(Brand) Innovation for a Sustainable, Digital, Decentralized Future
The Weconomics Foundation is a Netherlands based partner network for meaningful innovation and broad, sustainable prosperity. Led by visionary Paul Bessems, and now consisting of over 215 professionals, 143 projects, and 20 startups. After 14 years, the decentralized organization felt a strong need to renew its brand identity — both the story itself, and the way that story is told.
I prefer working with organizations that are doing something new, that want to do it in a new way, and that aim to create positive societal impact.
But that comes with a price — one I’m very willing to invest. What’s most exciting and meaningful is often also the most challenging. And vice versa.
With pride, I’m sharing the case of the renewed brand identity of the Weconomics Foundation. Or: how to help a fundamentally new type of organization — with a more-than-innovative vision as its core — land in a clear and coherent story.
The Weconomics Foundation — the old, new story
Weconomics is a decentralized partner network for meaningful innovation and broad, sustainable prosperity, measured in liberated time. Since 2010, under the inspired leadership of visionary Paul Bessems, the organization has steadily built its path. With over 215 high-level professionals, 143 projects, and 20 startups, the foundation has made a real, positive impact.
At the same time, the organization has been struggling with an identity challenge for some time. Which makes sense. A decentralized organization that grows organically — made up of highly intelligent people, originally often quite technically oriented — and aiming to help shape a future no one has fully seen yet… that’s not something you easily capture in one story and one clear brand identity.
On top of that, after 14 years, it was time to refresh the visual side of the brand as well. The key strategic goals: growth in partners, startups, and projects — and ultimately, increasing societal impact.
Why this trajectory — and why with Neo Alpha?
Paul Bessems:
“What mattered most was growing a movement that contributes to organizing broad and sustainable prosperity — with a recognizable identity and clear growth ambition.
We already had experience with Erwin’s work. As a Weconomics partner, he quickly understood the challenge: connecting a decentralized organization of innovators and builders through a shared Weconomics brand identity.”
The Brand Story & Identity process: creating buy-in for story and change
We started with a session with Paul and his colleague Sandra, to gather and shape the first building blocks of the new story. As is often the case, we focused on the core: Problem, Solution, Result — and Purpose.
After a first iteration, we met again in Brainport Eindhoven, at the Weconomics office in the Twice building on the university campus. This second session was a key step in refining and clarifying their Brand Story — or rather, their Growth Story.
Buy-in & ownership
The goal of this second workshop was to involve a broader group from the Weconomics network, giving them the chance to contribute before finalizing the story.
Which matters. Because this is how you create buy-in and shared ownership of a brand story and identity — especially in a decentralized network like Weconomics.
And it’s not easy. The more ambitious, innovative, and complex the organization is — the harder it becomes to craft a story that clearly and compellingly explains what they do, why they do it, and for whom.
Brand Identity & Strategy for a decentralized organization — aimed at an unknown future
How do you gather input in a way that fits a decentralized organization?
How do you describe a future that doesn’t yet exist — in a way that feels concrete and compelling?
Paul reflects:
“The nature of a network organization is that alongside paid work, there’s also a layer of voluntary contribution, and development often happens organically without strict deadlines or accountability structures. That can make processes take longer. With the learnings from this iteration, the process could be a bit tighter in the future — without turning into a traditional company.
Erwin is empathetic, senses what’s going on, and asks the right questions to simplify complex realities. His texts and proposals are creative and usually hit the mark right away. That’s rare.”
From story to identity — from inside to outside
After the second iteration, it became clear that a new story alone wouldn’t be enough to support the foundation’s ambitions.
“Weconomics connects innovators, builders, and leaders of a sustainable, digital, decentralized future — for a more human future.”
A strong brand identity works from the inside out — from idea and story, to visuals, to market.
That’s why experienced Creative Director and Visual Designer Giorgio Guldenaar joined the project, translating the emerging identity into a bold, distinctive, and fitting visual language — aligned with the renewed story, ambition, and culture.
Software and security specialist Duncan Schoenmakers then helped bring everything together in a new website — the first real expression of the new identity.
The result: a new story, a new identity, a new platform
On the renewed website, the story of the Weconomics Foundation — its partners, projects, startups, and results — comes together in one clear and structured place. Combined with a new, contemporary, future-proof — and distinctly own — visual language.
A place where partners can easily point new partners, students, startups, or client organizations — and bring them into the network.
Paul Bessems:
“I’m very satisfied, and the first reactions from partners are positive as well.
The website alone won’t change everything. But partners will hopefully identify more strongly with the Weconomics movement, and relationships will more easily find their way to the platform — where they can quickly understand what we stand for, and why this matters for the future of our children.”
Weconomics: an organization with a real mission
It was a substantial project — but also a deeply enjoyable one. Partly because I have great respect for Paul, but also because I very much believe in the sincerity of the people behind Weconomics, and in the ambition and feasibility of their vision.
That’s also why I’ve been a partner myself for quite some time.
What problem does Weconomics solve?
In one phrase: unsustainable waste of time.
In more detail: the waste, inefficiency, and failed innovation we see around us — because we organize and use technology, knowledge, time, and human energy and creativity poorly.
We have incredible new possibilities. But we still apply them from an outdated perspective — often forgetting the human dimension, and wasting enormous amounts of time.
A new era requires a new way of thinking, organizing, and collaborating.
If that resonates, it’s worth having a conversation with Weconomics. If this sounds like something for you, maybe check out www.weconomics.info.
The foundation connects innovators, leaders, and builders of a sustainable, digital, decentralized future — with the goal of contributing to broad, sustainable prosperity, measured in freed-up time.
More time — as individuals, organizations, and society — for what truly matters.
What that is, is up to you.
The question is: what will you do with your time?
Want to grow from and beyond your story?
Inspired? Curious about this process? Or does your organization need a clearer, stronger story to unlock growth? Please reach out. Let’s grab a virtual coffee — I’d love to hear your story- sofar.