Opening keynote speakers: Jahkini Bisselink and Hajar Yagkoubi

Jahkini Bisselink and Hajar Yagkoubi have spoken to thousands of young people and are at the forefront of the sustainability, youth and human rights movements. They lead crucial conversations on these topics with world leaders, such as with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte, the Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, global corporations and, of course, their peers.

Jahkini Bisselink (left) works as a consultant to help make business and politics more inclusive for young people. She is a member of the strategic foresight think tank Whetston, based out of Amsterdam, where her focus is on future trends, how we can expect people to behave and what this will mean for leadership and business strategy.

Hajar Yagkoubi (right) advocates for the inclusion of young people in supervisory boards of corporations. She bridges the corporate world and activistic generation by advocating for ways in which firms can embody sustainability, climate action and a broad definition of prosperity. She is a member of the Impact Economy Foundation committee overseeing Project 2100, an initiative for new corporate and economic leadership focusing on overall GDP measurement, including social and environmental capital.

At the Opening Plenary on Wednesday 27 September at 11:00 CEST, the duo will use their expertise to deliver a joint keynote on 'Gen Z: How We Choose, Why We Choose and Why Should You Care'. As former United Nations Youth Representatives and experts on their own generation’s driving forces, Jahkini and Hajar will guide you through the fascinating moral compass of Gen Z. This generation's values determine everything that they do, where they work, what they consume and ultimately what they expect of businesses and brands.

In Jahkini’s words, “Generation Z grew up in a very turbulent world of terrorism threats, climate change and a pandemic. This creates stress and anxiety, but also a huge dose of empathy and the willingness to change things.” As Hajar says, “For Generation Z, activism is not a choice but a fundamental necessity.”