Maayke-Aimée Damen (MSc. honor) is a pioneer in circular economy and sustainability: she has been working towards reducing waste through various companies and projects. She takes her inspiration from nature to reform economic and industrial systems. With her passion for sustainability, sharp intellect and strong will, she has become a driving force in the field.
Currently, she is the co-founder of the Excess Materials Exchange (EME): a marketplace where companies can buy and sell any type of excess material and/or product. The EME works to reduce waste by actively matching supply and demand of materials that would otherwise be considered waste. More importantly, it matches materials with their highest value potential to create continuous material loops. Maayke has won various prizes and awards for her work with the EME, amongst others as MIT Innovator under 35, Dutch Financial Times Talent 2019, Emerging Innovator for the Ellen MacArthur Foundation CE100 network and Ashoka.
Previously, Maayke-Aimée Damen developed the Resources Passport that has now been made into Dutch and European policy. The passport is currently being used by the EME and many other companies to start mapping the economies material metabolism. With the Resources Passport she won a scholarship to attent Singularity University (Google & NASA).
Maayke’s influence in the field can be felt through her many advisory and thought leading roles over the years with various organisations, including: the United Nations, Young Club of Rome, Sandbox, the Port of Amsterdam and INSID. She is an experienced speaker, who can talk with authority and enthusiasm about the circular economy and her work to reduce waste in the world. Her two TedX talks can be viewed online.
