Torn between two worlds
Inner Peace or Outer Impact
From a young age, I was deeply attuned to emotions and energy. Being highly sensitive, I absorbed the world intensely—the beauty, the pain, the unspoken. While this sensitivity gave me deep empathy and the desire to make a difference in the world, I learned to armor myself and function in a world that values logic over feeling.
When I entered the world of finance and investment banking, success was defined by speed, performance, and numbers, and I learned to excel in high-pressure environments. Despite my success, I felt disconnected from a deeper part of myself—the part that sought meaning, peace, and inner alignment. I often felt like I had to choose between two opposing forces: seeking inner peace or creating outer impact. It wasn’t until later that I realized this wasn’t a choice at all—effective leadership requires both intellectual sharpness and emotional depth, strategy and presence, ambition and heart.
Everything in interconnected
Science, Mediation, Systems
Despite outward success, I felt an inner tension—a disconnect between my mind and heart, my work and leading with purpose. I often see the same in other leaders: burnout, reactivity, and a quiet but persistent unfulfillment. My desire to make sense of the world led me to pursue rigorous academic training at the London School of Economics, Harvard Business School, and ETH Zurich where I earned a Ph.D. in Science and explored complex systems thinking. I became fascinated by how interconnected systems shape our world—from economies to human behavior. I began to see a profound pattern: the crises we face—in business, society, and the environment—are symptoms of systemic disconnection from ourselves, each other, and nature.
From disconnection to reconnection
Inner Work for Outer Impact
This realization led me to found VDB Insights, supporting leaders and changemakers in integrating mindfulness-based leadership practices that foster clarity, resilience, and heartfulness. My approach combines years of experience in finance, governance, and leadership with evidence-based mindfulness and breathwork practices, helping leaders navigate complexity with greater clarity and purpose. Meditation has been part of my life for over 20 years. I began teaching after becoming a Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher,trained by Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach, accredited by the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. I am also a Transformational Breath Coach, using breathwork as a powerful tool to release limiting beliefs and unprocessed emotions. I now realize that my sensitivity is not a weakness—it is a gift. The more I cultivate presence, the more I lead with clarity. The more I heal, the more I can hold space for others to do the same.
A piece of the puzzle
Becoming of Service
Today, I bridge inner transformation and outer leadership through investing, board leadership, and transformative retreats. I previously chaired The Klosters Forum, an environmental non-profit dedicated to accelerating solutions for urgent global challenges. I was named a “Rising Talent” by the Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society and am honored to be featured in Standing Up for the Planet: 45 Stories of Extraordinary Women Who Are Changing the World.
