Jon is a biotechnologist by choice, and curious by nature. He is always searching for how, and why, a system works like it does -or doesn’t. He enjoys mentally taking things apart to analyze the pieces, to figure out how the thing works, whether machine, human behaviour, natural phenomenon, or societal complexity. As a biotechnologist he often returns to the natural world to find how nature solves a problem, and applies that to systems designed by humans.

The area where technology touches biology fascinates Jon. He is in his element solving these complex interactive systems. From a young age he was enchanted by the ingenious complex systems that are found in nature.  Determined to figure out how it all works, he dedicated his studies to biotechnology.  He adopted a broad knowledge base, and learned that interdisciplinary approaches help solve the toughest of problems, and  that context and creativity are essential. Jon pursued a Bachelor in Biosystems Engineering, and got his Master’s degree in Biotechnology at Wageningen University. Both studies focused on mathematics and systems design and understanding, based on a wide variety of biological and natural processes.

The world, and everything beyond, is fascinating, and Jon aims to understand it all. But until then, he has dedicated his work to enable society, and human life, to become sustainable on this earth. In the process making sure there is a world left for himself to explore.

Kai completed their MA in Literature at Utrecht University, and has a passion for how stories can be used as a creative means to engage people with social challenges in a fun and meaningful way. If people can relate to and understand the issues the environment (and the world at large) is facing through storytelling, people may start to feel the same kind of enthusiasm about making the world a better place.

As an artist, writer and creator Kai strives for their creations to contribute to a sustainable, just and beautiful planet. They are curious and eager to learn, and hold a strong belief in intersectional, multidisciplinary solutions.

Kai specialises in making planning run smoothly, facilitating communications and supporting their team with hot drinks.

Antonia is an architect with many different passions and several years of experience in sustainable architecture and urban planning. She enjoys creating interactive architecture that focuses on people and the natural environment, making them involved actors instead of just passive users. Pursuing integrated sustainable designs, she challenges herself to always look from different perspectives in order to find solutions that embody economical, ecological and social sustainability.

Born and raised in 1700 year old Split on the Dalmatian coast, she has developed a sensitivity towards cultural and natural heritage since childhood. At the age of 19 Antonia moved to Italy where she graduated in Bachelor and Master degree in Architecture at the University of Florence. During her studies she has developed an interest in Urban Sociology and ever since is passionate in research about the interaction between the built environment and people’s behaviour.

Antonia joined Except initially as an intern during her 2nd level Post-Graduate Course “Sustainable Design of the built environment” and was part of the 1st Except Academy, a learning platform for interns. As an member she continues to support the academy team, eager to further strengthen her skills and help others do the same.

As an architect she believes that design is not only about the form and aesthetics but rather about the added value it generates for the environment and the society. She wants to contribute to re-building cities where people are engaged and active part of the change. In everything she does she always asks herself: why are we doing what we do and how are we contributing to the environment we live in.

Jeroen is an all-round professional in the built environment with experience in management. At Except, he is responsible for the office strategy. Hands-on experience with a creative company provides him with the necessary know-how to make sure everybody can focus on the things they want to do, and help them with the things they don’t.

Jeroen has a background as an urban designer, having studied Urbanism  at the Delft University of Technology and having worked as a designer at an office for urban planning and landscapearchitecture. During the former, he developed a passion for general DTP-work, and designing reports and presentations in particular. During the latter, he was appointed as de facto office manager, while maintaining his expertise in edit and layout work. Jeroen not only has a feeling for creative processes, but also for numbers and spreadsheets, a combination of which comes in especially handy for his role as office manager for Except.

Kelvin is an expert learner and has a capricious appetite for learning. Before deciding to pursue a career in business development, he enjoyed learning about cellular biology, communication design, urban systems engineering, and circular economy. His expertise across multiple disciplines allows him to effectively research new business opportunities, and liaise both internally and externally across different teams.

He truly believes that individuals, cities, and businesses have the potential to be a transformative force for sustainable development. His mission is to enable this transformation worldwide, especially in Southeast Asia.

He is currently finishing his MSc in Biobased Sciences at Wageningen University and Research.

Sonia has worked as a physicist over the past decade. Her migration from physics to environmental science was accidental. Her path was very random, driven by her love of physics, nature, and too many interests. She believes that physics and environmental research are much more compatible than one might immediately see. “Physics is what’s around us and within us. It is all there is.”, she believes. Sonia was enchanted by the night sky from a very early age and had the ambition of becoming an astronaut. Her interest evolved in later years to study physics in an attempt to understand how the world around her worked.

Today, Sonia thinks that our planet's environmental and ecological complexity as a system is rooted in the fundamental laws of physics. She believes that the challenge is to create a realistic account of causality in highly complex hierarchical structures, such as our planet. Sonia finds the challenge fascinating and crucial to be resolved for sustainable life on our planet. To this end, she attempts to employ the knowledge she has to tackle some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. At Except, she has found an exceptional place to do just that together with a team of talented experts.

Sonia has worked and studied in Italy, Germany, and Spain, and is currently based in The Netherlands. She has a Ph.D. and a master's degree in optical physics and a bachelor's degree in applied physics. 

Ruben is a sustainability technology specialist, with a background in physics and innovation science. During his studies, Ruben found great joy in working on complex sustainability solutions. Having the experience to do quick back of the envelope calculations allows him to think about sustainability concepts in a practical and realistic manner.

Through his general interest for nature, during his studies he did several projects ranging from the sustainability domain up into the healthcare domain. Turning Ruben into a natural sciences generalist. Before starting to work at Except, Ruben worked in the field of software development, developing a mobile application and website.

Claudia began her path in sustainability during her bachelors education, where she discovered her love for connecting nature and science. However, she found that she was never satisfied with only knowing how the individual parts worked, and instead, wanted to understand how they interacted in a system. This is where her passion for sustainability and systems thinking began, as she could combine her knowledge and love of biology with innovative and multidisciplinary approaches. She enjoys bridging the gap between the theoretical and practical and aims to solve complex sustainability issues by looking through an ecological, social, and economical lens.

She is currently finishing her MSc in Environmental Biology at Utrecht University with a specialization in Ecology and Natural Resource Management.