365 Sustainable Decisions Challenge

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of showing how AI can be hacked. A very important topic: with the EU's new AI law, companies that neglect their cybersecurity risk fines of up to 15 million euros or 3% of their global annual turnover. 🔐 Is your company already using artificial intelligence? Then now is the right time to think about security. A big thank you to Speakers Excellence for organizing such a great event, Jana Kulhavy for the excellent moderation, and to fellow speakers Dr. Marc Maisch and Roger Basler de Roca for their super important contributions!

  🔥 The ground in the Netherlands is in trouble. Here is why: 🇳🇱 Most people don’t see it—but the Netherlands has one of the highest nitrogen levels in Europe. The cause is a combination of intensive farming, heavy traffic, and industrial activity. These release nitrogen into the air, which returns to the ground through rain. 🌱 This causes sensitive ecosystems such as heathlands to suffer. Plants like heather get pushed out by fast-growing grasses. Wildlife disappears. And the risk of wildfires grows. 🌍 That is why The Netherlands is acting: 🔸 Reducing livestock numbers 🔸 Restoring nature reserves 🔸 Supporting more sustainable farming 🔸 Reducing maximum speed on motorways 💚 Nature thrives when we restore balance - and every step we take brings us closer. Video: https://youtu.be/QB1xvX7EwxU

Die Digitalisierung ist kein Trend – sie ist Realität. Deswegen freue ich mich, am 17. Oktober 2025 auf der #nxtDIGITAL & AI Stage zu stehen. Hier dreht sich alles um #KünstlicheIntelligenz, digitale Geschäftsmodelle und neue Technologien, die unsere Arbeitswelt verändern. Wenn du erfahren willst, wie du Digitalisierung nicht nur verstehst, sondern für auf sichere Art und Weise für dich nutzt – dann bist du hier genau richtig. Ich freu mich auf dich! Save the date: 📍 Kongresshalle Böblingen 📅 Freitag, 17.10.2025 🔗 www.speakers-excellence.de/veranstaltungen/nxtknowledge-stuttgart

 ✨ On my nature walk, I found a handkerchief; with some magic, I make it vanish before your eyes! A perfect way to contribute to today's #EarthDay! 🧙‍♂️ And watch closely, because it’s not just the handkerchief that disappears - the disturbing litter as well! 🌿 Every piece of trash I pick up while enjoying these beautiful landscapes helps protect nature. Litter may seem harmless, but it can be a serious threat to wildlife and ecosystems. By picking up trash, we not only keep nature looking at its best, but we also prevent harm to animals and plants. 💚 Every small action counts when it comes to preserving the beauty of our planet! 🎩 And what do you think of using magic to visualize how much more beautiful nature is without litter? I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts in the comments! Video: https://youtu.be/2xlzteoxm-A

  🌿 Yesterday, someone made my day. They messaged me: "Damn. Now you’ve done it and inspired me … and that on my holiday. 😂 Collected these on a beautiful spot." 📷 Attached was a photo of litter they’d picked up. 💚 Moments like these remind me: every small action we take for the planet can spark change beyond what we see. ✨ Let’s keep inspiring each other. One small act at a time.

  🦋 Back in February 2024, I found myself captivated by one of nature’s most extraordinary travelers: the monarch butterfly. 🧳 Their epic migration, spanning up to 4,000 kilometers from Canada and the U.S. to the forests of central Mexico, is breathtaking. And fascinating: It takes up to five generations of butterflies to complete this journey each year! ‼️ But this incredible journey is now in danger. The monarch butterfly was listed as endangered in 2022, with populations having plummeted by as much as 80% in just a decade. The triple threat of climate change, pollution, and habitat loss is pushing them closer to extinction. 🌺 This is critical, because monarchs are pollinators. This means that as migrate, they help plants reproduce, spread seeds, and build biodiversity — all essential for a healthy environment and resilient food systems. ✒️ Because I was captivated, I wrote an article about these fascinating creatures, sharing not only their story but also ways we can hel...

Recently, we organized a local cleanup event to contribute to a healthier planet. To thank all the amazing participants, I prepared a surprise. Here’s what happened: A few months ago, I came up with the idea to accompany my sustainability presentations with magic. Magic helps to visualize my messages, making them easier to understand and remember. And because magic is fun and unexpected, they really stick with people—amplifying the positive impact! Since magic is a skill that requires lots of practice, I decided to do my very first live performance for my litter-picking friends. I was super excited, and while it wasn’t perfect yet, they loved it! Their applause and laughter during my 4.5-minute performance showed me the effort was totally worth it! (In the picture, I just let a handkerchief vanish!) What do you think of using magic to help inspire the message for a healthier planet? What message would you make magical? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments!  

