Dennis Geelen

Coaching and mentoring to help you start and scale your one-person business.

Founder

Zero In

The mission of Zero In is to help as many businesses and leaders build a brand customers love and a company people are passionate to work for.  

So where do you need to focus (or Zero In)?
Solve the problem of INDIFFERENCE!

Indifferent customers have no compelling reason to purchase your product or service rather than your competitors' product or service. 

Indifferent employees are complacent because they are not passionate about coming to work each day.

Utilize the resources, books, and courses from Zero In to increase your customer retention, improve your customer experience, and build a passionate culture of innovation giving your team the ability to find new and better ways to serve your customers.

"Customers DO NOT buy your product or service, they buy what it can DO FOR THEM"
Customer-centricity means knowing your customers and giving them what they crave.  This helps you to build trust and loyalty, but also a solid reputation.  Loyal customers become fans of your brand and refer other customers to you.

"If you don't find new and better ways to serve your customers, SOMEONE ELSE WILL!"
Being Innovative brings new ideas, which is crucial to a business being able to find new and better ways to add value for your customers.  With innovation comes creative new products and services, increases in efficiency and, as a result, improved profitability.

BE THE BRAND CUSTOMERS LOVE AND THE COMPANY PEOPLE ARE PASSIONATE TO WORK FOR

Founder and Chief Difference Maker

The Commonwell Mutual Insurance Group

About the Commonwell
We are committed to profitable growth, team development, ingenuity, while having fun at work.  We offer a complete range of insurance products including residential, automobile, commercial, farm and watercraft. We encourage a work-life balance and we are serious about what we do!

About my Role
As Manager of the PMO, I lead a group project managers and business analysts to implement the project management office from the ground up.

About the PMO
Projects at the Commonwell are measured against timelines, budget, delivery of scope, but most importantly the realization of the intended benefits of each project.  Over 85% of projects at the Commonwell were consistantly green throughout 2018.

Manager, Project and Portfolio Management Office

As Manager of Application Services, I am responsible for planning, coordinating and managing the activities of the Application Services team within the Information Systems (IS) Department. This includes leadership and development of the IS team members, as well as providing direction and support for IS solutions to meet the present and future needs of the organization.

Manager of Application Services

Kawartha Lakes Food Source

Kawartha Lakes Food Source is a community effort to reduce hunger in the City of Kawartha Lakes by:

1. Maintaining a central warehouse to supply food to organizations that provide food to individuals in need,
2. Raising public awareness, and
3. Working in concert with other local not-for-profit organizations.

Board Of Directors

Operitel Corporation (An OpenText Company) 

ABout OpenText
OpenText, The Information Company™, a market leader in Enterprise Information Management software and solutions, enables intelligent and connected enterprises by managing, leveraging, securing and gaining insight into enterprise information, on-premises or in the cloud. 

About my Role
Directed a team of PS and R&D resources to develop and implement the LearnFlex LMS platform for over 40 clients.

Director of R&D and Professional Services

TELUS

Manager - Payment Solutions Development and Support

Emergis - A Telus Company

Manager

Emergis Inc

Business Coach | Keynote Speaker | Author of The Happy Accidents newsletter and The Accidental Solopreneur book

What I Do
I help teams, organizations, and solopreneurs flourish by focusing on what really matters: people.

As a speaker, author, and consultant, I equip audiences with practical, human-centered strategies to thrive in uncertain times, build meaningful businesses, and create lasting impact.

Who I Work With
• Event organizers seeking keynote speakers on serendipity, growth, and personal transformation
• Businesses and nonprofits looking to create stronger cultures, customer experiences, and leadership teams
• Solopreneurs who want to design businesses that give them both income and freedom


What I’ve Created
• Author of The Zero In Formula and The Accidental Solopreneur (bestseller)
• Creator of top-rated online courses for solopreneurs and authors
• Host of the Happy Accidents podcast and newsletter
• Keynote talks including 'The Power of Serendipity', 'Start Before You’re Ready', and 'Rooted in Humans'


Want to Work Together?
Let’s talk if you’re looking for:
✅ A keynote speaker for your next event
✅ A workshop or webinar for your team
✅ A course to help you grow as a solopreneur or author


DM me if you’d like to connect about speaking, workshops, or collaborations.

