Bas Berends

Bas Berends has over 20 years of international experience in the fields of business development, government relations, investor relations, partnerships, fundraising, and sustainability. From 2000 to 2004, they served as Second Secretary at the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Beijing. Bas then moved to the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where they held various roles from 2004 to 2016, including Deputy Head of the North America and Kingdom Affairs division, First Secretary, and Assistant to the Deputy Secretary-General. In 2015, Bas was appointed Environment Advisor and Focal Point for the Sustainable Development Goals at the United Nations in Albania. From 2018 to 2022, they were the Founder and Owner of Izuba Consulting, where they provided business development and fundraising services to social enterprises and non-profits. Bas also served as Advisor for Partnerships and Business Development at La FDS, as well as Vice President International Partnerships and Chief Partnership Officer and Board Member at OffGridBox, where they raised $2 million. In 2022, Bas was selected as a Uplink Top Innovator for the Uplink Climate Justice Challenge with OffGridBox and participated in Uplink x Davos 2022. Bas is currently a participant in the Energy Transition Master Class at Darel.

Bas Berends has a long history of education. In 1983, they attended Gymnasium Celeanum and graduated in 1987. From 1987 to 1989, they attended UWC Atlantic College and obtained an IB. From 1990 to 1996, they attended University of Amsterdam and obtained an MA in Political Science. From 1993 to 1994, they attended University of Sussex and obtained an MA in Rural Development. From 1996 to 1997, they attended College of Europe and obtained an MA in European Studies (Politics). In 2014, they attended New Energy Business School and obtained an Executive Program in Energy Transition & Innovation.