Our team

• 
  Tom Kools

  Executive Director

  Tom directs Foodrise EU’s work to challenge the industrial food system and make good food a public good. His leadership is grounded in a deep respect for the living world and uses campaigns as a tool to rebalance power. Tom brings a background in strategic advisory and programme leadership across the food system, including senior roles at the Gemeynt, Transitiecoalitie Voedsel, and Verstegen. He holds a Master’s degree in International Economics from Utrecht University and is actively involved in several LGBTQ+ networks in the Netherlands.

• 
  Julianne van Pelt

  Campaigner

  Working at the forefront of modern campaigning, Julianne blends journalism, research and visual storytelling to create campaigns that resonate across movements and audiences. Her focus is on narratives and tactics that are intersectional by nature, and that move beyond classic campaigning formats, making Foodrise’s work visible and relevant to wider publics.

  She studied History and European Studies at the University of Amsterdam and KU Leuven, with a longstanding interest in climate and feminist politics that runs through her writing and campaign work.

• 
  Pieter Roden

  Campaigner

  Pieter is a campaigner with a strong research focus, working on the industrialisation of fish and its consequences for ecosystems, and affected communities. He builds evidence-led campaigns that challenge corporate driven aquaculture and the industrial animal sector behind it.

  With a background in Geography and African Studies from the University of Bristol (first class) and the Universiteit Leiden (cum laude), he brings a strong research mindset into contemporary campaign strategy.

• 
  Maximilian Herzog

  Advocacy Officer

  Maximilian leads Foodrise’s advocacy at the heart of the EU institutions in Brussels, working across campaigns on biomethane, livestock, aquaculture and food waste. He is a regular speaker on EU food and climate policy at public events and panels.

  He studied Politics and Public Administration at the University of Konstanz and completed a Master’s in Applied Economy for the Common Good at the Hochschule Burgenland. Previously, he was a spokesperson for Fridays for Future in Germany, helping push the country’s first Climate Emergency declaration, and worked on climate and social justice at the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung.

• 
  Laura Sheldon

  Finance Manager

  At Foodrise, Laura Sheldon is responsible for the organisation’s financial and risk management. She brings experience from multiple finance roles across the cultural sector, and moved into the environmental field in 2018, working with OrganicLea, a community food growing initiative in northeast London. Laura holds a degree in Music from the University of Cambridge. Alongside her professional work, Laura is a trustee of the EXAUDI vocal ensemble.

Our board

• 
  Gemma Verhoeven

  Chair of the Board

  Gemma is an independent advisor with deep experience in impact investing and development finance in emerging markets. She previously led the impact and investment team at FOUNT, working across sectors including clean cooking, carbon credits, organic agriculture and fashion. Earlier in her career, she held investment roles at FMO and the EU funded ElectriFI, and worked as an independent investment advisor in Bulgaria.  She holds a Master’s in International Financial Business.

• 
  Gine Zwart

  Secretary

  Gine has spent over three decades working at the intersection of agriculture, food systems, inequality and human rights. Her work combines hands-on programme leadership with agenda-setting advocacy, including long-term roles with FAO and nearly twenty years at Oxfam, where she helped shape approaches to rural livelihoods, sustainable agriculture and corporate accountability. She serves on multiple boards in the fields of food and social justice, and holds an MSc with honours from Wageningen University & Research.

• 
  Laura Platenkamp

  Treasurer

  Laura Platenkamp is manager at the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). She brings extensive experience across public sector and NGO contexts, with a strong focus on food systems, climate, and governance.

  Previously, she worked as senior advisor European Climate Programmes (RVO), and with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN). Alongside her professional work, She is a candidate for the municipal council in Amstelveen for GroenLinks–PvdA. Laura holds an MSc International Relations from London School of Economics.

• 
  Alexander Kok

  Board Member

  Alexander is an entrepreneur and founder of start-up Feeb focused on the protein transition. Previously, he held senior roles at Booking.com in strategic communications, PR and data analytics, as well as at a strategic communications agency.

  He was a fellow at the School of Moral Ambition, where he worked on accelerating the protein transition in collaboration with Euroconsumers. He holds a Master’s degree in European Law from the University of Edinburgh.

• 
  Olivia Hicks

  Board Member

  Olivia Hicks is a non-executive director of the Coolaroo Foundation and previously worked as a senior lawyer for the Australian Government. She brings deep experience in governance, public interest law and philanthropy.

  She holds a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) from Australian National University and was a fellow of the School of Moral Ambition, where she worked with Mighty Earth. During this fellowship, she authored among others the organisation’s strategy on plant-based diets and alternative proteins.