Who we are

Sophie BloemenSophie BloemenDirector

Sophie is a political economist and co-founder and director of Commons Network. She has been active in civil society for over 15 years, working from a feminist perspective on ideas, proposals and projects for a post-growth economy.

Florine Zegers Florine Zegers Project lead Community Wealth Building and Local Economy

Florine is a community organiser and group facilitator, with a focus on Community Wealth Building. She has been coordinating and developing different public programs and neighbourhood initiatives creating inclusive spaces for collective reflection, mutual learning and active citizenship.

Diane GolenvauxDiane GolenvauxProject officer on Degrowth and Local Currencies

Diane has conducted research on community currencies and has been involved in various forms of activist organising. She is interested in degrowth, monetary transformation and post-capitalist finance.

Ayoub SamadiAyoub SamadiProject Officer Digital Commons

Ayoub Samadi is a researcher and project officer for the Digital Commons project as well as the operations team. He is a writer and researcher with experience in academic research and editing for local independent magazines. He has an extensive background in media studies, cultural analysis, and philosophy.

Alba Garcia TombasAlba Garcia TombasIntern

Alba is supporting the commons through degrowth and monetary transformation research, design & formatting, operations, as well as in updating our website and social media.

Stewards and collaborators

Wouter TebbensWouter TebbensAdvisor on Digital Commons, Digital Sovereignty and Digital Public Infrastructures

Wouter Tebbens is an engineer turned activist, working on digital democratisation, self-organisation and cooperative community building.

Dwayne AnsahDwayne AnsahData Commons Fellow

Dwayne is a researcher at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development. He is currently working on his PhD project, exploring data donation in the European Union.

Thomas de GrootThomas de GrootCollaborator on Community Wealth Building

Thomas is an activist, writer and policy advisor. He is also our co-director. Thomas has an academic background in China Studies and he worked in journalism, advertising and politics.

Winne van WoerdenWinne van WoerdenCollaborator on Degrowth and Caring Economy

Winne focuses on climate justice, global health and new economic thinking

Mai Ishikawa SuttonMai Ishikawa SuttonCollaborator on Digital Commons

Mai Ishikawa Sutton (they/them) is an organiser, facilitator and writer focused on the digital commons and other intersections between network technologies and the solidarity economy.

Jens KimmelJens KimmelCollaborator on Storytelling

Jens has worked on the urban commons and democracy for years. He is part of the Collective Goed Verhaal and writes for several Dutch newspaper and weeklies.

Supervisory board

Wouter de LonghWouter de Longh

Wouter is the co-founder of ODS, a Brussels based cooperative supporting non-profit initiatives worldwide by developing their organisations, strategies and learning practices.

Godelieve van HeterenGodelieve van HeterenChairperson of the Board

Godelieve is a global health and social transition advocate. She also chairs the Dutch European Movement.

Spring GombeSpring GombeBoard member

Spring Gombe-Götz is Partner and Principal at Market Access Africa.