Martin Cadée

educational innovator, social entrepreneur, nature quest guide

  • My Work

    I am an entrepreneurial innovator dedicated to empower change makers. My work has two main focuses. 1. Innovation of educational methods, institutions and systems to better serve people and planet. 2. Supporting people and organizations on a quest for purpose and their unique contribution to "the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible" (quoting Charles Eisenstein). I co-founded an international school for young social entrepreneurs. An important inspiration in my work are the pathways many cultures have and had to support deep transformation - e.g. from adolescence into adulthood - rites of passage.

    Projects

    I envision, start and support disruptively innovative projects aimed at shifting to new, life supporting paradigms of learning, educating and organizing. I co-founded KaosPilots.NL (now Knowmads) - an international school for young entrepreneurial talents wanting to make a positive difference in the world. I have been envisioning The Journey Network (see below).

    Consulting

    I work in close partnership with leaders and leadership teams - inspiring, supporting, facilitating or leading innovation processes. I bring 20+ years of experience in higher and secondary education - from teacher to executive, inside and outside the system. I add most value if your innovation is aligned with my work.

     

    Coaching

    I have space for a small number of people for coaching, mentoring or apprenticing. Contact me if you have a gut feeling that I might be able to support you on your journey. I am at my best when you are on a quest for deep meaning and purpose in your work or when you are somehow (on the verge of) stepping or being pushed into a new phase of your life, in the middle of, or returning from such a journey.

    Nature Quest

    People have retreated into nature for inspiration, transformation and renewal throughout the ages. In modern culture this has become less prevalent, while at the same time, the wish and need to break out of hectic daily life, to truly stand still or to mark a big transition is still as real as ever. I am guiding individuals and teams on such retreats, that always include spending time alone in wild nature.

  • * available *

    After 10 years of mostly beating my/our own drum, it’s time for me to shift away a bit from the lead entrepreneurial role. As of now I am available for work assignments.

    I would like to offer my skills and gifts to projects, ventures or organizations believing I can add value to their mission. I am at my best in innovative, entrepreneurial environments. Key words: teamwork, complex, steep learning curves, strategy design, visioning, positive impact, global focus.
     

    Where my strength are greatest:

    • Project leadership
    • Strategy design (from purpose to vision to strategy)
    • (Interim) Management
    • Training / Teaching (e.g. finding purpose, social entrepreneurship, empowerment)
    • Process design (e.g. U-process, Open Space, Appreciative Inquiry)
    • Project design (e.g. Design Thinking, Chaordic Design, Lean Startup)
    • Leadership Coaching and Mediation

    I’m looking for substantial assignments or a longer term (several months up to a year) engagement. A huge preference for working based out of Barcelona (no problem with online/distance work and regular travel).

     

    Contact me to explore!

  • Projects / engagements

    I work both in the mainstream and far beyond. In the projects I do or the assignments I take on I look for maximum leverage and potential for multiplier effect. 

    Since 2015 I have been organizing Nature Quests near Barcelona. Shorter and longer ones. Both open registration and for groups and organizations. For more info see the Nature Quest Barcelona website.

    (2015-)

    Over the past years I have been envisioning a community and platform to support people journeying beyond the status quo of their lives, seeking for meaning, purpose and a personal answer to real needs in the world – The Journey Network. Inspired by the ways many cultures help their people move from one phase of life to another – rites of passage.

    I co-founded KaosPilots.NL - an international school for young entrepreneurial talents who want to make a positive difference in the world. In 2010 KaosPilots.NL transformed into Knowmads and it has been running under that name in Amsterdam since.

    (2005-2009)

    Since 2012 I have been organizing and co-guiding nature quests for Knowmads students. Supporting the deep inner healing and purpose finding work that I believe is essential for any social entrepreneneur looking to dedicate his or her working life to positive change.

    (2012-present)

    With Tsila Piran I have been supporting Woodstock School - one of the top international boarding schools in India - with advancing an ambitious strategic vision for an empowering and holistic education that truly elicits the greatness of the students. Until now we worked mainly with the staff (leadership, teachers, boarding staff, administration) to foster the culture and community that has to be the context for such an education.

    (2014-present)

    For the United World Colleges in the USA and in The Netherlands I initiated and co-created the Social Entrepreneurship Incubator / Impact Lab. A space where the most entrepreneurially talented students could work on their projects and grow as young changemakers, within the IB curriculum. We introduced a new action learning methodology to the UWC’s, sharing responsibility for the learning space with the 16-18 yr old students.

     

    (2012-2015)

  • TEDx Talk

    TEDxBarcelonaED

    My talk at TEDx Barcelona Education January 2015 'What the desert taught me about crafting a life of purpose'. A personal story of my walking out of the status quo of my life, seeking for new answers on ‘what is my role in this world facing so many challenges?’ and ‘how do we best help young people find theirs?’

  • Partners

    Some of the main people and organizations I am collaborating with

    • With Tsila Piran (Israel/Poland) I guide nature quests and do consulting work, for Woodstock School in India for example.
    • I am advisor and learning catalyst for Mycelium, a disruptively innovative living learning laboratory to ignite positive action, based out of Asheville, NC, USA.
    • In collaboration with Manish Jain, co-founder of Shikshantar Andolean and Swaraj University in Udaipur, India, Tsila Piran and me hosted one of the first nature quest programs in India.
    • I have been collaborating closely with Kathia Laszlo (Mexico/USA) in developing the vision for The Journey Network.

  • Background

    I believe the world craves for us to fully embrace our inter-dependency with each other and the earth and to follow a deep call of service rather than a career and status. I dream of a vibrant new culture full of meaningful and life enhancing activity. My work is about empowering people and organizations to help this new culture emerge.

    My sources of inspiration and training

    • The many amazing people I have been fortunate enough to work and share the journey with.
    • The projects that I have been involved in along the road.
    • The work of Peter Senge and Otto Scharmer around organizational learning, systems thinking and transformational change, including  Theory U.
    • The work of Bill Plotkin around life phases and finding ones soul purpose - "the largest conversation you’re capable of having with the world”. I trained with the organization he founded Animas Valley Institute.
    • The work of Meredith Little and Steven Foster bringing rites of passage to modern society. I trained with the organization they founded - School of Lost Borders.
    • The work of Margaret Wheatley et. al. around embracing complexity and leading in emergence.
    • Mindfulness, Thich Nhat Hahn, Pema Chödron, Tara Brach.
    • My own journey through life, looking for meaning, purpose and healing from childhood wounding being bullied at an early age.
    • Nature
    • And so many more...

    See my LinkedIn profile for an overview of my work experience and training.

    Media

    • Article in El Periodico de Catalunya featuring digtal nomads. (2015, in Spanish, mostly accurate...)
    • Article in United World College USA's Kaleidoscope Magazine about the Social Entrepreneurship Incubator program at UWC USA. (2014)
    • Article in the Austrian magazine 'Bestseller' about my work. (2013, in German)
    • The magazine we produced at KaosPilots.NL in 2009, giving a feel for the journey we were on.
    • Article in the Dutch magazine 'Slow Management' about KaosPilots.NL. (2008, in Dutch)

  • Connect

    Please be in touch if you would like to connect or explore collaboration!

     

    "What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" - Mary Oliver

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Copyright 2015