Ilona Brenninkmeijer

Explorer | Visionary | Empower

Founder @ Baretalks

I don't want to "help" I want to "empower". I'd rather share tools that help people to help themselves: empowering them. This is what drew me to education: ultimately education is about empowering others, either with knowledge or skills. I have always freelanced in education: tutoring; helping educational start-ups; and volunteering in charities, and now I've started my own business: Baretalks.

Baretalks tackles challenging topics, such as mental health, using honest conversations and relatable role models. The truth is often hidden behind jargon and single sided stories, this mystifies and exaggerates the problem. Baretalks is cutting the jargon and sharing real, honest stories that you can relate to and understand: only then can you start to tackle the challenge. Baretalks started as a result of my own experiences with depression and anxiety. My recovery was sparked by a single honest conversation where someone mentioned their therapist to me. I want to spark that same change in others by sharing my experience.

I love hiking up rice terraces in China; swing dancing in Bangkok; skiing in Switzerland; sea kayaking in Croatia; Reggaeton in Cuba; experimental cooking in London; horse riding in Argentina; live jazz in New Orleans.

ps a little thank you to "my gut": I've never had a grand plan, instead I choose to trust my gut: grabbing opportunities as they come and reflecting on what makes me tick.