Danah Kolstee has always been fascinated by the connections between geopolitics, resource dependency and the energy transition. Recent years have made painfully clear how fragile that dependency can be — and how deeply energy and geopolitics are intertwined.
That fascination first took her into journalism. At BNR Nieuwsradio, she worked on geopolitical podcasts and broadcasts, reporting on the forces shaping Europe's energy choices. Her Master's in European Studies from KU Leuven gave her a grounding in how policy, institutions and international relations determine the decisions countries make — insight that still shapes how she approaches her work today.
She then made the switch from reporting on the energy transition to actually working on it. As Project Manager at New Energy Coalition, she works on hydrogen strategy, heat transition and energy hubs within the Noord-Holland Noord region. What she enjoys most is using her knowledge of the region and its projects to connect the right parties and help new energy transition initiatives take shape.
Three young professionals, three transitions — AI inside a regulated bank, the energy and heat transition, and the AI Act as it moves from paper into practice. All three are close to the front line of change most organisations are still figuring out how to handle.
This isn't a panel about what's holding progress back. It's a fireside chat — the kind of honest conversation that only happens once the framework slides are gone. What does it actually feel like to carry responsibility before you feel ready for it? Where have you doubted yourself, and what got you through it? What's a moment you got it wrong, and what did it teach you?
Three different fields, but the same human questions underneath: how do you stay grounded when you're moving faster than the people around you expect? What do you tell yourself on the days it doesn't feel like enough?
An open, personal conversation between three people who are figuring this out in real time — not because they have it all worked out, but because they're honest about what it takes.
What would you tell the person one step behind you — not about the rules, but about how it feels?
Tickets give you full-day access to all sessions, workshops and networking.
Massimo Tumolo