“On behalf of Belgium’s 40 under 40, we attest that Fatima Mimouni has successfully completed one year of an intensive leadership development and societal impact program as a Fellow of the Cohort 2023. We hereby confirm upon her the prestigious title of 40u40 Alumna.” These words are written on the certificates that the Fellows of the Cohort 2023, including Fatima, received at their Graduation on October 5, 2024. It was a joyous evening, celebrating the end of the program by tossing Laurent in the air, singing a rendition of ‘Forty Forty’ to the tune of ‘Let It Be’ by The Beatles, and passing a torch to the Fellows 2024, who have just begun their own 40u40 journey.
As the evening came to a close, the newly joined Alumna, Fatima, raised the question most of the Fellows were asking themselves: “What does it mean to be an Alumna, what do we do now?” Luckily, many Alumni were present to answer, pointing out that the Graduation is by no means the end of the journey, it is the beginning of a new chapter! The Alumni form a community of past Cohorts, more than 140 former Fellows, who foster continuous learning, leadership growth, and societal impact. By participating in the 40u40 activities and forming genuine bonds built on support and mutual inspiration, the Alumni Community embraces a lifelong commitment to personal development and creating positive change.
Cohort 2022 Alumnus Peru Dharani attended such a conversation with Danish philosopher, academic, and entrepreneur Christian Madsbjerg. In the setting of TheMerode, 15 Fellows, Alumni, and Supporters gathered on a September evening to exchange ideas on human sciences, anthropology and its applications in exercising leadership. Peru describes his experience as “a unique opportunity to meet an influential thinker in a cozy setting within our Community.” He emphasizes the importance of such gatherings, noting how “it allows us to broaden our ‘thought horizons’ by having an opportunity to listen to a broad spectrum of thought leaders. We could even call it a TEDx 40u40.” As always, such evenings end with an informal drink to continue the discussion and create meaningful interaction within the Community.
Workshops and seminars offer the Community a more hands-on approach, providing opportunities to actively engage with leadership and impact creation. Over an afternoon or even several days, renowned professionals or field leaders are invited to share their insights and guide attendees through a mix of learning and practical exercises.
Last year, Julia Middleton, the inspiring founder of Common Purpose and Women Emerging, joined 40u40 for a two-day retreat on leadership, societal engagement, and personal development. In the outskirts of Brussels, surrounded by fresh countryside air, Alumni and Fellows came together to learn from Julia’s life journey and her perspectives on leadership.
Together, the group discussed the need for societal transformation, sparking insightful conversations that continued into the evening over dinner, sharing stories and laughter. Steve Ahouanmenou, Alumnus of Cohort 2021 Spring, attended the seminar with Julia Middleton and is a frequent visitor to 40u40 activities. For him, these gatherings are “excellent ways to reflect on our perspectives of the other and of the world, to remember how we see things, and dare to calibrate our lenses continuously. For me, these sessions have a lot in common with a professional brainstorming exercise or a meditation session, as the tools of cogitation triggered are exactly the same, yet the output is quite different. I discovered in each and every workshop that I have attended, new skills to put myself on the path of deep listening and observation.”
Apart from personal and professional growth opportunities, 40u40 also organizes events that focus on the Community and connections. During the Annual Event, the Graduation Ceremony, or small group activities, the 40u40 Members can come together to exchange in a relaxed setting. The focus of these activities is allowing a space for meaningful conversations, bringing people together and having fun! Cohort 2022 Alumnus Loik Nys appreciates the ease of connections within the Community: “When attending 40u40 events, beyond gaining valuable insights, I always see familiar faces and leave feeling energized by interactions with people who are true change agents. It is incredibly easy to connect with new faces and have meaningful conversations because we all share a common drive for good. It never feels like a typical networking experience—there’s no hidden agenda. We connect through genuine curiosity and a shared interest in meeting new people and finding inspiration from them. Additionally, the Community has grown so much that I often meet Alumni everywhere. It feels like home!” Every year, a new Cohort joins the 40u40 Community, making it a never-ending journey of meeting and engaging with new people.
During the Graduation Ceremony of Cohort 2023, Fellow Lynn Tytgat noted in her speech that the only part of the program that truly ends is the Forums. Many of the Field Work projects remain ongoing, and numerous Mentorship pairings continue beyond the program. The Fellows often maintain connections with their Conversation Circles, and as Alumni, they can now participate in Alumni Conversation Circles! Diane Thibaut and Catherine de Meulemeester lead the first two groups. Each Circle includes six to eight Alumni from all past Cohorts, allowing participants to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones. Every two months, they meet for an evening over a shared dinner and dive deep into their challenges, opportunities, and more.
