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We are building a better future ‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​​‍‌​​‌‍‌‍‍​‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​​‌‌​‌‌‍‌‌​‍‌‌‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌​​‍‌​‍‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‍​​​‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌​‍‌‌​‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍‌​‌‌‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​​‍​‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‍‍​‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌‍​‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‍​‍‍‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍​‌‍‌‌​‍​‍‌‌​​​​‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​​‍‌​​‌‍‌‍‍​‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​​‌‌​‌‌‍‌‌​‍‌‌‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌​​‍‌​‍‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‍​​​‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌​‍‌‌​‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍‌​‌‌‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​​‍​‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‍‍​‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌‍​‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‍​‍‍‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍​‌‍‌‌​‍​‍‌‌

About Shift

Shift is a Steward Owned social enterprise that helps people who want to live and work more sustainably, but don’t know where to start. Together, we create positive change for our communities and the next generation.

The Shift starts here

We envision a world where choosing "better" instead of "more" becomes the norm. A world where people and organisations embrace a new way of living and working; an economy that prioritises wellbeing, community and ecological balance. 

A world that reaches the collective momentum needed for a thriving post-growth society.

Shift Manifest

Anyone who is concerned about a livable future, global climate change, and the biodiversity crisis cannot ignore the dominant economic system: a fossil-fuel-based economy built on the unsustainable myth of perpetual economic growth. This system is leading us toward ecological and social catastrophe.

At the same time, people all over the world are successfully working a better system—one that prioritizes social connectedness, well-being, and ecological sustainability. This post-growth economy is urgently in need of a global breakthrough. Shift exists to facilitate and accelerate that breakthrough.

Shift is building a movement that connects millions of people who are working on new social, ecological, and economic initiatives within their own communities. By connecting people with pioneers and changemakers, Shift aims to inspire the much larger group of people who want to live more sustainably but do not yet know how—or who have not yet recognized the urgency of change.

Shift will enable this large group to experience, in a unique way, that the changes needed to create this new economy are not only necessary, but also highly attractive—and entirely achievable. It will demonstrate that this new economy can make life noticeably better for individuals, their communities, and the planet.

This experience has its physical home in “Rotterdam Rocks”—our Embassy for a Better Future.

Anyone who steps inside immediately becomes part of an immersive and deeply engaging experience. Through a hypermodern and artistic presentation, visitors are offered a 360-degree perspective on the history of our world, the problematic consequences of today's economic principles, and the countless existing and inspiring alternatives in economic and social innovation. All experiences are grounded in scientific data.

Those who leave Rotterdam Rocks will feel the positive power of change and carry with them a hopeful new perspective on how we can shape the future together. Shift aims to welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors to Rotterdam Rocks each year, inspiring new insights and encouraging behaviours that contribute to the essential transition toward a sustainable future.

Shift dares to think beyond economic growth—in an unprecedented, compelling, and inspiring way. After all, humanity's greatest challenge, deserves the world's most powerful positive ecological ecosystem.

The Shift starts here

Our team

We are optimists, do'ers and system Shifters

    • Don Ritzen

      Founder & CEO

    • Chesney Bruce

      Designer

    • Peter Oussoren

      Creative dealmaker

    • Mark Schiefelbein

      Product Lead

    • Onno Aerden

      Communication Strategist

    • Rogier Joosten

      Developer of Circulair Projects

    • Carl Giesberts

      Lead Developer

    • Jiri Svoboda

      Online Marketing Manager

Job opportunities

Great ideas need great people. Whether you're a designer, developer, marketer, strategist or community builder, we're always looking for people who want to turn ambition into action.

At Shift, we continuously look to surround ourselves with the best people—creative thinkers, ambitious builders, and passionate changemakers—to help bring our bold vision for the future to life. Achieving the systemic change we envision requires extraordinary talent, diverse perspectives, and a shared commitment to creating a more sustainable, socially connected, and regenerative world.

As we continue to grow, we're always looking ahead to find the right talent who will help shape Shift's journey. While we don't have any open positions at the moment, new opportunities will be announced as they become available. We'd love for you to stay connected and be among the first to hear about them by subscribing to our newsletter.

Mission-first ownership

Shift is a steward-owned social enterprise. 95% of our shares are held by a foundation that ensures our mission always remains at the heart of everything we do. The remaining five percent are held by investors who are committed to maximizing social and environmental impact and are happy to accept a modest financial return.

Mission-first ownership

Advisory Board

They help us make the impossible, possible.

    • Ruben Lentz

      Expert on Future Proof Cities

    • Astrid Leyssens

      Founder of We Are Impact Collective

    • Ohad Gilad

      Entrepreneur, Investor and Changemaker

    • Raul Corrêa-Smith

      Social & Spatial Designer and Teacher

    • Volkert Engelsman

      Business, Organic Food and Inclusivity

    • Hannes van Raaij

      Tech and Strategy

    • Jenny Elissen

      Creative Strategist and Entrepreneur

    • Vanessa Westbroek

      Real Estate Industry Brand and Communications Expert

Investors & Co-owners

They think big and believe in our mission.

    • Bart van Beuzekom

      Entrepreneur

    • Bart Troost

      Entrepreneur, Angelinvestor and Startup Advisor

    • Mark Schiefelbein

      Product Lead

    • Jochem in't Velt

      Investor and entrepreneur

    • Klaas Bals

      Entrepreneur

    • Lisette Schuitemaker

      Entrepreneur and investor

    • Matthijs Welle

      Founder MEWS

    • Rogier Thewessen

      Founder Young Capital

About Shift

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