Speaker engagements Claire Barnhoorn

Innovative keynote speaker and consultant whose work is built from purpose and driven by moral ambition. With a career spanning over two decades, from frontline humanitarian operations with MSF (Doctors Without Borders) to founding a female-led tech venture. I blend profound sector insight with an entrepreneur’s drive to tackle inefficiencies and elevate performance. I deliver engaging presentations, interactive debates, and thought-provoking panels that empower organizations and teams to ignite change and achieve impact, whether they’re global corporations or grassroots NGOs. My work bridges the public and private sectors, championing innovation, inclusion, and responsible programming to tackle today’s most pressing challenges.

Please find below a selection of speaking engagements over the last years. Reach out for more information or requests here.

2025
May
Zeist, the Netherlands

NEVI’s CPO Summit, Chief Procurement Summit (Zeist, NL). Dinner speaker:Procurement as a force for good: From intent to impact(see notes here).

April
Rotterdam, the Netherlands

IPSERA Conference, (Rotterdam, NL). Keynote: Beyond aid, empowering local businesses for a resilient, sustainable future”.

March
Geneva, Switzerland

Humanitarian Network and Partnerships week by UN OCHA (Geneva Switzerland). Keynote: “A new humanitarian framework for sustainable procurement for the EC”.

February
The Hague, the Netherlands

The Hague Humanity Hub, (The Hague, NL). Speaker: “The Handshake with Claire Barnhoorn: bringing innovation & entrepreneurship to humanitarian work.

January
WEF, Davos, Switzerland

Social Innovation House, World Economic Forum (Davos, Switzerland). Panelist: “We don’t do charity”. See reflection on WEF 2025 here

2024
November
The Hague, the Netherlands

ImpactFest by ImpactyCity, (The Hague, NL). Pitching: “The unsexy truth about procurement and system change.” (Pitching for Best innovation award, see blog on winning award here)

June
online

Humanitarian Innovation Program, Innovation Norway (online). Keynote: ”Procurement as the Gateway to Greening Humanitarian Aid”. (See my keynote and notes here)

April
online, Minneapolis (USA)

POMS – Humanitarian operations and crisis management conference, the Production and Operations Management Society, POMS - HOCM Conference  (Online, Minneapolis, USA) Keynote: “Reflections on “Humanitarian Operations in 2050”.

February
Dakar, Senegal

African Logistics Conference, (Dakar, Senegal). Keynote: What is the status of localisation of supply chains in the humanitarian sector.” (Organised by HELP Logistics - see my keynote and reflections here)

January
WEF, Davos, Switzerland

SDG tent - World Economic Forum 2024 (Davos, Switzerland). Panelist: From Aspiration to Action – Innovative Public-Private Partnerships Advancing the SDGs”. (more information here).

2023
November
Utrecht, the Netherlands

European Congress on Global Health, ECTMIH (Utrecht, NL). Panelist: “Sustainable Value Chains: The Path to Greener Global Health Systems”. (more information here).

October
Nairobi, Kenya

Philips Foundation, Partners and impact week, (Nairobi, Kenya). Keynote: Impact through Improved Procurement.

September
Rotterdam, the Netherlands

Guest lecture at Rotterdam School of Business, Erasmus University, Executive MBA program: "Social entrepreneurship and humanitarianism".

May
online, UK

Catalysing Change Week by Catalyst2030 (online). Panelist: Transforming how the world deals with Disasters”. more information available here

April
Geneva, Switzerland

HNPW, Humanitarian Network and Partnerships week, by UN OCHA (Geneva, Switzerland). Panelist: “Local Procurement in Humanitarian Response”. & Panelist:” Ensuring full lifecycle accountability for humanitarian waste through sustainable procurement”. (online session available here) and (online session available here)

March
Kampala, Uganda

IOM's Conference on e-Waste and Greening Humanitarian responses in Displacement, (Kampala, Uganda). Keynote: “What are the questions we need to raise?”. Panelist: “Private Sector engagement and Partnerships for eWaste management in Displacement”.

February
online, Germany

German Development Bank’s Conference, KFW RMMV Conference (Germany, online). Panelist: “Women inclusion by responsible procurement”.

2022
November
Brussels, Belgium

Health and Humanitarian Logistics Conference 2022 (Brussels) at AidEx Panelist: “Sustainable Local Procurement”.

November
The Hague, the Netherlands

Impact Fest -  2022 (The Hague, NL) Speaker: “Procurement decisions as enabler for the green deal, SDGs and climate pact”.