  💚 Today we received our 400th thank you while picking up litter! And you know what? Not a single person has ever said we should stop. That says something powerful. People notice. People care. People want a cleaner, healthier planet. Every time we pick up trash, we’re not just cleaning—we’re connecting. With nature. With each other. With ourselves. With the shared belief that our actions matter. We will keep going and would love you to join, even if it only the street you live in. 🌍 Because small actions, done by many, create big change.

Imagine a world where tiny, magical creatures like seahorses disappear forever. I refuse to let that happen! That’s why I am proud to support the incredible work of Planet Wild together with the Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS) in protecting the endangered White’s seahorse. White seahorses lived in large number in the Sydney Harbour, but as their seagrass habitat is vanishing, in some areas, their population has plummeted by 90%. But hope is not lost! Together, we helped: 🏨 Build underwater “seahorse hotels”—safe havens that develop into natural reefs. 🐠 Breed, raise, and release baby seahorses—boosting their survival rate from 1% to 20%. 🌱 Restore vital seagrass meadows—bringing back their home. Supporting initiatives like this is deeply important to me because every species matters. Every action counts. And with the right support, we can turn the tide for endangered marine life. 💙 Here you can watch the video that explains this mission beautifully: https://www.y...

Unternehmen, die Künstliche Intelligenz nutzen, stehen vor großen Veränderungen: Die neue EU-KI-Verordnung bringt klare Regeln, hohe Anforderungen – und empfindliche Strafen bei Verstößen. Doch was bedeutet das für dich und Unternehmen? ✅ Unternehmen müssen nachweisen, dass ihr Team die Risiken und Chancen von KI kennt und verantwortungsvoll handelt. ✅ Gezielte Schulungen sind notwendig, um technisches, rechtliches und ethisches Wissenzu vermitteln. ✅ Hohe Bußgelder können drohen, wenn die Vorschriften nicht eingehalten werden. Wie kannst du die neuen KI-Anforderungen in der Praxis umsetzen? Antworten gibt’s beim Online-Seminar "KI-Excellence" am 29.04.2025! Und ich freue mich als KI-Cybersecurity-Expertin dabei zu sein! - Datum: 29.04.2025, 9:30–16:00 Uhr - Format: Online-Seminar - Mit ExpertInnen: Dr. Erlijn van Genuchten, Dr. Marc Maisch, Roger Basler de Roca, Michele Fuhs Präsentiert von Speakers Excellence Deutschland Holding GmbH JETZT anmelden–weil die Plätze begren...

Künstliche Intelligenz verändert die Welt – aber wusstest du, dass sie auch gehackt werden kann? 😱 Am Dienstag, 11. März um 12 Uhr zeige ich in der Webinarreihe von Speakers Excellence live, wie KI-Angriffe ablaufen und welche Konsequenzen sie haben können. 🚀 Sei dabei um dies live zu erleben! Hier geht es zur kostenlosen Anmeldung: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-O0HGtUxT2C75s48tl-iOQ Ich freue mich auf dich und deine Fragen!

Wow! 🎉 This morning I received a very special surprise in my letterbox: my award as one of the TOP 100 trainers from Speakers Excellence! My secret: I love making complex topics easy to understand! For example, in my MindRefined GmbH CompTIA A+ course today, I taught how data communication works on the Internet. The feedback I got was that even participants with no prior knowledge understood everything! Do you want to finally get complex topics from cybersecurity and sustainability explained in an easy-to-understand way? You can find more information about my training courses and talks here: https://www.expert-marketplace.de/en/keynote-speaker/erlijn-van-genuchten-en

I received a message recently: “Erlijn, can I give your phone number to my friend Hans? He's been hacked and is totally upset.” A day later, Hans called me because someone had bought products worth over €2000 - with his money. In this video (with English subtitles), I show you how this could have happened and how the attacker may have proceeded - and also what you can do to prevent yourself from becoming a victim. Don’t wait until it’s too late! https://youtu.be/xffwZTteiEA?si=fxhfyKTfLt2UNG8R

I'm proud to be one of the nature investors that have supported this important Planet Wild mission to save lemurs from extinction: Madagascar is the only place on Earth where lemurs live in the wild. These incredible creatures have been living in forests already for millions of years—but now, their home in Madagascar is disappearing. 80% of the island's forests is gone due to wildfires and deforestation. Planet Wild traveled to Madagascar to help the organization Planet Madagascar create a future where both people and lemurs can thrive. In this wonderful video, you can see what they have achieved: https://youtu.be/WqjWE_qQAy8

Have you ever spent years doing something one way, only to discover a much faster, easier method? And then thought, “Why didn’t I do this sooner?” The same is true for digitalization in energy—it can make the energy transition faster, smarter, and more effective. But many still hesitate to embrace it. Digital tools can optimize energy use, reduce waste, and drive sustainability—but only if built on a strong foundation. That means: ✅ Security by design – Preventing cyber threats and ensuring reliable infrastructure. ✅ Overcoming psychological barriers – Addressing fears and misconceptions about digitalization. If we ignore these, we risk slowing down progress. But if we embrace them, we unlock massive potential for sustainable energy. The future of energy isn’t just about new technology—it’s about trust, security, and mindset shifts. By tackling these challenges head-on, we can accelerate the transition to clean energy and make smarter decisions for our planet. In my keynote talks a...

