Welcome to STUDIO.WHY, where innovation meets impact.

Our journey began in the Netherlands in 2013, with a radical idea to harness the untapped potential of youth and redefine how organizations innovate. Today, we are a global force, driving transformative change across industries and borders.

Who we are?

STUDIO.WHY is an organization committed to unlocking the innovative potential of individuals and organizations, helping them take control of their futures, and making a positive impact for our world. We believe in the importance of resilience, agility, and a proactive learning culture to create positive change.

What we do?

Through our practical, immersive learning opportunities, we empower people with the skills, tools, and mindsets they need to be innovative and entrepreneurial. We focus on creating value for others and the world around us by challenging the status quo and demonstrating real results from new and innovative approaches

Our journey

We started in the Netherlands in 2014, matching teams of young and multidisciplinary talents with organizational challenges. Through an environment of serious play, we discovered that everyone became more innovative and entrepreneurial. This led us to develop hands-on development programs for teams and organizations, and we are delighted to have reached over 7500 people worldwide to date, working with over 250 organizations. Our impact has spread globally with STUDIO.WHYs now in 5 countries.

 
 
Benjo van den boogaard

How we started

So, picture this: The Netherlands, 2013. A guy named Benjo, an absolute visionary, gets this radical idea. He sees this untapped potential in the youth, a power that can redefine how organizations stay on their toes. So, what does he do? He brings together students from all sorts of disciplines and pairs them with companies, giving them six months to innovate and solve problems. And boy, the results were mind-blowing!

And it wasn’t long before two other go-getters, Michiel and Kees, hopped on this exciting ride, and together, they turned Benjo’s vision into what we know today as STUDIO.WHY. Sounds exciting, right?

The Real Party

But the real party started when they began organizing these productive festivals in the middle of the Dutch summer. Imagine this – young minds gathering for five days, camping out in a metaphorical field of ideas, working day and night on organizational and societal challenges. And the best part? The motivation wasn’t fame or money; it was just the thrill of problem-solving, the joy of collaboration, and the satisfaction of making an impact. I mean, who wouldn’t love that?

The STUDIO.WHY vibe started spreading, reaching beyond the student community into the professional corporate world. The revelation that work could be fun and productive was like a breath of fresh air, a “positive virus” that touched everyone. Today, it’s this electric energy and commitment to innovation that fuels the spirit of STUDIO.WHY.

Innovation Games
STUDIO.WHY Impact

Our dream

You know what we dream of? A world where social cohesion, environmental sustainability, and inclusive economic growth are not mere dreams, but a reality. It’s like we want to set off this domino effect of entrepreneurial behavior that can bring about transformative change. And we are not just dreaming; we are challenging the status quo, unlocking innovation in individuals and organizations by creating collaborative cultures and fostering entrepreneurial mindsets.

The Guiding Principles

Sounds impressive, right? But wait till you hear about our guiding principles – trust, responsibility, connection, and impact. They’re like our own moral compass, leading us to create environments of respect, inspiring change through action, and fostering collective efforts for progress. It’s like they’re on this mission to save our planet by balancing social, environmental, and economic prosperity.

We are STUDIO.WHY
STUDIO.WHY Waves

Our Waves

And let us share this, our work has made waves! We’ve developed the first Design Thinking Curriculum for Dutch high school students, created an internal pool of 350 innovation coaches for the Dutch Ministry of Defence, and even supported the government of Catalonia in developing tools for innovation in their education system. They’ve trained over 7500 people across 200 different organizations worldwide, including underprivileged youth in Mexico, South Africa, and Brazil. Now, that’s what I call making a real difference!

Our Challenges

Of course, like any great story, we’ve had our share of challenges. But the beauty is how we learned and still learning from it, how we realized the importance of a sustainable and scalable business model. Even in our quest to change the world, we understood we also had to ensure our own sustainability. Applying holocracy, being an organization with no bosses , only entrepreneurs, no certainties and total equality. We have faced them all! So we know what it means to reinvent yourself.

