365 Sustainable Decisions Challenge

  ✨ On Sunday, I came home from a wonderful conference for speakers and found a beautiful surprise waiting for me: 📚 I thought that the package at my door were the study books I had ordered. But when I opened it, I was greeted by something even more exciting… the German translation of my book, A Guide to a Healthier Planet 2! 🌍 This successor volume expands on the first book with new chapters designed to inspire action for a healthier planet. Its focus is on bridging the gap between important scientific insights about #climateChange, #pollution, and #biodiversity loss, and everyday people who want to take meaningful action. 💚 Even though this is my eighth book, holding a new one in my hands still feels incredibly special. And what makes me happiest of all is knowing that it will support many people in creating positive change for our planet!

  ✨ On Saturday, I repeated my listening experiment. Last time, the response was so beautiful that I felt like doing it again. And once more, it turned into something very special. 😊 As I sat there, simply offering presence and an open ear, a young woman walked by, suddenly laughing loudly while on the phone. A little later she approached me and shared that, just minutes before, she had been wondering what it would be like to sit down somewhere and just listen to people. And there I was, doing exactly that! What a coincidence! 💬 Then there was a lady who didn’t want to sit down because she preferred a conversation. Yet as we started talking, she ended up telling me her story. When she left, she said it felt good because I wasn't judging. 🌱 These small encounters reminded me how powerful it can be to simply listen. No fixing, no judging, just being there. 🌟 I will definitely do this again in the future. Who knows what happens next time.

  💡 Ich habe eine einmalige Gelegenheit für diejenigen, die sich für Digitale Transformation, #Cybersicherheit und KI interessieren! 📅 Am Freitag 17.10. gibt es in Böblingen (bei Stuttgart) ein großes Event mit einer #nxtDigital & #AI Stage. 🎤 Hier werden verschiedene Sprecher:innen über den neuesten Stand der digitalen Transformation, und Tools und Strategien sprechen, die für Unternehmen wichtig sind, sich zukunftssicher aufzustellen und die Wettbewerbsfähigkeit zu steigern. Auch gibt es ausführlich die Gelegenheit, zu netzwerken. 🎟️ Normalerweise kostet ein Ticket €197, da ich aber einer der Sprecher:innen bin, kann ich ein paar Tickets kostenlos anbieten. Ich werde z.B. live zeigen, wie Cyberangriffe aussehen können und man sich schützen kann. 👉 Falls du Interesse hast mehr zu erfahren oder dabei sein möchtest, gib mir gerne Bescheid.

  🎉 I’m so excited to learn that my board game is listed as Amazon’s tip! (Amazon highlights highly rated products with great value that can be shipped right away.) ✨ Just two days ago, I reconnected with someone I’ve known for a long time but hadn’t spoken to in a while. When I told him about my game, published this year by Kosmos, he immediately ordered a copy for his 5-year-old daughter — the perfect age to enjoy it. ❤️ The thought that many children are already playing, laughing, and having fun with my game makes me incredibly happy!

✨ I’m so excited and grateful for an amazing gift from one of my litter-picking friends! 💚 A while ago, he rescued an old cargo bike that had almost burnt down. With a lot of love and repair work, he brought it back to life. And now…it’s ready to go! This bike is a real game-changer: ✔️ I can bring extra litter-picking equipment ✔️ It creates visibility to the litter-picking initiative ✔️ I can carry many more deposit bottles to the shop at once ✔️ And it’s a lot of fun to cycle with! 🚲 It feels very different from a normal bike, but I noticed I got used to it quickly. Bit by bit, we’ll keep improving it, from adding our logo to sharing messages about why a clean environment matters. 🌱 I can’t wait to use it for the very first time later today! #cleanup #upcycling #repair #sustainability

  ✨ I’m thrilled to share some exciting news: my book proposal with Springer Nature has just been accepted! 📚 The book will explore how #ArtificialIntelligence can be used to do good in the world, combining scientific insights with practical steps we can all take to create positive change for people, planet, and prosperity. 🌍 For example, how AI can prevent road accidents, improve education, support peacekeeping, improve waste management, predict air pollution, and foster innovative research. And how these AI applications can be applied responsibly. 💡 What do you think of the working title: “How Artificial Intelligence can be used to do good – Scientific Insights and Actionable Steps for People, Planet, and Prosperity”? Please let me know by leaving your thoughts in the comments! #AIforGood

  💚 I have some truly exciting news to share: another dream of mine has come true… actually two dreams at once! 📖 The first is that I’ve just published Volume 3 of my book A Guide to a Healthier Planet. Writing this new volume has been such a wonderful project for me, because it gave me the chance to dive even deeper into fascinating scientific facts about nature and #sustainability and to share them with you. ✨ The second dream is something I already thought of when I started writing the first volume: a book series. What once felt like just a crazy idea in my head is now real, with three volumes completed and available! 📗 This new book is especially close to my heart because it continues my mission "Sustainable", my mission of bridging science and everyday life. So much important research on #climateChange, #pollution, and #biodiversity loss never reaches the general public. My goal is to change that by turning these insights into stories and ideas that are not only e...

