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A Dutch coffee brand is recruiting a Board of Little Directors (aged 8-12)

Dutch coffee brand De Koffiejongens built its business on offering a sustainable, biodegradable alternative to Nespresso's coffee pods. Now, connecting its focus on the planet's future to the future of the planet's inhabitants, De Koffiejongens is forming a Raad van Commissarisjes, or 'Board of Little Directors.' With ads in major newspapers, it's recruiting a board comprised entirely of children aged 8–12, specifically ones that enjoy coloring outside the lines.

In Q4 2024, the young board members will be invited to attend The Great Children's Meeting — an educational and entertaining day of workshops covering nature, food, sustainability and more, including a surprise guest. While the concept could be dismissed as a mere PR stunt, it hits at a profound notion: that companies should actively seek the perspectives of young people when making decisions that will reverberate across generations.

Within days of launching its recruitment campaign, De Koffiejongens received over 500 applications.

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By shifting its attention to preteens, De Koffiejongens acknowledges those who will be most impacted by what businesses and other leaders choose to do now, from quarter to quarter. The initiative showcases an innovative way to make corporate governance more inclusive and diverse, even if just for a day.

As society grapples with complex challenges, the changes needed aren't just operational but existential — fundamentally reframing what society deems valuable. Is your brand taking steps to share some of that power with youthful voices or, at the very least, to listen to generations who've typically been shut out of influential conversations about their own future?

Related: PUMA invites four young changemakers to hold it accountable on sustainability issues