Heitland Media Group

CEO Thought Leadership as a Service 

We make your credibility visible.

Responsibility:
- Executive client collaboration

Achievements:
- Enabling individuals to utilize their credibility and step up into Thought Leadership in their field

Owner

Rising Stars Community

A Rising Star...

...is more than an individual with a dream. They are trailblazers, crafting a legacy by building powerful personal brands, captivating audiences on stage, and creating opportunities that transform lives. A Rising Star is a beacon of inspiration, courage, and ambition, determined to shine brighter with every step.

We...

Inspire Others Through Our Stories:
We believe every personal journey holds the power to uplift, motivate, and create meaningful change. By owning our narratives, we connect with audiences and ignite transformation.

Empower Personal Brands:
We help individuals discover their unique voice, package their expertise, and position themselves as sought-after authorities in their fields.

Turn Passions Into Professions:
Speaking on stage is not just an art but a business. We equip Rising Stars with the tools to monetize their skills, attract high-paying opportunities, and thrive in the world of public speaking.

Unlock Career Breakthroughs:
Whether generating leads, advancing careers, or stepping into leadership roles, we empower Rising Stars to turn their brand into a stepping stone for professional success.

Create a Platform for Change:
Through speaking, we spark ideas, inspire innovation, and bring communities together to solve global challenges.

Celebrate Progress and Growth:
We believe in the joy of the journey. Every small win, every new milestone, and every stage conquered is a celebration of relentless effort and perseverance.

This Is...

...more than a mission—it’s a movement. Rising Stars is a family of dreamers, doers, and disruptors who uplift and support one another. Each person’s success is a shared triumph. Together, we’re creating a world where every voice has the power to shine, inspire, and lead.

We are driven by a singular vision: to build a community of individuals who not only succeed on stage but leave a legacy of empowerment, influence, and change.

Join Rising Stars Free here: http://risingstars.community

Community Host

JENSHEITLAND.com

Speaking Engagements:
- International Innovation Event, Moscow, RUS
- Airbus, Hamburg, GER
- Cundall, London, UK
- Aragon Exterior, Zaragoza, ESP
- Copenhagen Institute for Future Studies, Copenhagen, DK
- Bank of America, London, UK
- PicknPay, Cape Town, SA
- International Innovation Jam, Zaragoza, ESP
- UrbanOvation, London, UK
- Borealis, Antwerp, BEL
- StartUB University, Barcelona, ESP
- Innovation Event AI-Fortuna, Boise, Idaho USA
- Amsterdam University, Amsterdam, NL
- Matchr Human Resource Event, Amsterdam, NL
- Tech Recruitment Conference (TRC), Amsterdam, NL
- The Climbing Castle, London UK
- Mobile World Congress - 4YFN, Barcelona ESP
- Invest in Africa Summit The Hague, NL
- Polaroid Therapeutics - Zurich CH
- Sketch - Tokyo JP
- Berlin Fashion Week BHT - Berlin GER
- BAT - British American Tobacco - Hamburg GER
- Bayer - Eindhoven NL
- WXO (World Experience Organization) - London UK
- Designregio - Kortrijk BE
- Startup Nights - Zurich CH
- Tech Recruitment Conference TRC 2024 - Amsterdam NL

Learn more at -> jensheitland.com/speaking

Keynote Speaker

WeAreSucceed

The Succeed Leader Index. We make Leadership visible by calculating the leadership index for individual managers, departments and even entire organizations.

Responsibilities:
- Branding & Marketing
- Recruitment
- Investor Relations
- Business Development

Achievements:
- Enabling +50 startup founders to learn to lead 
- 100s of people use Succeed to assess their leadership skills

Co- Founder & CEO

HEITLAND Innovation

Transformative solutions to innovate organizations from the inside with people in the center.

