Jean-Luc Mommaerts, M.D., M.A.I., Ph.D.
Jean-Luc studied general and occupational medicine. He obtained degrees in Knowledge Systems and Hypnotherapy and is a Master in Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence. In 2014, he obtained a Ph.D. in Medical Science on the thesis “Subconceptual Processing in Medicine: From Body & Mind to Health & Healing.“
At Kluwer Editorial, he was responsible for the development of a medical decision support system. At Language & Computing, he was responsible for a team of medical knowledge engineers.
Having had a medical practice for twelve years, Jean-Luc has become aware that modern people’s health needs point to the immense strength of the inner mind (the vast neuronal network of the brain that produces much more than consciousness).
Since 1997, he has elaborated his ideas into 14 books, AurelisOnLine (1200+ guided meditations), workshops, 1300+ blogs, a network of Aurelis coaches, etc. At present, his focus lies on developing Lisa, an A.I. video coach based on subconceptual (‘connectionist’) principles.
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Walter Bauwens
Walter Bauwens runs Relife.be, which offers Holistic Coaching for Business Owners and Managers, as well as an exclusive Advisory Council service for mid-sized companies. The approach aims to help clients find inner balance and success in business. The Advisory Council service brings together core team members of SMEs and high-performing managers from large international companies to share knowledge, networks, and proven concepts for growth. Previously, Walter sold his company 3W.be, the largest professional interim manager network in Belgium, to Adecco. He offers affordable and reliable solutions for Search & Selection, Interim Management, Coaching, Outsourcing, in all sectors and disciplines. For more information, contact him at +32 475 50 20 22 or w.bauwens@me.com.
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Danielle Baetens
Managing Director at Grant@vice.
Danielle has more than 20 years of experience with subsidy matters in various domains (chemistry, materials, energy, ICT, health, care sector, …).
There is ad hoc cooperation with third parties, whereby years of experience can always be counted on.
Grant@vice specializes in grants for research and development, investment projects and training programs in Flanders, Brussels, Wallonia, and Europe.
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Ief Winckelmans
Sustainability is not about the planet, it’s about us and our relationship with the global eco-system that makes this blue planet a welcoming home to all things living.
Before starting a non-profit that facilitates the transition to a sustainable society, I started a VC-funded ICT company (sold in 2001), transitioned into venture capital, assisted Huawei with its launch in Europe and built a services company for UHNWI’s in China.
Working in and with China during its rapid industrial growth was extremely exhilarating but confronted with the massive scale of the environmental destruction, I decided that I could no longer remain on the sidelines.
What initially started as a cleantech fund, quickly became IMPACTVISTA (www.impactvista.org) an international organisation that works with universities, R&D centers, ecopreneurs, investors and philanthropists to find, develop and implement transformational solutions for the biggest environmental challenges of our time.
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Kristof Snels
I have 20 years of experience in the advertising industry as a copywriter, creative director and executive creative director.
As a creative and strategic brand builder, I like to translate complicated messages into a compelling and relevant story. As a creative leader, I’ve enjoyed managing and coaching multiple teams.
I was lucky to receive awards at major festivals like Cannes Lions, Clio’s and EFFIE Awards.
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Paul Vandeperre
Start up since 1980 ( in a management or director position ) of several companies such as GIMV , IMEC , Methapharma, 3W , City Depot , Mabys, Parinsu ….Transformation from RTT to Proximus ( director since 1995) Co- founder of VC company listed on Euronext in Brussels in 1996 ,turn around of several companies (since 1988-…), M&A consultant since 1999, Past director of companies such as Arcelor,Sun Parks . Strong in networking and finding practical management solutions for Midmarket companies.
Specialised since 2002 in financing of real estate deals.
Specialties: Specialised in funding of growth capital in EU,Venture capital and start ups and Real Estate finance.
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Dirk Devroey, M.D., Ph.D.
Dirk studied medicine at the VUB and has been a general practitioner in Overijse since 1991.
He worked for ten years for the Scientific Institute of Public Health (now Sciensano).
In 2004 he obtained his doctorate at the VUB (cardiovascular prevention).
One year later, he became a Professor of General Practice and, a year later, chairman of the Department of General Practice.
In 2006 he became chairman of the training council of the Interuniversity Center for General Practice Training (ICHO). From 2010 to 2020, he was chairman of the executive committee of ICHO.
His research focuses on cardiovascular prevention and integrated care.
He brought in projects from WHO, EU, KCE, and Innoviris.
Between 2014 and 2018, he was an advisor to the cabinet of Minister De Block.
He is a member of the Supreme Council of Physicians-Specialists and General Practitioners.
He has been a member of the Faculty Council of Medicine and Pharmacy since 2000 and was elected Dean in 2020.
As Dean, he sits on the Executive Council of UZ Brussel, the Academic Council, and the University Council of the VUB.
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Liesbet Goubert, Ph.D.
Liesbet Goubert is a Full Professor of Clinical Health Psychology in the Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology at Ghent University, Belgium. She completed her Ph.D. in 2004, focusing on the role of psychosocial risk factors for developing chronic low back pain (e.g., fear). In the last decade, she shifted her primary research focus to investigating interpersonal dynamics of (chronic) pain and chronic illness. She has published numerous studies on the role of others (e.g., parents, health care providers, partners) in pediatric and adult pain. More recently, she became interested in studying psychosocial resilience mechanisms for sustaining adaptive functioning and well-being in pain.
She developed, together with (inter)national colleagues, different theoretical models on the role of the social context in chronic conditions, which have been published in high-impact journals. Her scholarly contributions have been recognized with several scientific awards, including the IASP-SIG Early Career Award in Pediatric Pain, the EFIC Grünenthal Grant Award, and the Prize “Institut Belge de la Douleur-UPSA-Belgisch Pijninstituut. In 2017, she received the British Pain Society Medal for her outstanding contributions to the clinical science of pain.
She is a Council member of the IASP Special Interest Group on Pain in Childhood (2018 – 2023) and a member of the IASP/EFIC task force “Pain in the most vulnerable.” She has been the scientific chair of international conferences, including the 11th International Symposium on Pediatric Pain (July 2017, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) and the European Pediatric Psychology Conference (September 2018, Ghent, Belgium).
Next to her academic activities, she also works as a clinical psychologist within a multidisciplinary primary care setting in De Pinte, Belgium.
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Dirk De Wachter, M.D.
Dirk De Wachter is a psychiatrist and therapist. He is a professor at KU Leuven and is the head of system and family therapies at the Psychiatric Centre of the Catholic University of Louvain.
He also supervises and teaches family therapy in different centers at home and abroad.
He gained fame in both Belgium and the Netherlands after his book Borderline Times was published in October 2012, which became a success. This book was in the bestseller list for 47 weeks. According to De Wachter, Western society would meet the nine criteria of borderline. He writes and talks a lot about the psychiatrization of society.
In 2022, De Wachter received an honorary doctorate from Hasselt University. In addition, De Wachter has been an honorary member of the Quest for wisdom foundation since November 9, 2016.
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