
Bob & Gisela Houter
In 2014 Bob & Gisela started the social enterprise Sixty-Fruits, a company where people with a distance to the labor market restore furniture from the 1960s. Bob wants to use his knowledge and experience to advise other social entrepreneurs with a missionary heart. Gisela is a lecturer in business administration.
Erwin Wietses
Erwin is in charge of Bonfire, a community of hope in Dordrecht, where he combines mission with entrepreneurship. In 2017 he initiated the BAM conference, which has been held annually ever since.
Gea Gort
Gea is the initiator of BAM Netherlands, leads the movement and authored several books on BAM. Gea also helps entrepreneurs to implement the BAM-concept, and facilitates transitions towards more aligned and flourishing companies. The latter in co-operation with Authentic Business Solutions.
Bert & Diewertje
Bert & Diewertje are BAM Impact Investors. They invest in BAM companies worldwide. They see entrepreneurship as a means to create prosperity for people and societies; i.e. in addition to financial, also social, cultural and spiritual wealth. The Bible and the Sustainable Development Goals are their guiding principles.
Arco de Leede
Arco is Director of Interserve and was in the past a BAM entrepreneur in Yemen. He organizes Interserve BAM Club Evenings around missions. Interserve sends Christian professionals to Asia and the Arab world. More than 50 of the 750 Interserve partners in Asia and the Middle East are involved with BAM.
Balt Leenman
Balt is the founder of g-company Salesforce Consultancy, which helps NGOs to increase their influence through technology. In addition, he enters the start-up scene in the Netherlands to help migrants to start a business. Balt is Co-Founder of Africolt, a technology consultancy organization in Kenya, where he creates jobs.
Klaas Evers
Klaas supports companies in the developing world with World Partners and / or helps start a company. They work with local entrepreneurs to use their talents and resources for sustainable change in the region.
Wim Hasselman
Wim focuses on global missions, development projects and Impact Investing. Through his organization MissionInvest he matches missionary (business) projects with investors. Wim has a background in international business and has set up an entrepreneurial network for a NGO.
Hans Walhout
Hans Walhout has many years of management experience at a BAM company in Ethiopia. Back in the Netherlands, he works with Quadraat Global in consulting entrepreneurs in setting up business initiatives in developing countries. By seeing a company as a means and not as an end in itself, real value can be created.
Our Passion
Business as Mission Netherlands wants to see a movement of companies that transform people and nations in the Netherlands and beyond. For the greater glory of God.
Because we believe:
In the transformative power of business, especially when we have Christ in the centre.
In the power of co-creation and co-operation; in mutual encouragement and prayer.
In a God who wants to inspire us to help find concrete solutions, so that justice is done to people and society.
In the Netherlands and beyond.
Therefore we want to:
- Confirm entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs in their calling,
- Inspire, stimulate and support (prospective) entrepreneurs,
- Transform mindsets regarding business, through promoting integrated thinking about faith and work within the broader Body of Christ: within business, church, mission & education,
- Connect.
By means of:
- An annual BAM Congress
- Diverse activities such as company visits and training, as well as gatherings around themes like mission, investments, church planting, etc
- Blogs, stories en publications
OUR PARTNERS