Inspiring speaker collaboration: Wiebe Wakker

“With trust in the goodness of people, beautiful collaborations arise spontaneously”
Rob Hoefnagel | CEO | Move Beyond

Wiebe Wakker from the back, facing an audience who are listening to his presentation in a theatre.

Wiebe Wakker as speaker collaboration on the stage at WTM London.

Wiebe Wakker giving a keynote talk on a stage

Speaker Collaboration

Without collaboration, my foolish plan would never have got off the ground, let alone come to fruition. Because travelling without money from the Netherlands to Australia in an electric car with 200km range, at a time when charging stations hardly existed? You can’t manage that on your own.

But I did make it. Thanks to the help and goodwill of countless people I met (almost!) everywhere during my journey.

I would be happy to share my inspiring story about collaboration as a speaker at your event.

Wiebe Wakker in a workshop in Indonesia with a big group of mechanics who repaired his car.

What is my presentation on collaboration about?

My story of collaboration is about sceptics, warnings, prejudices and trust. Most of all, it is about all those people who were there for me. Who I needed for basic necessities. And who rescued me from the most precarious situations.

My journey is of course the main frame on which I hang my story: from the Netherlands to Sydney in an electric car. With no money, so I was dependent on perfect strangers who offered me a meal, a place to sleep and/or electricity for the car.

Those people could let me know via my website whether they wanted to help me. So they also determined my route, which meant it was far from always the shortest to Australia. The people who helped me thus literally caused twists in my journey.

My lecture thus illustrates the importance of cooperation. In this way, I have inspired countless people all over the world. Also in the field of sustainability, of course. Because that theme also plays an important role in my story.

In short: I tell a story full of hardship, surprises and humour, which will not only entertain your employees, but also inspire them to work together more and more often.

FREE QUOTE

Wiebe Wakker with the Green Sheikh in Ajman, UAE

How the help of others opened my eyes

Now, when I talk about my journey, I mostly talk about higher ideals like living more sustainably and trusting each other. But that is not where it started for me. In all honesty, the project was primarily a way to escape a bourgeois life.

But when I arrived in Sydney after 1,119 days, 33 countries and 95,000 kilometres? I was a different person. Someone who genuinely believes in the importance of sustainability. But also someone with a rock-solid faith in and admiration for humanity.

Faith in humanity…unfortunately, it is not a given. So along the way, I was warned from all sides: in that country you will be robbed, by those people you will be killed, in that area no one is there for you, etc.

My story proves all those people wrong and proves that the opposite is true.

MORE ABOUT PLUG ME IN

Wiebe Wakker with employees of PLN Indonesia, who hosted him and charged his car.

5 reasons to book me as a speaker collaboration

Wiebe Wakker with his Blue Bandit electric car on stage during a presentation

A more lived story than mine is hard to come by, and you will hear it.

Thanks to my travels, I also know how to enliven my lecture with photos and videos.

Wiebe Wakker giving a keynote talk during WTM 2024

Meanwhile, I have become a skilled speaker, who knows how to inspire others to work together more ánd go through life more sustainably.

Wiebe Wakker and his Blue Bandit electric car during a snow storm in Turkey

Upon request, I link my story to specific challenges in your organisation.

This makes my message even more concrete and relevant for the audience.

It is now also possible to do my presentation online.
Without losing too much liveliness, by the way.

Wiebe Wakker on stage in front of an audience at RailTech Europe

I am available immediately to deliver impactful presentations both live and online.

What my story already triggered worldwide

A collage of media performances of Wiebe Wakker

During my journey and lectures, I reached millions of people. My message was covered in many media: my story has been told in more than 2,000 articles, 150 radio interviews, 100 and newspaper articles and more than 50 TV appearances.

SEE ALL MEDIA

Wiebe Wakker with his Blue Bandit electric car in front of a pile of waste in a waste recycling factory together with an employee of the factory.

Along the way, I visited many sustainable initiatives that would never have got off the ground without collaboration.
I shared videos about them on my blog and social media channels, inspiring many followers.

PLUG ME IN YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Collaborating with countless strangers made an impossible journey possible. See how I finally finished in Sydney. And consider: how will this message inspire people in your organisation to achieve more together…?

REQUEST PRESENTATION

Speaker Wiebe Wakker giving a presentation

“Can’t you give another little hint?”

Ah, well. During my presentation, you will hear, among other things:

…That I could never have started my journey at all without Dutch help
…which was the only country whose inhabitants refused to cooperate with me
…How I was almost permanently stranded in India, were it not for the help of others
…Why mechanics had to be flown in from the Netherlands for my car
…How in a country without social media I was still offered help from all sides
…And much, much more.

Frequently asked questions for a speaker collaboration

What topics will be covered during your presentation on collobration?Wiebe Wakker2024-03-16T14:42:56+01:00

What topics will be covered during your presentation on collobration?

Collaboration is of course at the centre. But the following topics are also highlighted:

Inspiration
Perseverance
Sustainability
Dealing with change and uncertainty
Dealing with setbacks
Achieving goals
Challenging people out of their comfort zone

I still have questions before requesting a lecture. Is that possible?Wiebe Wakker2024-03-16T14:43:33+01:00

I still have questions before requesting a lecture. Is that possible?

Yes, you can. Send a message via the Contact page. I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Are you immediately available?Wiebe Wakker2024-03-16T14:43:43+01:00

Are you immediately available?

Yes, I can be booked immediately. After your request, I will contact you as soon as possible. I will then let you know if I am available on the date of your event.

They already booked me as a speaker on collaboration

SEE AL MY REVIEWS

What an inspiring story!

“What an inspiring story!

At our first physical meeting after a long time, we asked Wiebe to take us on his journey.

Wiebe was on stage as himself. Open and honest, with humour and lots of visuals, he makes you think. Wiebe taught us that there is no need to be afraid of the unknown. A little courage to take the plunge helps. He gives telling examples that make you realise again that you are always judging, where this is often wrong. With trust in the goodness of people, beautiful collaborations arise spontaneously.

Are you looking for an example where the goal is clear, but the journey is unknown? Do you want to be simultaneously made to think about following your dreams where sustainability is an important theme? I can recommend Wiebe to you.”

Rob Hoefnagel | CEO | Move Beyond

This was certainly talked about the rest of the day

Wiebe is a pleasant personality who, in a relaxed manner, took the congress participants on his inspiring adventure. This was certainly talked about for the rest of the day.

It was nice to see how Wiebe subtly connected to the theme of the congress during his presentation.

In short, Wiebe is highly recommended as an inspiring speaker for a congress or meeting.

Joyce Versteeg | Association coordinator | Provero

Fantastic presentation!

Wiebe gave a fantastic presentation on his journey by electric car from the Netherlands to Australia.

During his lively talk interspersed with anecdotes, self-mockery and humour, everyone was hanging on his every word. Many beautiful photos and films made his story and the challenges he faced palpable.
This can inspire everyone in the field of sustainable mobility, goodness of man and problem solving!

Hans Hoff | Organizer | Impact Event Sustainable Zeist