www.knowmads.nl

The Invitation Embark on a learning journey. Combine who you are, with your talents, passions and dreams and take the opportunity to fulfil these at Knowmads. Learn how to make a difference for yourself and others. Whether you want to start your own company or NGO. Whether you want to be self employed or work at an inspiring organisation. Discover at Knowmads the keys to take your career into your own hands and to unlock many doors within our fast changing world.

We offer a one year education in Amsterdam, where you can discover what you are truly capable of. We empower and enable personal development in a team setting. We offer tools, insights, personal development and many practical experiences. Join a group of creative talented internationals who work on real-life assignments with partners and earn while you learn. Welcome Home Pieter Spinder, Knowmads Fire Starter

What is a Knowmad? A Knowmad is a nomadic knowledge worker that is a brave, responsible, creative, imaginative person who can effect change and work with anybody, anytime, anywhere. Knowmads can instantly reconfigure environments and apply their knowledge at different levels in multiple contexts. (Free after John Moravec) Is that you?

A Knowmads student is on average between 20 - 35 years old, willing to learn in a team setting, adventurous, curious, has an entrepreneurial attitude, cooperative and independent, value driven, innovative, responsible and fun to be with. The reasons why the students join are as diverse as the countries they come from. We love this diversity as it is a stepping stone to learning from and with each other.

Students about Knowmads

am able to do with an education

Brock LeMieux (USA)

Marianne Slegers (NL)

such strong cohesion, openness and respect in a group. Diversity is not just a word at Knowmads. We appreciate our different backgrounds and the opportunity to learn from each

Franziska Krüger (Austria)

hink about my company

Mike Bruijnesteijn (NL)

Picture: Application Workshop

What will you learn? After one year: You have a clear(er) understanding of who you really are and

what you are capable of. You know your special talents and passions and how to apply

them in work settings. You have a dream or even started working on realizing one,

whether it is a business, a job or a long term project. You have a clear picture of your interest in this world and how to

create your part in it. You have an international network and inspiring CV, with

interesting clients on it. You have had training in and worked with topics like business

design, marketing, personal development, process facilitation, sustainability, global economy, concept and product development and creativity.

You have explored the newest and most inspiring methods, tools en theories in business, web 2.0, etcetera.

And you will have learned how to align yourself with change and learned what to pick up and what to ignore.

Picture: Co-creation workshop in Seoul, South Korea

The world of Knowmads The more we learn about the world, the more interconnected and fragile everything appears to be. New inventions, ideas, developments, conflicts or disasters anywhere will influence lives across the globe. This world needs Change Makers, people who want to make a difference and search curiously for those places where a little push or pull may make positive shifts happen. To learn about the world we bring in lecturers from many different backgrounds and with many different ideas. We also will offer you the opportunity to work with a diverse set of (partner) organisations that will bring in real-life assignments. It will be your task to not only find solutions, but also to sell these solutions to these organisations and earn real money while being part of our education. Picture: students working at Head Quarters

About Knowmads At Knowmads you become part of a network that seeks to span the globe and attracts bright minds, purposeful assignments and ideas for a better world. Our purpose is to create a life-long learning community that starts with a one-year program. An extension of half a year is optional. We work in a team setting. This means we add on each other, we make use of our diverse perspectives and expertise. We work from our passion and enthusiasm. The Knowmadic education is based on Action Learning and Entrepreneurship. By using your head, heart and hands you can make things happen, when you just start doing. You will experience this setting with students of former and later tribes (classes if you will), members of staff as well as experts invited from business, politics and media from all over the world.

Knowmads is a privately owned school, established in 2010 by a group of entrepreneurial and educational pioneers. Each of the members of this group has experience with entrepreneurship and/or new kinds of education. The vision of the school is creating an education based on the ideas of John Moravec, Sir Ken Robinson and the needs and possibilities of the world in the 21st century. The school is supported or partnered by a group of inspiring companies, organisations, such as KLM, Access to Retailing, Ode magazine, Tendris, Royal Haskoning, Achmea, Stichting DOEN, BradaKuttner and the Iona Stichting. And individuals, amongst others, Hans Erdmann, Marcel Kampman, Thomas Crum, Seth Godin, Sir Ken Robinson, Uffe Elbaek, Gil Alon. Yes, we really had these men for a visit, talked to them or we worked with them.

Values we work with and from 1. Interconnectedness We think we are all nerve cells in the brain

of the world. Knowmads know that everything is connected to everything and everyone. In this one-year program we provide you with the tools to grow your awareness of that interconnectedness.

2. Autonomy We want you to play the lead role in the movie of your life. We want you to connect to your innate drive to produce amazing results; and do so by living by your own principles. During the program you will gain insights for a life of more depth, more passion, a greater ability to follow your own intuition and, more fun! We create a space where you can manifest yourself and increase your awareness, taking the journey from dependent to autonomous

3. Break Through possible by getting into your passion and DO IT. We really make it happen. After analysing (discovering is maybe a better word) we are going to work on real life projects that will make a difference, for you and for the client and the world. We will try to provide you with a vision for direction.

4. Transformation Knowmads bring inspirational ideas into the world. You are going to be the decision makers and influencers of a better world. You will either become an entrepreneur, intra-preneur (working on projects in a bigger company) or co-entrepreneur and will direct the movie of your own life.

5. Community As true Knowmads we are a diverse team from different backgrounds and cultures. We aim to create synergy by actively communicating and taking into account the wisdom of the group. We strive to learn from and challenge each other. By doing so, you become the best you can be.

