In Good Company

SOLWorld 2025: A Celebration of Connection, Curiosity and Community

Two years on from the SOLWorld Conference in Vienna, Anton Stellamans introduced this year’s SOLWorld Conference in Mechelen, which lived up to every expectation and beyond. As Anton said, “Dreamwork is what makes the teamwork” and this team dreamed creatively!

Held under the warm and welcoming theme “In Good Company”, the 2025 edition brought together 142 passionate professionals from around the world—coaches, trainers, consultants, and changemakers—each contributing their unique energy, experiences, and insight to three unforgettable days of learning, laughter, and collaboration. Whether it was your first SOLWorld or your twentieth, the spirit of generosity and genuine connection made everyone feel immediately at home.

Throughout the conference, the theme “In Good Company” resonated deeply—not only as a description of the experience, but as a call to action. As professionals committed to creating better workplaces and healthier human systems, we were reminded that being in good company—where people feel seen, valued, and heard—is both the goal and the path. The discussions, ideas, and inspirations shared will ripple outward, touching organizations and communities around the world.

As we return to our work, we carry with us not only notes, handouts, and jazz-infused metaphors—but also the renewed sense that we are not alone. We are part of a global learning community, generous in spirit and rich in possibility. Thank you, SOLWorld 2025, for reminding us what’s possible in good company.

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In Good Company @ SOLWorld Conference

Yi Feng’s testimonial of his first SOLWORLD Conference

First-time nerves, dissolve
In warm hugs and honest laughs
No airs, just presence
We pass gifts, not pedestal
The action is connection.

It’s my first conference. I came with curiosity and some anxiety. But from the warm hugs at the pre-conference reception to the playful tone of every session at Het Predikheren, Mechelen Public Library, I knew this wasn’t your typical professional gathering (hugs to Wendy).

Malaysian SF Coach Alex Tan welcomed me with a ‘warning,’ that SOLWorld “has no airs” — and he was right! Off the train, I bumped into Janine Waldman and Paul Z Jackson. I found myself blurting, “Are you THE Janine Waldman?” She chuckled and replied something like, “I’m not sure I’m THE, but I’m definitely Janine.” Paul kindly signed my book, and we bonded over improv. Dr. Haesun Moon’s charmingly chill vibe perfectly reflected the soul of SOLWorld.

There’s a certain magic when formality steps aside, and humanity steps inside. Without name tags, we normalised asking names (repeatedly). We sat where we wish rather than with assigned seating for ‘Greats’. We go where our feet wishes to bring us to. We passed gifts to honour speakers instead of calling them to the stage. The action was, quite literally, in the interaction. Interacting as peers, not personas; was refreshing for me, coming from status conscious environments.

We may come from different worlds, but the central theme of being in good company is connection. From experiencing the intersectional HOPfEar polarities through Annie Bordeleau and Ania Smolka’s ‘Weaving the Threads of Fear and Hope’ activity, to participating in Alex Steele’s electrifying experiential ‘Experiment of Organisational Flourishing’ by seeing leadership through the lens of jazzy improvisation to comedic cabaret buffet of talent showcase (think bagpipes, jokes, Bibi’s flips), SOLWorld reified my heart-head-hand SF connection.

Even though it’s my first, I felt seen. I felt welcomed. I felt I belonged. SOLWorld wasn’t about showcasing or one-upmanship. It was about showing up and friendship. The brilliance came not just from what was said, but how it was shared. Humanness took centre stage. And that, to me, is the heart of being in good company. The action, is truly in the InterAction. And I was, In Great Company.

PS: Thank you, Anton Stellamans, Vonneke Beeker, Wendy Van den Bulck, Ciska de Pillecyn, Chris Aertsen, Lily Deforce and Wim Sucaet for organising such a transformational conference.

Since its founding in 2002, SOLWorld has hosted over 50 events around the world. It’s a community of solution-focused professionals who come together to share and build SF practice in organisations. Sharing is at the heart of it all—there’s no divide between presenters and participants. Everyone brings something valuable, and everyone learns.