Responsibilities:
- External Representation & Branding
- Business Development 
- Hands on Innovation with clients 

Achievements:
- Enabling international clients from industries like Exhibitions, Engineering, Construction, Design & Architecture and Retail based in US, UK, SE, NL, DK, DE, ES to innovate people centric

University of Amsterdam

Lecturer Corporate Innovation & Entrepreneurship

StartUB! Universitat de Barcelona

Startup Mentor,  Advisor & Lecturer

4YFN - 4 Years from Now

Women Innovators
Programme (WIP)
The Women Innovators Programme (WIP) is a partnership between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Arab States and Four Years From Now (4YFN), the start-up platform of the global mobile operators' association, GSMA.
WIP is a mentorship programme for women-led, digital, social impact-oriented start-ups in the Arab States. While women-led start-ups are becoming more common in the region, women face many barriers to entrepreneurship, such as lack of access to finance and discriminatory gender norms. Among the barriers are also a lack of business-relevant mentorship opportunities and networks, which this programme seeks to address.
50 women innovators have received mentoring in the first two editions of the programme. During the course of the 3rd edition 34 additional innovators will receive expert mentoring.

Startup Mentor

Rockstart

Foot Locker EMEA

Global Store Development 

Innovating the Real Estate and Property Services to all Stores of the Foot Locker Family.

Responsibilities:
- Portfolio Strategy development
- Service Scope Development
- Reorganization of the existing Service Portfolio
- Team Development
- Leadership Development
- Stakeholder Management

Achievements:
- Development and leadership of an office lab concept (back to the office)
- Reorganization of the service delivery model
- EMEA wide tender of Integrated Facility Management Services 
- Increase of internal customer satisfaction by +80%

Director FS EMEA

Founder & CEO @ SUCCEED the leadership platform designed to equip Startup Leaders with the skills and knowledge to lead with confidence and drive success.

Looking for the Link? 👉 https://www.jensheitland.com/links

In 2019, I held the prestigious position of global Head of Innovation at IKEA Centres. 

One evening, after a late flight, I found myself on a packed train from Copenhagen, Denmark to Malmo, Sweden, eager to be reunited with my family on the other side. As I stood there, restless and anxious, I decided to tune into a podcast by Seth Godin.

Godin spoke about the education system and how society has become adept at collecting information but often fails to connect the dots. In that moment, a sudden realization hit me. I couldn't help but question my own purpose and the direction my life was taking.

That night, I made the difficult decision to step down from my high-profile role at IKEA Centres. This was the beginning of a new journey for me, one where I was determined to follow my passions and make a meaningful impact in the world.

Earlier.

In 2004, redundancy from my first job after seven years of hard work changed my life. I felt betrayed, I vowed never to leave my destiny in someone else’s hands and committed to rewriting my story.

As I climbed the corporate ladder, human leadership captivated me. I studied Leaders, the inspiring, the indifferent, and the detrimental and uncovered the secret to innovation: empowered teams flourish under empathetic leaders. 

My mantra became: empower to be empowered.

In 2019, a train ride and Seth Godin’s words reshaped my perspective. Leaving IKEA Centres wasn’t the end; it was the beginning. 

My mission crystallized: to connect innovative leaders with their dreams, blending systems thinking, leadership and innovation.

This led to HEITLAND Innovation, a consultancy for human innovation. It wasn’t just about process improvement; it redefined how organizations empower teams to drive sustainable innovation. I co-founded XYZ-Playground a Reverse Mentor Lab and launched WeAreSucceed a leadership Assessment Platform.

To amplify my Thought Leadership, I mastered social media, video production and website design, sharing my insights through my podcasts which inspired Heitland Media Group, an agency helping CEO's to make their credibility visible.

Public speaking has taken me across 30+ global stages, from Moscow to Barcelona, including events like Mobile World Congress and Berlin Fashion Week.

From my construction site beginnings in 1997 to international stages, my journey has been about building ladders for others. 

That train ride wasn’t just a trip; it marked my commitment to reshaping innovation—one human at a time.

Let's innovate the human way

taplio

The Battle

Dennis Geelen

Jens Heitland

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