I am excited to share that I’ve joined Planet Wild as a Nature Investor! 🌿 Planet Wild is a global community of nature enthusiasts stepping up to protect the planet's biodiversity. 🌍 Exactly my type of thing! The natural world is vanishing at an unbelievable rate. Every day, we are losing 135 plant and animal species. Every. Single. Day. That’s 50,000 species a year! Sooner or later, this will lead to ecosystem collapse! Unless we do something about it. So, how is the Planet Wild community making a difference? Every month, the community crowdfunds global rewilding projects at the front lines to: 🦁 Bring back endangered species 🌊 Revive ocean and aquatic habitats 🌳 Restore entire landscapes Everything is documented in videos to showcase what our support really achieves on the ground. Here is just one example of how the community restored an ancient forest: https://youtu.be/BiDBAU2d7oE This is one of the most important things in the world right now, so join me in becoming a ...

Awwww, my heart just melted! 💚 In between all my brainy activities—teaching, preparing classes and courses, writing books, etc.—my brain sometimes just needs a break. And what better way than a bit of litter-picking? It’s simple, refreshing, and can't be more brainless! Today, I needed that break, so I went out—even though it was windy, cold, and even briefly snowed. Halfway through my route, two teachers with 16 children stopped to cross the road. One of the teachers turned to the kids and said, "We just talked about all the litter around here. Look, this lady has been picking it up. That is awesome, so what do we say?" In their adorable, squeaky voices, all 16 kids yelled together: "THAAAAANK YOOOUUUU!" Oh, how wonderful! My heart melts again just writing this. 💚 It’s small moments like these that remind me: Every little action matters, and people—especially kids—are watching and learning from what we do. So, if you ever feel like clearing your mind and maki...

Yesterday, I planned to set out for another litter-picking round, expecting to be alone—but boy, was I wrong! It was a beautiful winter morning, with the sun shining bright, so I very much felt like going out. The day before, I had noticed a lot of litter along a street - which we cleaned about half a year ago. So, I decided to return and clean it up once more. As it was short notice, I didn't expect anyone to join, but asked anyway. One said she would be able to join at 3 pm, which worked for me too. Since two people already make a team, I shared the plan with the rest of the Sch(m)utzengel litter-picking group. In the end, we were with 5! Wow, it feels so great to be part of this wonderful group and making a positive difference with them! We gathered 2.5 bags full of trash, 2 buckets with paint leftovers, and a large piece of steel (no idea what that is). I hope you’ll give it a try soon too. You never know how rewarding it feels until you do. And who knows who might join you? 💚

I am very pleased to offer a CompTIA Security+ course together with MindRefined GmbH starting this week! The course is for employees who would like to learn more about cybersecurity topics and have their knowledge confirmed by a recognized certification body. If you are interested in attending the next course, please get in touch! We look forward to seeing you! --- German: Ich freue mich sehr, ab diese Woche gemeinsam mit MindRefined GmbH einen CompTIA Security+ Kurs anzubieten!   Der Kurs ist für ArbeitnehmerInnen, die sich gerne in Cybersecurity-Themen weiterbilden und ihr Wissen von einer anerkannten Zertifizierder bestätigen lassen wollen. Wenn du Interesse hast beim nächsten Kurs, auch dabei zu sein, melde dich gerne! Wir freuen uns auf dich!  

I recently received a call from someone whose account had been hacked. The result: panic and major financial damage. Unfortunately, as a cybersecurity expert, I know that such cases are not uncommon: In the USA, over 20 million people have already been victims of an account hack - and in 35% of cases this resulted in financial damage. This means that in the USA alone, over 7 million people have experienced something similar! In my awareness training and lectures, I show you how you can protect yourself. Soon I will offer you a first insight in which I will show you in detail how such attacks take place and how you can protect yourself! Has something like this ever happened to you or someone close to you? Share it in the comments! --- German: Neulich bekam ich einen Anruf, von jemandem, dessen Konto gehackt wurde. Die Folge: Panik und großen finanziellen Schaden. Leider weiß ich als Cybersicherheit-Expertin, dass solche Fälle keine Seltenheit sind: In den USA wurden bereits über 20 Mil...