Maroeska Bakker and Diede Bouma are the founders of The Recharge Club – The Next Gen Leadership Company. Through their shared mission, they help organizations and new generations understand each other better. They make organizations next gen ready by strengthening the resilience of young professionals, helping leaders adopt a new perspective on the next generation, and improving collaboration between generations.
Their mission is personal. Both built their careers in the fields of communication, events, project management, and entrepreneurship. Environments where expectations are high, the pace is fast, and continuously pushing forward is often the standard. They fully immersed themselves in their work, learned through experience, and discovered that constant performance without time to recharge is not sustainable.
That is why they founded The Recharge Club. Based on one clear belief: the next generation deserves a better start than the one they had themselves. Not by reducing ambition, but by teaching young professionals how to grow while staying healthy and resilient. At the same time, they help organizations and leaders better understand the perspectives, expectations, and strengths of new generations.
This mission also formed the foundation of the Next Gen Unmuted Report 2026, an in-depth study into what young professionals need today to grow and what organizations need to change to remain attractive and future-proof.
The New Standard in Leadership
According to Maroeska and Diede, the challenge is not about generational differences, but about mutual understanding. The rules of work are changing faster than ever due to AI, digitalization, and shifting expectations. Young professionals are looking for development, purpose, and the opportunity to perform sustainably. Organizations are looking for engaged employees who want to stay.
In their keynotes, they show how these two worlds can come closer together. They challenge persistent assumptions about generations and demonstrate how leadership, culture, and collaboration can evolve with the new reality. Not based on theory alone, but on research, practical experience, and hundreds of conversations with young professionals and organizations.
From Insight to Action
Maroeska and Diede’s keynotes are energetic, interactive, and directly applicable. They combine insights from the Next Gen Unmuted Report with practical examples, humor, and concrete interventions. No abstract models, but practical tools that organizations can use immediately.
Their goal is not only to inspire but to create movement. So that young professionals can develop, managers can lead with greater confidence, and organizations can build a culture where generations strengthen each other.
What you will take away from a keynote
- Insight into what young professionals truly value, based on the Next Gen Unmuted Report 2026.
- Understanding of how AI and societal changes influence the expectations of new generations.
- Concrete tools to attract, retain, develop, and support young professionals sustainably.
- Practical insights into leadership that creates connection between generations.
- Immediately applicable interventions and a live quick scan to identify where your organization stands today.