September
Amsterdam, the Netherlands

IDA Foundation, 50 year anniversary event (Amsterdam, the Netherlands). Keynote: “Perspectives on challenges related to Universal Health Coverage, Strengthened Local Capacity, and Sustainable Value Chains”.

June
podcast

Blue Lamborghini. Trumanitarian, Podcast by Lars Peter Nissen. Link to podcast website and Link to spotify

May
Geneva, Switzerland

Humanitarian Network and partnership week (HNPW by OCHA), conference Geneva (Switzerland). Panelist: "Sustainable procurement: key to greening humanitarian responses and localization". Link to session

April
The Hague, The Netherlands

Peace and Justice day (The Hague, NL). Speaker: “Driving process improvements by innovating in the public sector through private-sector startups”. Link to session 

2021
December
online

Philips and Philips Foundation’s webinar series, (Online, global) Panelist: Entrepreneurial digital health models to increase access to quality care”. Philips Foundation webinar series on strengthening healthcare accessLink to session

November
Brussels, Belgium

AidEx 2021, conference at Brussels Expo Hallen (Belgium). Panelist: "Time to reform humanitarian action". Link to session

November
The Hague, the Netherlands

ImpactFest, European Meetup, Fokker hallen, The Hague. Speaker: "Improving procurement capacity increases trust and funding opportunities". Link to session

October
Rotterdam, the Netherlands

Guest lecture at Health and Humanitarian Logistics course. International MBA program at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, the Netherlands. "Challenges and operational restrictions; towards efficient and effective, responsible programming, procurement and logistics."

September
Leusden, the Netherlands

Corporate Power 2021, Corporate Foundation Forum conference at AFAS Centre,(Leusden, NL). Panelist: “Lasting societal change with CSR and charitable money” Keynote: “Beyond aid, empowering local businesses for a resilient, sustainable future”. Link to pre-interview (Dutch only)

February
online, USA

Conference: "Forging Ahead, Re-building Stronger, by CGHD (Centre for Global Health and Development) and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Court (online). Panelist: “Improving Access to Healthcare in Emerging Markets Through Partnerships and Scalable Solutions.” Link to session blog

January
online, Barcelona, Spain

Guestlecture Master of International Cooperation in Sustainable Emergency Architecture at UIC Barcelona International University of Catalonia. "Introducing operational Humanitarian realities: the road to responsible programming and procurement." 

2020
December
online, the Netherlands

Impact City, The Hague Humanity Hub, WorldStartup – Startup Event, (the Hague, NL, online). Panelist: Technology, innovation and humanitarian action”. Link to review blog

November
online, Helsinki, Finland

Guest lecture Master's studies in Humanitarian Logistics at HumLog Institute of Hanken University, Helsinki (Finland). "Responsible Procurement in humanitarian aid: tackling operational and funding challenges."

October
Rotterdam, the Netherlands

Guest lecture International MBA program at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, the Netherlands. "How to create lasting impact in humanitarian operations, introducing challenges and operational realities of humanitarian procurement.

September
online, NY, USA

World Humanitarian Forum NY Conference 2020, (link to outcome report) (Online, NY, USA). Panelist: “Supply Chain, technology and digitalization”.  Link to session blog

September
online, Europe

EVPA Annual Conference 2020, EVPA - The European Venture Philanthropy Association (online). Speaker: Venture Philantropy and Humaniarian aid; all focus on impact, but semantics are from different worlds”.  Link to review blog

June
online, Berlin

Bbuzz conference 2020 (online), Berlin.  Speaker: How Women in Open Source Lead in Times of COVID-19”.

2018
November
The Hague, the Netherlands

Humanitarian Innovation Conference 2018 (The Hague, NL). Speaker: “What’s needed next, innovation versus de-silo-fication."

June
Copenhagen, Denmark

Annual Fleet Forum Conference, Maersk, Copenhagen (Dk). Speaker: "Shifting from total cost of ownership to total cost of
mobility".

 

April
London

Aid & Trade Conference in London. Panelist: "Engagement between the aid and private sectors to enhance humanitarian logistics knowledge and innovation".

2017
August
The Hague, the Netherlands

Summer School Big Data for Peace and Justice in The Hague (NL), by NOHA, University Groningen, Fordham and Leiden University. Speaker: "Useful categories in Information Management in humanitarian aid: whats out there - analyzing existing tools".

March
The Hague, the Netherlands

International Data Responsibility Conference 2017 – IDRG  in The Hague (NL). Keynote: "What is needed most while encountering a proliferation of data tools and solutions in Humanitarian aid?".