(Interview available at the end)
On the morning of the 18th of September, I left Almere for a new adventure and I went towards the fantastic and magnetizing city of Utrecht, for the very first time. This trip marked the first of several interviews that I will be doing during this Circular Journey, through Holland. During this incredible experience, I’m having the opportunity to meet several changemakers that are at the forefront of the Netherlands circular transformation.
Utrecht is located in the Center of the Netherlands and is the 4th city with the highest population density in this country. As you will have the opportunity to confirm, Utrecht is also the city that hosts several of the companies, initiatives and people that we will visit and interview during my journey.
However, this particular day's visit was dedicated to personally meet with Noah Schaul who is one of Inchainge's circular changemakers.
Inchainge is a company that completed 10 years of existence this year and is focused on the development of simulations and learning programs for companies and universities, in the value chain management and finance areas. Currently, through its solid network of partners, Inchainge solutions are present in all continents. Through its simulations, Inchainge allows participants to move from strategy to action, allowing them to learn by doing, in a safe but dynamic environment.
More recently, leveraging its long and deep experience in value chain management and in the development of serious games, the company launched the world’s first circular business simulation, “The Blue Connection”. The Blue Connection is a simulation focused on the circular economy, which allows its participants to experience an interactive challenge, in which they learn, in a practical way, how to apply and manage a circular strategy, in the different dimensions of a company, enhancing the transition for the Circular Economy.
And how does this happen?
The Blue Connection allows participants to move from theory to action, learning through the practical application of the circular economy model and principles, in a safe environment, that simulates the real conditions in which a company operates. This way, the learning becomes much more solid and lasting, allowing the participants to understand in a deep way, the circular economy system, potential profitable circular strategies and some of the main indicators to evaluate the circularity. Being a Simulation to be played by teams, where the results are impacted by the different system variables, also allows its participants to develop soft skills such as communication, teamwork and systemic thinking.
Noah Schaul is currently Business Development Manager at The Blue Connection and in this interview, he told us a little bit more about Inchainge, Blue Connection and his journey. Noah is originally from Luxembourg but has been living in Utrecht for the last 5 years. Noah fluently speaks 5 languages (Luxembourgish, French, German, Dutch and English) and given his exemplary academic path, he had the opportunity to join the Honour Class during his Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, which gave him the opportunity to participate in several extra-curricular subjects in the sustainability field. He has been with Inchainge since March 2019. He started as an intern in the Marketing and Business Development area, having progressed to his current position after 6 months.
Noah is a very active and participative person in the Dutch circular community, having even created a networking group on LinkedIn which already has more than 330 participants. In this interview, we had the opportunity to learn a little bit more about Noah and his journey, his ideas, opinions and dreams. Noah, who was the first Circular Changemaker we interviewed to the BeeCircular TV.