STUDIO.WHY Challenges
Hands on learning

What sets us apart

What sets STUDIO.WHY apart, you ask? Well, we’re all about practicality, immediacy and  being very personal. We train our clients with practical tools that can be applied in real-world settings right away. We’re like your personal innovation compass, fostering a collaborative learning environment and helping develop an entrepreneurial mindset, a solution-focused approach, and teamwork skills. We do have many different services because we want to deliver tailer made programs that really make an impact!

Whats next

Let’s take a step into the future and imagine our grandchildren. we can envision a scenario where they express their envy for the era we grew up in, with all the new possibilities brought about by Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Virtual Reality. We can also imagine them thanking us for choosing to care more for our planet, allowing them to enjoy its natural beauty and lead fulfilling lives.

But there’s also a scenario where they express their disappointment in how we mishandled things, leaving them in a world they wouldn’t want to live in. Could we have made different choices?

Three scenarios, all equally plausible. The choice and preparation for how we shape the future is ours. 

STUDIO.WHY Innovation
STUDIO.WHY Challenges

Are you ready?

So, are you ready to be part of this journey with STUDIO.WHY? Until next time, keep innovating, keep dreaming, and let’s make this world a better place. Cheers!

Achievements we are proud of

We are proud of our work developing the first Design Thinking Curriculum in the Netherlands for high school students, creating an internal pool of 350 innovation coaches within the Dutch Ministry of Defence, and supporting the government of Catalonia to develop tools and systems for innovation within the education system.

What we look like

Empowering innovation and growth.

At STUDIO.WHY, we are committed to unlocking the innovative potential of individuals and organizations and helping people take control of their futures. We are driven to make a positive impact for our world, at the same time we understand the complexity of that world and the importance of resilience and agility to make this positive change happen. We believe that entrepreneurial behavior and a proactive learning culture are key to achieving this. That’s why we are dedicated to empowering people with the skills, tools, and mindsets they need to be innovative and entrepreneurial, and to cultivate a culture of continuous learning through challenge-based experiences.

Empower positive impact.

Our mission is to make a positive impact in the world and empower others to do the same. We recognize that the world is complex and constantly evolving, and that resilience and agility are essential for navigating and thriving in this environment. By teaching people how to be proactive learners and value creators, we equip them with the tools they need to confidently and purposefully navigate an unpredictable future.

Empowering practical learning.

Our goal is to help people become indispensable by teaching them how to create value for others and the world around them. We believe that hands-on experiences are an essential part of learning and personal growth. We focus on providing practical, immersive learning opportunities that allow people to discover and refine their skills, make decisions, meet challenges, and communicate with stakeholders. We work with individuals, teams, and organizations to help them solve problems creatively and collaborate effectively, and we strive to create a supportive and inspiring learning environment that fosters cooperation and movement.

Empowering people's success.

Through our various programs and initiatives, we aim to make a positive impact in people’s lives and careers by challenging the status quo and demonstrating real results from new and innovative approaches. We believe that by empowering people to be proactive learners, value creators and problem-solvers, we can help them navigate an unpredictable future with confidence and purpose.

We are proud of the work we have done to date, including developing the first Design Thinking Curriculum in the Netherlands for high school students, creating an internal pool of 350 innovation coaches within the Dutch Ministry of Defence, and supporting the government of Catalonia to develop tools and systems for innovation within the education system. We have also had the opportunity to work with organizations around the world, including Miro, to help them collaborate effectively, and to work with underprivileged youth in Mexico, South Africa and Brazil to teach them how to create value for their local communities. We are excited to continue making a positive impact in the future and to help people succeed in an ever-evolving world.

This is what a practical, immersive learning opportunity looks like!

Personal plan

Let’s look at the posibilities together!

Whether it’s a new product, an innovation strategy, or a way to solve a problem, there are always ways to think creatively and turn ideas into reality. Let’s work together to identify the best ideas and make them happen!

Where our participants come from