From the Colombian jungle to the City of Peace and Justice: my story, at your service
Hi, this is Katja Marianne Noordam, the proud founder of FairChange. I help you do business with a higher purpose and grow your positive social impact. If you’re looking for consulting services, training, coaching and tools to grow your people positive business, you’re in the right place!
So, how did I get here? Read on to explore what led me to launch FairChange years ago – and still gets me up in the morning with the same heartfelt passion today.
Motivated by diversity
Crossing frontiers in my personal and professional life has always fascinated me. I’m Dutch-Belgian by origin and a global citizen by choice. For the best part of my life, I’ve lived and worked in different countries on different continents.
My international and intercultural journey, engaging with people from all kinds of backgrounds and all walks of life, has opened my mind to diversity within and outside the workplace.
It has made me aware that there is never a single answer to a challenge and that multiple perspectives inform the best solutions. This experience comes in handy when working with businesses committed to tackling complex social issues.
Collaborate and build bridges
I believe in building bridges, not walls. Only if we collaborate as individuals, communities, organizations and nations will we succeed in creating inclusive economies and just societies.
Sounds good? I’d love to hear what motivates you, too! Drop me an email or book a call (it’s free, with no strings attached) and let’s find out how we can work together.
Where it all started
During the first decade of my career, I worked to claim equal citizen’s rights for immigrant minorities and advance inclusion in the workplace. I supported cultural entrepreneurship among youth and diversity in broadcast media.
I’m also a communications enthusiast. So I designed responsible marketing strategies for do-good organizations and captured the experiences of changemakers across sectors, sharing their impact stories to engage international audiences.
After moving to Latin America, I had the opportunity to train young leaders and their organizations, supporting them in building new futures away from abuse, drugs, and violence. I supported communities displaced by conflict and advocated for the rights of social activists, human rights lawyers and journalists who put their lives at risk in their fight for peace.
Those were the foundations for what would become key FairChange activities: business and human rights, impact leadership, stakeholder engagement, and ethical storytelling.
Witnessing the impact of irresponsible business practices
During one of my field visits to human rights defenders in an impoverished, muddy village deep inside the Colombian jungle, the idea for FairChange was born.
A neigboring palm oil firm had erased traditional ways of living. It had forced farmers to sell their lands at bargain prices while secretly paying paramilitary groups who brutally killed labor rights activists.
Endless stretches of monoculture palm crops replaced the region’s rich biodiversity. Profits skyrocketed, fuelled by the ever-growing appetite for ‘green’ commodities to accelerate the shift to sustainable economies in Western countries like mine. Not a single peso was invested in the local economy, except for the bribes paid to government officials to look the other way.
Meanwhile, the neighboring community was deeply divided. Posh young guys in fake designer wear showed off on motorbikes financed by their jobs on the plantations. They told us rude jokes about their fellow villagers, calling them lazy and stupid. Walking barefoot, these farmers lived under rooftops made from garbage bags and didn’t even have the money to buy diapers for their babies.
But the villagers who refused to work for the palm oil firm also looked down on them. While they courageously held on to tiny remaining pieces of farmland and resisted the pressure to leave, they accused the palm oil workers of selling their souls to the devil in exchange for a handful of dollars.
Did they really think the company cared? As day laborers without contracts or social protection, they could be laid off anytime and sink back into misery like all the rest.
My Lightbulb Moment
I was shocked by the scale of the damage to nature and people, and moved by the villagers’ stories of loss, abuse, and resilience. It was outrageous and senseless. A place so rich in biodiversity with a population so committed to making their beloved lands flourish that it could bring durable value to the company and socio-economic prosperity to all. Instead, corporate greed curtailed any opportunity for development.
It was the lightbulb moment that sparked my business idea.
Irresponsible business driven by bad consumer choices and corrupt governments: I’d seen it before. But this time, enough was enough. If we want to achieve a just and sustainable economy, we must make business work for, not against, people. And if companies can do so much damage, they certainly have the power to do large-scale good.
Making that happen would be the purpose of FairChange, my new enterprise.
The fascinating journey towards a people positive private sector
Determined to focus on business for good, I secured a Master’s degree in International Responsible Business and Sustainability at a renowned university and complementary education in professional coaching and change management.
In the 15+ years that followed I’ve supported companies of different sizes and across sectors to achieve their social sustainability goals. Especially in complex environments, there are no easy one-size-fits-all solutions. Working in partnerships with other stakeholders usually yields the best results.
True social impact leadership is driven by intrinsic motivation, but rules and regulations are needed to accelerate change. That’s why I also engage in advocacy to influence policymakers on topics ranging from circular textile value chains to the protection of human rights under the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).
I’m also the long-time founder-owner of Katmondo Media. This agency provides conscious communications services to help do-good organizations stand out with impact stories that move clients and customers. Interested in learning more? Have a look at the Katmondo Portfolio page.
So far, it has been a fascinating journey. Moving companies, governments and society towards a future where people positive businesses are the norm can be tough. It’s a road with many obstacles and mighty adversaries, but every day more allies jump on board.
The most important lesson we’ve learned: change is always possible, however strong the resistance. In the end, small steps lead to big transformations.
Five fun facts about Katja
I’ll be delighted to put my 20+ years experience of supporting people positive business to work for you! FairChange offers consulting, training and coaching to grow your social impact success.
The size of your dreams must always exceed your current capacity to achieve them. If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough.”
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, economist, president of Liberia, 2011 Nobel Peace Prize winner