Picture: Pieter Spinder at his best

Purpose of Knowmads Key topics in the program Entrepreneurship and New Business Design We at Knowmads think it is crucial to join the forces of leadership, entrepreneurship and new business design. Our global future depends on it. At Knowmads we work with the StartUp Wheel, a practical business planning tool. Not writing a business plan but learning while doing. The method is designed by David Madié from Copenhagen/New York. The Chamber of Commerce in Denmark is working with it and Knowmads has the license for the Netherlands. More info on: http://thestartupacademy.com Social Innovation and Sustainability Social innovation in business is a big part of what is needed to get to sustainable development in general. Social innovation also provides material for companies to generate greater trust. At Knowmads we aim to find new products and services that meet not only the functional needs of consumers for tasty food or clean clothes but also their wider aspirations as citizens. What we are heading for is greater awareness of and willingness to invest in these subjects. Marketing & Creativity At Knowmads we keep abreast of fresh and current ideas, to enable thinking of new ways to approach a project, product or market. This way we keep up with emerging trends and developments in the field. In our opinion this is more important than memorizing marketing facts. We learn about and use the new marketing techniques at Knowmads by applying them in our work. From e-marketing to green-marketing, it will be there.

Picture: Seth Godin visits Knowmads

Personal leadership At Knowmads we challenge you in many ways to live your life like a leader. In this process you experience your personal challenges and discover your true talents and potential. We teach you how to look to yourself for validation, look to yourself for responsibility, and look to yourself for a centre of power (after Self-Esteem, by Dr. Matthew McKay). There is a focus on the spiritual side of leadership throughout the whole program. (International) Project Design How to design and set up a good project? What are the tools available and is it possible to change them towards a new way of designing a project? These are the main questions we work on during this year in the projects and assignments. From obtaining the knowledge and creating the opportunity, to applying that knowledge during the project(s). Process Design

Process Design Process design is complex and requires expertise and the correct set of process design tools. These are needed to accurately follow and interfere in a process and can be applied in a team setting, an organization, politics, media etcetera. From The Art of Hosting, Appreciative Inquiry to Scenario Learning, we aim to cover all the tools needed, and facilitate these techniques in projects we work on.

Picture: drinks after final presentation KLM assignment

Working together with partners While we assist you in the process of becoming a Knowmad you work together with our partners. During the one-year program each of our partners will bring in at

least one assignment connected to one of the topics mentioned above. This might be a challenge they face, a problem they have or a (real life) project they work on and need creative input on. They pitch this to the students.

From the partner(s) one or more employees will collaborate with us throughout the project. We aim to work in co-creation with the partner. The project should be interesting and of value for both parties.

We start with preliminary investigation in the form of doing

research and obtaining knowledge through workshops or lectures. This approach continues during the project or assignment. We present our proposal concerning the assignment to the partner together with a quote.

The partner can decide if he wants the Knowmads to set the wheel in motion and start working on the assignment. Thus it is possible to earn back your tuition-fee!

Check Out the website for information about Collaboration with Knowmads for professionals.

Picture: working with our partner Royal Haskoning SMC

Facts Tuition-fee For a - to become a co-entrepreneur with the possibility of earning it back. Iona Fund With the help of the Iona Foundation we offer you the benefit of tax deduction on your tuition-fee. If you transfer your tuition-fee from a Dutch bank account you can get up to 52% reduction on your fee. Your tuition-fee is seen as a donation to a charity (ANBI regulations) that makes it possible for you to claim tax back later. For more information about this possibility send an email requesting t - Living in Amsterdam The City of Amsterdam has provided a handy guide on how to find a place to live in Amsterdam. Visa Citizens from the EU/EEA countries or Switzerland (excluding Romania and Bulgaria): are allowed to enter the Netherlands without a visa and are allowed to work. Citizens from Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, Vatican-city, South-Korea, New Zealand and United States of America: can enter the Netherlands without an entry visa (MVV). They are only required to register with the Foreign Police (Vreemdelingen Politie) and request a residence permit on arrival (maximum of 1 year). They are allowed to work when they have an employer who applied for a work permit. Citizens with other nationalities: need to apply for an entry visa (MVV) before they arrive in the Netherlands. Unfortunately if you need an MVV, right now it is not possible to apply for a study visa or work permit for Knowmads. We are trying to make this possible. If you have questions please contact us at apply@knowmads.nl.

I have been impressed with the urgency of doing.

Knowing is not enough;; we must apply. Being willing is not enough;; we must do.

-­Leonardo DaVinci

Apply? Do you want to become a Knowmad? Every February and September we Welcome Home new students. If you are interested in becoming a Knowmad, there are a few steps you have to take. The first step is asking for an application form. Send an email to apply@knowmads.nl and we will send it to you right away. The application form is your ticket to the Knowmads Application Workshop. Enjoy working on it, it is not a regular questionnaire, it should be challenging. Based on your application form you will be invited for a 2-day application workshop. During this workshop we will work with you, laugh with you, challenge you, to enable us to pick the best team. This workshop is obligatory in order to join Knowmads. If you want to know more, please visit our website or contact us through jord@knowmads.nl. We hope to see you soon at Knowmads! Deadline for sending in this application form is Friday, December 17th 2010 at 12.00 sharp. Contact details: Postal Address: Knowmads, P.O. Box 2131, 2002 CC Haarlem,

the Netherlands Visiting Address: Hembrugstraat 156, 1013 XC Amsterdam,

the Netherlands telephone: +31 (6) 81 49 07 00 Internet: www.knowmads.nl Information/Application: apply@knowmads.nl