Looking for a keynote speaker? Build a profitable, future-proof company with sustainability at its core.
Leen has helped 100+ businesses achieve exactly that.
600+ KEYNOTE TALKS
120.000+ BOOKS SOLD
21 COMPANIES BUILT
Serial Entrepreneur, Founder B Lab Europe, ESG Ambassador, Sustainability Speaker, AI Pioneer and 6x Author. Oh, and part-time Walnut Farmer.
Leen Zevenbergen is a sustainability keynote speaker, ESG pioneer, and business advisor. He has been transforming companies since 1997, helping them integrate sustainability without sacrificing profit.
As a business economist and accountant trained in Europe’s finest universities during the 80s, Leen belonged to an army of graduates feeding talent to multinationals. Businesses all about numbers, profit, and growth. That’s it. Starting in 1985, Leen founded and ran numerous successful national and international companies, such as Bolesian, Escador, Everex Europe, Origin and Trendsoft.
In 1997, Leen’s life changed completely. He met with a group of gamechangers: Ben Cohen (Ben & Jerry’s), Yvon Chouinard (Patagonia) and Anita Roddick (The Bodyshop). These visionaries founded the Social Venture Network: an organization based on the revolutionary idea that companies should serve a greater purpose beyond just making money. Business for good.
Suddenly, building a business wasn’t just a numbers game anymore. Now, it was about changing the world.
Leen became Chairman of the Social Venture Network Europe and in 2006, B Lab emerged from this movement. In 2013, Leen founded B Lab Europe, an organization that continues to transform sustainable business.
He stayed on as a board member, and today, there are around 10,000 B Corps worldwide. A global community of smart, fun, business leaders dedicated to improving the world through purpose-driven companies. Then in 2025, he became European board member of the Social Venture Network. He continues to help businesses become future-proof by giving inspirational keynote talks as a sustainability speaker and advisor.
Follow Leen on Substack for exclusive access to strategic business insights, leadership stories and sustainability strategies from his entrepreneurial journey.
Get practical frameworks, learn more about innovative tech solutions and receive updates from Leen’s life as a walnut farmer in France (yes, really!).
Technology + entrepreneurship = a sustainable future for your company
Looking for an expert keynote speaker? Then Leen’s your man. Discover how sustainable strategies drive profit, innovation, and long-term success.
Imagine leaving with:
• Real-world company case studies showing increased profits while integrating sustainable practices, with implementable strategies.
• Engaging storytelling that makes sustainability feel personal, inspiring action rather than resistance.
• Practical solutions to the biggest sustainability challenges, helping you balance impact and financial performance with confidence.
• A fresh, solution-focused perspective that turns sustainability from a challenge into a competitive edge.
Keynote Speaker on Sustainability, Technology, B Corp, ESG & Entrepreneurship
Sustainable entrepreneurship, cutting-edge technology, AI and doing Business For Good are the foundation of driving lasting change: economically, socially and environmentally. When it comes to tech, the opportunities today are endless. All the more reason to point all of our collective power towards a better future. A world in which profitability and sustainability go hand in hand.
As a sustainable speaker, Leen uses real-life examples from over four decades of entrepreneurial experience to activate his audience into making impact. He is a dynamic and practical speaker: direct, energetic and result-oriented. An expert in business with a deep passion for sustainability and inspiring others to take action.
“WOW – Wat een spreker. De inspiratie knettert door de gehele zaal. Aanrader!”
~Karen van Namen
Federatie ondernemersvereniging Drechtsteden
“Your presentation inspired and challenged us, and I heard many people referring to it over the next few days in many contexts.”
~Simon Bushell
Sympower
“Leen is a very inspiring speaker. By asking critical questions about their passion and inspiration, he is able to give the crowd a firm wake-up call.”
~Heleen Blom,
Google
Less talking, more action
The world needs bold leaders who are not afraid to take action. Visionaries who have the means, the knowledge, and the skills to make impact. Through keynotes, boardroom talks, and books, Leen challenges conventional thinking.
With 21 successful companies to his name, Leen has earned his reputation as a proven changemaker who translates complex technology concepts into clear, actionable strategies combining sustainable business with profit.
He lives and leads by four fundamental principles that drive his success:
- Real success comes from being self-reliant;
- Honesty is the only policy;
- Knowledge and experience are the twin pillars of innovation;
- There is no limit to optimism.
Whether it’s a 1:1 consulting session with a CEO or a keynote talk in front of 100+ people, he brings in over 40+ years of entrepreneurship and management that he turns into practical lessons and strategies.
Why work with Leen
TRUSTED EXPERTISE
A proven leader in sustainable business with 40 years of experience and 21 succesful companies.
CLARITY IN COMPLEXITY
He translates complex tech and sustainability into clear, actionable strategies.
REAL IMPACT
Blends optimism with realism, earning trust as a true changemaker.
STRATEGIC VISION
Offers deep insights into future tech innovations and practical implementation strategies.
BUSINESS FIRST SUSTAINABILITY
Leen helps organizations choose sustainability without risking profitability.
A selection of companies Leen helps make lasting impact
Sustainable business advisor
Your business is booming. Your profits are good. And you’re a pioneer in your field. Now, you want to make that business future-proof by incorporating sustainable practices. But where do you start? Known challenges CEO’s run into are:
• Balancing sustainability investments with continued profit growth
• Pressure from consumers demanding sustainable transparency
• Competing with more agile, purpose-built sustainable companies
• Difficulty managing and communicating environmental impact changes
• Integrating sustainability operation-wide without disrupting existing business processes
• And last but not least: uncertainty about which initiatives will deliver the best ROI.