The Alumni Circles continue the objective of the Circles of the one-year program. Diane explains that, “firstly, there is a real need for young leaders to be offered a space for sharing deep personal challenges with peers. Secondly, the Circles help develop the Fellows’ leadership skills: practicing active listening, being empathetic, showing vulnerability, learning from others’ experiences, asking good questions, and stepping back are all valuable skills they further develop in the Circles.” With the Alumni Circle, the former Fellows are offered a space to share, to learn and to connect with other members of the Community.
For Sophie Buysse, Alumna of Cohort 2021 Spring, being an Alumna means being part of a family: “As Alumni, you can help shape 40u40, encourage people to apply, and continue your own growth by having access to leadership and impact workshops and conferences. But most of all, you are part of one warm and talented Community — a big family! And this family keeps on growing with a new Cohort joining every year, new people you instantly feel connected to because you share the same drive and values. It is very powerful.” Sophie joined the Alumni Conversation Circle after completing the program in 2022 as part of the first Cohort. For her, the Circles were the most transformative part of the program. Coming together with peers who share the same drive for impact, challenges, and ambitions offers a “high quality of interactions. Exchanging ideas in a safe, non-judgmental, authentic space is priceless. The Conversation Circles offer an intimate and special space where you can connect with people from all Cohorts who are similar to you. It makes you feel at home, like being supported. It is great to be able to tap into the intellectual powerhouse the other participants offer. Because we all come from different socioeconomic backgrounds, sectors, and cultures, the Conversation Circles open new perspectives and insights.”
The shared desire to create positive societal change connects all members of Belgium’s 40 under 40. The Alumni can actively participate in various ways that allow them to make a lasting impact, such as joining Fellows during a Forum to offer advice on impact-driven Field Work projects or contributing insights to support societal initiatives. One example of these is the BE.Entrepreneur initiative launched in April 2023 by 40u40, the Pulse Foundation, and the Itinera Institute. This initiative gathered voices from across the entrepreneurial sector, including 40u40 Alumni, to propose ideas and frameworks for boosting entrepreneurship in Belgium. Through these collective intelligence sessions, the Alumni played a vital role in shaping innovative approaches to address key challenges related to entrepreneurship in Belgium.
Similarly, a project launched in 2024 called NextWave Finance invites Fellows and Alumni to collaborate through a series of intergenerational conversations and reflections on how to make the financial sector more attractive and representative of the next generation’s needs and values. This initiative, in partnership with the Belgian Finance Center, brings together Generation Z and Millennials from across the finance sector—from impact investing to traditional banking—around meaningful exchanges on the future of finance.
Currently in progress, this initiative will be followed by other impact-focused projects. The Alumni play a crucial role in this effort. “After five Cohorts, we now have assembled a diverse group of inspiring and motivated young leaders, uniting their knowledge and passion. We are uniquely equipped to leverage this expertise and commitment to create positive change, and we are glad to see the ideas proposed by the Alumni and their enthusiasm to participate in these impactful initiatives,” Laurent Coulie says.
Peru captures the essence of the collective 40u40 strength for impact, saying: “My favourite part about being an Alumnus is being with people who want to engage in society actively. The connections we can foster with people will come a long way in our life and most often in very unpredictable circumstances. I view it as being able to “activate” the potential of individual members of our community through the “potential of the group”. You can picture the Alumni Community being the trampoline that enables every member to jump higher, to impact bigger in whatever they want to do.” For Peru, the Community is about more than just connections, it is about unlocking the potential of individuals through the collective intelligence of the group. “In a time where there is a lot of cynicism and negativity in our environment, our like-minded and optimistic pack of visionary leaders is a welcome retreat to be in. A place where ambition can be admired upon and encouraged,” he adds.
Cohort 2022 Alumna Pauline Verhaeghe also describes the Alumni Community as “a gift that keeps on giving. Beyond the one year program, the Community is a vibrant and exciting space to continue to connect with past and present Fellows. As an Alumna, I am invited to workshops, events and conferences, allowing me to continue on my growth journey.”
By continuing to foster this Community, 40u40 hopes to aid the Alumni in “jumping higher” in their pursuits of positive change and invites both new and long-standing Alumni to continue being part of the Community and to help shape the Belgium of tomorrow.
