Sacha van Tongeren

Sustainable development with a clear people value focus is what I believe in. I am a straightforward thinker with an eye for strategic partnerships and a passion for people and diversity. Precisely at a time when the notion of diversity is (again) under pressure, it is essential to seek cooperation across borders and to encourage collaboration in unexpected compositions.

In my professional life, I try to be an intermediate between social and economic beliefs, public purpose, and creative powers. Throughout my career, I have come to understand the value of knowledge in an open innovation context. In recent years I have developed a range of projects and programs connecting the arts, technology, and society.

As I grew up spending most of my time sailing the Dutch waters and the North Sea, I am a natural "wave watcher," making sense of the patterns around us and very aware of invisible forces that influence and drive us.

Currently, I work as an intrapreneur at the Amsterdam Public Library laying out scenarios for the future, close by and far away, challenging the organization and its trusted network of users and partners to envision our library for the next generations.

I live in the heart of Amsterdam with my partner and our two beautiful sons.