🌟 I’m excited to share some news! 🌐 One of the ways I give back to society is by supporting the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe with my knowledge in #cybersecurity, #sustainability, and #psychology. With this unique mix, I’m able to contribute to the Task Force on Digitalization in Energy, where we help policymakers make well-informed decisions for their countries. ✍️ Recently, I had the honor of serving as lead author on a UN paper that highlights a crucial but often overlooked factor in driving sustainable action: intrinsic motivation – the motivation that comes from within. ⚡ While we see incredible progress in digital technologies designed to optimize energy systems, the reality is that systemic change is still moving slowly. Many of the barriers are not technical, but behavioral and psychological. Among them, the role of intrinsic motivation has received far too little policy attention. 📖 Our paper explores how #intrinsicMotivation can make sustainable action...

❔ Yesterday, I was asked what the main problem is with being hacked. Being hacked shouldn't be taken lightly, as it can shake the very foundation of a business and even your personal life. 💡 As a #cybersecurist, I see daily why taking care of #cybersecurity is crucial. Here’s a quick overview of the risks: - 💰 Financial consequences: being hacked can cost a lot of money, for example because of fines or for paying off cyber criminals - 💔 Reputation loss: being hacked doesn't look good to customers, especially when their personal information has been stolen - ⚖️ Legal consequences: being hacked can for example go against contracts or break the law, which can result in fines and lawsuits - ⏳ Operations can be disrupted: working normally may not be possible anymore, which means that products and services cannot be offered timely, which can lead to losing customers and - in worst case - going bankrupt - 🔒 Sensitive information theft: hackers can be after sensitive inform...

  🛡️ As part of my Mission Unhackable, I support companies in improving their cybersecurity. As AI is on the rise quickly, many organizations adopt it as quickly as possible. But speed can be dangerous: ⚠️ Too often, the other side of the coin is forgotten: the risks. 🤖 That’s why I’m looking forward to my upcoming event, where I’ll show how chatbots can be hacked and how we can protect ourselves. 🙅‍♂️ Not to turn anyone into a hacker, but to raise awareness of what can go wrong, so that together we can improve protections. 👇 Join me on Thursday August 21st, 3 pm, to learn how we can make the AI revolution more secure for everyone. (The event will be in German) https://youtube.com/live/Pzat8uCjN1g

  💭 Do you feel that, as an individual, you can’t make a big difference? I’m sure this will change your mind. 🧹 Recently, I organized a local cleanup in our market square with my litter-picking friends. Our goal: to remove every cigarette butt we could find. After a few scorching hot days, the evening blessed us with perfect weather. 🚬 By the time we were done, we had collected 3,500 cigarette butts. 📰 A local journalist wrote a fantastic article about it, which was soon picked up by several other newspapers. Suddenly, our little cleanup was making waves far beyond our city. 💬 Hundreds of people reacted to the article and related social media posts. Even better, a few reached out to say they want to start the same initiative in their own cities. ❄️ What began with me, and then a handful of people is now inspiring many more to take action. That’s the snowball effect in action and proof that one person really can make a big difference. 🌱 So, if you’ve ever doubted that y...

🚆 Last week, I took a holiday to Andermatt, Switzerland. By train, deliberately avoiding flying. What I experienced was so thrilling, I’ll never forget it: 🏔️ Andermatt is a breathtaking alpine village, nestled between towering mountains. Some peaks still wore snow caps, others were fresh green or covered in bare rock. This was an active trip filled with hiking, mountain biking, and climbing. Here are some highlights: 🧊 On the way to a climbing spot, we passed a glacier. Seeing it up close was both awe-inspiring and heartbreaking: I know these giants are melting fast due to climate change. ⛰️ I hiked to the summit of Piz Badus. As a Dutch person without mountain experience, I hadn’t expected going down to be so much harder than going up. It was challenging but an unforgettable adventure. 🐮 And then there was a curious cow who decided to cuddle me and join our hike, turning us from four walkers into five companions. Along the way, I also picked up trash I found. Small acts that...

  🌍 In Volume 2 of my book "A Guide to a Healthier Planet", I wrote about how Amazon deforestation threatens countless plants and animals and what each of us can do to help: 💪 One of my suggestions is supporting initiatives that protect the Amazon. As I not only write about taking action but also do as much as possible myself, I’m excited to have supported Planet Wild in their recent mission to defend one of the most vital ecosystems on Earth. 🌴 The Amazon is dangerously close to collapse due to deforestation, fires, and illegal logging. 💚 But there is hope: In Brazil’s Xingu region, 16 Indigenous communities from 150 villages are courageously protecting their land. Planet Wild and Ecosia are backing them with: 🌳 Funding 3 years of forest patrols to stop illegal logging 🔥 Equipping fire teams with satellite communications and tools ⚖️ Supporting the legal campaign to make Xingu a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve 💚 I'm happy to be part of this solution!

