Founders, Creators, and Builders: Join the Leaderwave Founders Beach Series
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A look back at the Leaderwave Founders Beach Series, three curated beach editions in Zandvoort where founders, creators and innovators connected by the sea.
Quick answer
What is the Leaderwave Founders Beach Series in Zandvoort?
The Leaderwave Founders Beach Series was a trio of beach events at Mango's Beach Bar in Zandvoort, hosted by Leaderwave.io and powered by Driftawave, held on 12 June, 3 July and 11 September 2025. Each edition was capped at 40 attendees and cost 77 euro, mixing speaker sessions, hands on workshops and golden hour networking for founders, creators and AI strategists.
- Three editions ran in 2025: 12 June, 3 July and 11 September, each running from 15:00 to 22:00.
- Location: Mango's Beach Bar in Zandvoort, limited to 40 attendees per edition to keep it personal.
- Tickets were 77 euro per edition, with an optional 23 euro tapas dinner voucher.
- Speakers include Esther van Toledo, Gina Schinkel, Christian Bleeker, Paola Elena Brignoli, Ilker Akansel, Daniël Siahaya, Rijk de Visser and Fabio Gori.
- Built for founders, AI and automation strategists, GTM leaders and culture builders who want real in-person connection.
The Leaderwave Founders Beach Series is a curated trio of beach events in Zandvoort, hosted by Leaderwave.io and powered by Driftawave. It brings founders, creators, AI and automation strategists, and culture builders together for leadership, hands on workshops, and real human connection by the sea, as work and AI reshape the future.
The Future of Work Meets the Beach
In an era where AI reshapes industries and remote work becomes the norm, the need for authentic, in person connection has never been greater. Enter the Leaderwave Founders Beach Series, a curated trio of events designed for visionaries ready to redefine the future of work.
Hosted by Leaderwave.io and powered by Driftawave, this series offers a unique blend of leadership, creativity, and community, all set against the serene backdrop of Zandvoort Beach.
Why This Event Matters
We need vision, reinvention, and hands on tools that drive real change. That is why we are bringing together a curated circle of:
- Tech ecosystem builders
- Automation and AI workflow architects
- Process optimization consultants
- Talent and leadership strategists
- AI leads designing the next wave of hiring
- Creative disruptors
- Founders and C level leaders seeking clarity in the chaos
Who Should Join
Founders. Builders. Product leaders. Brand and GTM strategists. AI and automation experts. Curious minds reimagining leadership, community, and ethical innovation in the AI era.
What You Will Gain
- Tactical tools to build aligned, values driven companies
- Frameworks to future proof your brand and culture
- Live coaching, immersive learning, and access to experts who actually do the work
- A curated peer circle building what is next, with human talent at the heart of it
Speaker Highlights
Esther van Toledo is a leadership coach and keynote speaker with two decades of experience guiding high growth leaders toward deep, heart centered growth. Esther integrates head, body, and source wisdom, and is the force behind transformational retreats like The Golden Path.
Gina Schinkel is the founder of Driftawave, designing transformative workations and offsites. A LinkedIn Talent Solutions alumna, she infuses strategy and soulful storytelling into the future of work.
Christian Bleeker is an AI automation strategist, exploring the balance between human intuition and machine efficiency, and ensuring data sovereignty and GDPR compliance in AI implementations.
Paola Elena Brignoli is a workplace wellbeing strategist and emotional agility coach, empowering founders to lead with presence, resilience, and intention through mindfulness and conscious culture design.
Ilker Akansel is a community strategist with a background at Google and Cisco, helping organizations unlock the power of community as a competitive advantage through strategic design and ecosystem thinking.
Daniël Siahaya is a tech innovation facilitator and cultural agility expert, guiding organizations to thrive through adaptability, inclusion, and human centered transformation in fast paced environments.
Rijk de Visser is co-founder of Seleqt, where he took the company from zero to one with AI-driven sales. He shares how founders can use AI to rethink lead generation and growth without losing the human touch.
Fabio Gori, PhD, is the founder of Pistoia Analytics, guiding organizations from AI hype to real ROI. His approach centers on clear business goals, solid data management, and choosing the right tools.
Event Overview
Location: Mango's Beach Bar, Zandvoort, Netherlands
Capacity: Limited to 40 attendees per edition.
Program:
Edition 1: Founders in Flow · 12 June 2025
- Series Welcome & Opening Session (Gina Schinkel)
- Leadership of the Heart Keynote & Workshop (Esther van Toledo)
- Executive Coaching: Open Floor & Personal Challenges (Esther van Toledo)
Edition 2: Feel the Brand, Lead the Future · 3 July 2025
- Human First, Automation by Design (Christian Bleeker)
- Emotional Intelligence & Agility Workshop (Paola Elena Brignoli)
- Community Building Mastery (Ilker Akansel)
Edition 3: Tech & Soul · 11 September 2025
- Future of DevOps and AI (Daniël Siahaya)
- From Zero to ONE: AI-Powered Lead Generation (Rijk de Visser)
- From Hype to ROI: 3 Key Points for AI Adoption (Fabio Gori)
Time: 15:00 to 22:00
Event Flow
- 15:00 Arrival and welcome cocktail or mocktail
- 16:00 First speaker session
- 17:00 Workshop
- 18:30 Tapas dinner (voucher required)
- 19:30 Final speaker or open floor
- 20:30 Golden hour networking
- 21:00 Slow walkout
Ticket Information
Each edition is its own curated gathering of bold founders and future minded leaders.
- Single Edition: 77 euro
- Tapas Dinner (additional voucher): 23 euro per edition
Every edition stayed deliberately small, which is what made the room work. Attendees joined a single edition or rode the full wave. Later editions of the series are announced on Leaderwave.io.
Bring This Energy to Your Own Team
Three editions, one shoreline, and a room full of people building what comes next. That is the feeling we design for the rest of the year too. For curated workations and offsites that carry this energy back to your own team, talk to Driftawave.
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