For decades, Leen has pioneered in sustainable entrepreneurship and tech, from building and running 21 companies to founding B Lab Europe. He has a vast track record of hands-on experience in helping CEOs future-proof their businesses. Leen knows how to develop practical strategies, can identify opportunities with demonstrable ROI and competitive advantage and recommend tech solutions for smart business.
The world needs bold leaders who are not afraid to take action. Who will create a new economic standard. Are you ready to make lasting impact? Big ideas need bold execution. Reach out and let’s discuss how innovative technology and sustainable solutions will bring your company into the future. Future-proof your company with a top sustainable business advisor.
About Leen
Sustainability is FUN.
As founder of B Lab Europe, Board Member of the SVN Network and successful Sustainable Entrepreneur, Leen knows that only big actions create a ripple effect that will last for generations.
From the start, Leen has been a big player in the sustainable field with no interest in playing it small. He is a pioneer in sustainable entrepreneurship a sustainability business advisor and sustainable keynote speaker with an impressive career spanning decades. In 2013 he founded B Lab Europe and as board member, led thousands of companies worldwide to a B Corp certification, contributing to the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Throughout his career, he has helped build a global community of purpose-driven businesses through the renowned Social Venture Network (SVN), first as European Chairman and since 2025 as Board Member.
Why hire Leen as your speaker
A proven leader
With over 40 years of experience, Leen has established and guided numerous national and international companies, including Bolesian, Everex Europe, Electrogig, Trendsoft, Future Vision, and Made in Scotland. His extensive board experience has made him a sought-after chairperson, known for his ability to raise discussions to conceptual levels while keeping meetings engaging, humorous, and thought-provoking.
Humorous approach
Leen’s approach to presentations is distinctively practical and impact-oriented. Rather than simply observing trends, he creates them, tailoring his work to each client and working intensively to incorporate their specific goals. His forty years in business have fostered a reflective, humorous presenting style that maintains intellectual depth while remaining accessible.
Bestselling author
He is also an acclaimed author whose first book, “En nu laat ik mijn baard staan” (2007), was named Management Book of the Year and sold over 100,000 copies internationally in translations including “Rip off your necktie and dance” (English) and “Brûle ta cravate et dance” (French). His subsequent bestsellers include “Het is groen en groener wordt het niet” (2009), “Sustainability @ the Speed of Passion” (2011), “Once upon a Future” (2020), co-authored with Ruud Veltenaar and Dominee van de Duurzaamheid (2021).
“The talking is over, action is needed now.”
3-day Business Retreat at Le Chateau Vieux
Working on the future of your organization. The future of business will be determined by innovative technology in a world dominated by sustainability. Those who do not evolve, will be left behind. Do you want to become a global leader in sustainable business? Then this retreat is for you.
This exclusive 3-day retreat brings together entrepreneurs with decades of experience building sustainable organizations. SVN veterans and founders of the European B Corp movement that now includes over 5,000 certified companies.
Under Leen Zevenbergen’s inspiring leadership, participants will return to their organizations equipped with actionable plans, comprehensive understanding of sustainability challenges, and renewed energy to implement positive change.
Join us in 2025 for one of four exclusive business retreats at his walnut farm, the medieval Château in picturesque Milhac, France. Connect with forward-thinking leaders while gaining invaluable insights from sustainability pioneers in an intimate, inspiring setting.
Past attendees have implemented game-changing strategies in their companies. Will you be next?
Details:
3-day retreat led by Leen Zevenbergen
A small, select group of motivated and ambitious leaders
Location: Milhac, France
Investment: 2500 eur excl. travel expenses
2025 dates:
9/10/11 June (SOLD OUT)
15/16/17 June
30th of June, 1/2 July
1/2/3 September
Leen’s books
Seen in the media
Podcasts
TODAY’S CHANGEMAKERS 2023 #7: Leen Zevenbergen
De Multimiljonair Die In 1985 Een AI Bedrijf Bouwde – #219
Tech-ondernemer, SDG ambassadeur en auteur – Over B-corps, passie
Keynotes
Sustainable Development Goals: time lapse to the future | TEDx
Leen Zevenbergen Presentatie | Beste Werkgevers Event 2015
HOEZO! Projectmanagement & Congresorganisatie
Articles
‘Puristen hebben de duurzame beweging niet geholpen’
‘Zonder duurzaamheid wordt de zorg onbetaalbaar’
‘Stop met klagen over crisis’
‘Ik leef voor technologie aan de rand van het ravijn’
Want to pick Leens brain?
Ever wondered what it would be like to have your own ChatBot? So did Leen. Together with Two Cool Monkeys he created the LeenBot: a smart AI tool that knows all about sustainability, entrepreneurship and technology (he learned it all from Leen’s Books). Want to pick Leen’s brain?
*Disclaimer: do not follow LeenBot’s advice to the letter, he’s still learning. 😉
Follow Leen on Substack for exclusive access to strategic business insights, leadership stories and sustainability strategies from his entrepreneurial journey.
Get practical frameworks, learn more about innovative tech solutions and receive updates from Leen’s life as a walnut farmer in France (yes, really!).
Press & Contact
Want Leen as a speaker at your event, as a podcast guest or expert source on all things sustainability, technology, AI and sustainable entrepreneurship?
