Founder Story: From Classrooms to Boardrooms
- Renate Matroos
- May 6
- 3 min read
My Journey into Leadership Development
During my Digital Innovation traineeship at Hyper Island, I realized how much more practical and fun education could be if we were willing to flip the script.
I studied Small Business and Retail Management and graduated with a degree in Small Business. But I always felt like something was missing during my studies. During my traineeship, I experienced an alternative learning approach and wondered, “What would I have needed back then during my Entrepreneurship study to have really thrived?” More importantly, I wanted to build that.
So, I did what any aspiring entrepreneur with an idea would do: I reached out to my network. I contacted my mentor at the time, at The Hague University of Applied Sciences, and asked a simple question.
“Can I have a conversation with your students to understand what they need and how the school could better support their learning?”
My mentor had even bigger plans and saw potential beyond just one conversation. He challenged me to design the kind of learning environment these students need. I turned my ideas into action and designed a program that brought practical and engaging learning to life. That’s how my first creative program, Improve Your Business (part of the minor Entrepreneurship), was born. The school I once studied at became my first client, and I officially launched Twenty 6 Consultancy.
From there, I dove deep into how these students learned best. I found that a learning-by-doing approach didn’t just work; it made them thrive. My sessions were the opposite of passive lectures. They were active, collaborative, and packed with feedback.
“Apparently, online classes can also be interesting and catchy!”
“Renate's classes were really good, she's so creative and constantly came up with out-of-the-box ideas. Thanks to the ongoing feedback, I was able to take my company to the next level.”
Making entrepreneurship accessible to all became my mission. Whether in classrooms, communities that wanted to promote entrepreneurship, or government-backed initiatives, I wanted to help people turn ideas into action.
A New Chapter: Leadership Development
About a year ago, I found myself asking a question that I’ve asked myself several times before: how else could I use my skills, and where could they have an even greater impact?
That’s when I became a certified CirclesSpace Guide. As a guide, I started leading small group conversations among Forum members. These weren’t just surface-level talks; they were deep, strategic conversations about real leadership challenges. And while I was falling in love with the Leadership world, something clicked.
I also started working with Roots Inspire, a leadership development platform where today’s ethnic role models pave the way for the next generation of leaders our society needs.
Through my client work, I had the chance to learn directly from the people I served: experienced leaders navigating real-time complexity, change, and decision-making.
With my background in learning design and facilitation, I could see what was missing: these high-level leaders in mid-sized companies didn’t need more training; they needed better conversations. A dedicated moment where they have focused time to think critically with their leadership team, address real issues, and walk away with actionable and applicable insights.
So I listened and listened and listened some more. Beyond my work facilitating conversations, I spoke with executive coaches, L&D professionals, C-suite leaders, facilitators, HR professionals, and executive assistants. I gathered insights across industries: banking, tech, solo-founders, mid-sized teams, and large corporations.
Patterns emerged. Dots connected, and a clear opportunity revealed itself.
The same dynamic, collaborative approach that helped students thrive? It worked for leaders, too. When the focus shifts to connection, clarity, and co-creating the right environment, something powerful happens. Learning becomes strategic, energizing, and transformative.
What does the future of leadership development look like, especially for busy, successful executives?
During my conversations with leaders, HR professionals, and learning experts, I kept hearing the same story.
Executives sit through leadership trainings packed with theory and models that don’t speak to their reality. The content feels disconnected from their organizational challenges, and worse, it doesn’t translate into immediate action. They walk away with a workbook and a few vague ideas of what could be done. Then they return to the office, where real life takes over. Slowly, the momentum fades. They struggle to find the time, space, or clarity to make sense of what they’ve learned, let alone apply it, and the training turns into a missed opportunity.
That’s why I do things differently. The future of leadership isn’t theoretical: it's practical, experiential, and unconventional.
I design experiences that shake things up and get to the heart of real challenges. Leadership development shouldn't feel like a checklist, but should feel like progress. It should spark action.
Here's to the future I'm building and doing things differently,