  💪 After teaching the CompTIA Security+ course multiple times to students eager to become a cybersecurity expert, and professionals in the field, I decided it was time to challenge myself as well: 🎉 It had been years since I last sat for an exam, so it was both exciting and a bit nerve-wracking... but I’m thrilled to share that I successfully passed the Security+ certification yesterday! 🔐 This globally recognized certification confirms a strong foundation in essential #cybersecurity principles: from identifying and mitigating security threats to managing risk, securing networks, and understanding cryptography and incident response. 🌍 But these are not just technical skills. They’re skills for protecting people, organizations, and critical systems from cyber attacks. And in a world that’s becoming more digital each day, that means contributing to a safer, more resilient, and more trustworthy internet for everyone. 💚 I will continue applying this knowledge not just in cor...

👩‍🎓 When I was a teenager visiting universities to decide what to study, three programs caught my eye. This is what is special about it: 📒 The degrees that caught my eyes were Sustainability, Artificial Intelligence, and Information Science. 💪 All three fascinated me but I chose Information Science, because it allowed me to become the bridge between technology and people. I loved the idea of helping users and technicians understand each other, so IT solutions could truly make a difference. Today, this degree also covers cybersecurity. ♥️ Now, fast forward about 20 years, I find myself working to make the world more secure across all three fields I once considered! 🤖 It may seem broad, but this mix of interests is more relevant than ever. If we want to protect today’s world, we need to understand the technologies, like AI, and how it impacts our people, planet, and prosperity. 😁 It’s a full circle moment, and one I’m very excited about!

🍄 Fungi are everywhere: in the air, on our skin, and under every step we take. Without them, we wouldn't be alive. And yet, we're missing a lot: 🍄‍🟫 Fungi aren’t just part of nature. They are the foundation because they connect ecosystems, feed plants, recycle life, and store nutrients. Without them, life as we know it wouldn’t exist. 🆘 Through my sustainability work, I learned how important fungi are and how urgently they need our attention: fungi are still not officially recognized in UN nature protection agreements. 😁 The good news? I have supported a campaign to change this: Planet Wild, Fungi Foundation and Ecosia are working together to put Fungi on the agenda at the Biodiversity COP in 2026! 💚 Protecting their mission means I help protect fungi, which means I help protect the foundations of life itself.

  🤖 As I’m writing a book on how AI can be used to do good, I’ve already received many questions from companies. Most come down to: How can we use AI securely, support our business processes, and reduce risks? 🏆 To help answer those questions more deeply and to stay up-to-date with recent laws and regulations, I completed the AI Security and Governance certification! 😎 It’s such a fascinating field, full of both challenges and opportunities. And it’s clear: responsible AI isn’t just a tech topic, it’s a business essential for long-term success. 💪 I feel incredibly motivated to keep learning more and to help organizations use AI in ways that are safe, ethical, and aligned with long-term impact and #sustainability.

  🎉 I'm so excited to share my brand new game and that already so many people have shared their positive experiences in 5 star reviews! It is wonderful knowing that many children have fun! This is how the game works: 🧩 Each player gets 6 puzzle pieces 🎴 One player picks a card with a puzzle challenge 🪙 With just your six puzzle pieces, each player solves the challenge as fast as possible 🐾 You will join Conni and her cat Mau in a joyful game full of fun and learning. It boosts focus, motor skills, and encourages spatial and logical thinking, all while having fun! MEINE FREUNDIN CONNI – KUNTERBUNTER KNOBELSPASS 🧩 For 1–4 puzzle fans 🧩 Ages 4 and up 🧩 Five types of puzzle challenges with different levels of difficulty! Watch the video to see what the material looks like 👇 https://youtube.com/shorts/rMqw-UUp64I?feature=share

  🤖 I'm writing a book about how Artificial Intelligence (#AI) can be used for good. I just finished a chapter on a life-saving application: preventing road accidents. 🆘 Each year, around 1.35 million people lose their lives in traffic accidents, and over 50 million are injured, despite safety measures like speed limits, traffic rules, and crash data analysis. ⛑️ AI offers a powerful new layer of protection. By analyzing complex patterns in real-time, including traffic flow, weather, and driver behavior, it can help prevent accidents before they happen. 🛟 Imagine the lives that could be saved. Maybe even your own. 🚗 Now think of the resources spared: fewer vehicles destroyed, less waste, and reduced environmental damage. 💰 And what about the financial savings ,from emergency services, hospital care, and legal costs? How do you feel about using AI to make our roads safer? PS: Let me know when you would like to be notified when the book is finished, I'm happy to keep y...

🧹 Yesterday’s cleanup was something special and actually pretty exciting: 🖼️ Our goal was simple: clear the marketplace of cigarette butts. 12 volunteers showed up, but we weren’t the only ones. A journalist from the Stuttgarter Zeitung, which has about half a million readers, joined too, taking powerful photos, asking great questions, and he afterwards interviewed me as the initiative’s lead two more hours. 🚬 In just 1.5 hours, we picked up over 3,500 cigarette butts. The place now looks cleaner, and even more importantly, it got people thinking. Many thanked us, one person even handed me 10 euros, and we had a lot of great conversations. 💡 The action raised awareness: one tiny cigarette butt can poison 50 liters of water. That’s about how much one person drinks in a month! 💚 I'm so grateful for everyone who joined and look forward to making more positive waves when the article is published, showing how small actions can have a big impact.