Joel Kimmel, author of "SELF, The Vast World Behind Your Words," is a leading expert in ontology—the study of "Being" and its impact on individuals' lives. His extensive career spans coaching private clients, corporate executives, family integration, and outreach programs for inner-city youth.

Born in 1980, I grew up as the youngest of two daughters in a small village on the border of Twente. At 18, I left Twente to pursue my studies, seeking to escape what I then perceived as a narrow-minded environment. My academic journey began with a degree in Cultural Sciences at Maastricht University, followed by further studies at the universities of Nijmegen, Dijon (France), and Amsterdam. During this period, I lived in various cities, including Paris and Arnhem. After a 2000- kilometer hike in 2018, I returned to my birthplace, where I now enjoy the peace, simplicity, and nature daily.

Lili has an extensive and diverse academic background. She studied psychology at the C.G. Jung Institute in Zurich, Switzerland. For over a decade, she followed Dr. Stanislaw Grof, one of the founders of Transpersonal Psychology and co-developer of Holotropic Breathwork, and in 2008, she became a Certified Holotropic Breathwork Practitioner.

With a love of travel and a global mindset, Laura has lived in London (twice) and Uruguay. She coaches clients in Europe, the UK, India (formerly for Mahindra BT, and in China for the Director of Quaker Chemical, China), and advises leaders managing global manufacturing and service divisions from Asia to India to South America. Laura recently relocated to Central New York from the San Francisco Bay Area to pursue her dream of building a leadership retreat center.

Joel earned both a Master's degree in Psychology and a Master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Groningen. His strong academic foundation has provided him with the knowledge and skills to understand and address complex organizational and leadership challenges.

Ruud has a master's degree in economics from Erasmus University Rotterdam, supplemented with a postdoctoral qualification in Accountancy (until AO) from the Catholic University of Brabant. In addition, he has a Masters in Executive Coaching from the Ashridge Business School in London, making him a certified coach and working according to the Ashridge Code of Conduct. He also successfully completed a Boardroom Dynamics study at the Tavistock Institute in London.