Speaker on Trust & Human Connection

My adventures showed me what becomes possible when you discover that people can be trusted.

🧠 Trust as the foundation for strong teams
🤝 Real connection between people, not theory
🌍 Lessons from 95,000 km of relying on strangers
🗣️ Interactive talk with humor and recognition
Highly rated by organizers and audiences
📺 Seen on global media
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Wiebe Wakker giving a keynote at World Travel Market, London.
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4,9 out of 5 stars

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4,9 uit 5 sterren

Do you recognize this?

Many organizations struggle with:

  • People who work past each other
  • No openness or feedback
  • Teams that don't dare to ask each other for help
  • Resistance to change
  • Islands and political behavior
  • Great plans that get stuck in practice

Many organizations struggle with these situations. Not due to a lack of talent or strategy, but because genuine human connection is lacking.

During my journey, I discovered what becomes possible when trust is established. In my presentations, I translate that experience into recognizable workplace situations and show what changes when people dare to trust each other again.

Speaker on trust and human connection

For three years, I drove from the Netherlands to Australia in an electric car without any money.

Along the way, I was completely dependent on the help of strangers. Everywhere I went, people were ready to help. That experience gave me a deep trust in people and showed me what becomes possible when real connection is created.

On stage, I don’t share theories or models, but real stories and concrete lessons about trust and connection, and what becomes possible when people dare to build on each other.

Non-binding request
Wiebe Wakker on stage as a speaker on trust.

Seen on

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What I show on stage

No theory. No models. Just real stories from an adventure in which I was completely dependent on the help of others, and discovered that people can be trusted.

On stage, I share what happens when trust develops, how connection grows, and what concrete changes this brings about in how people work together.

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Wiebe Wakker shakes hands with a sheikh in the Emirates. Both are standing in front of the Blue Bandit electric car, which Wakker used to travel around the world from the Netherlands to Australia.

Why trust arises between people

Wiebe Wakker met locals in Saudi Arabie. Een voorbeeld van waar verbinding ontstaat.

How small human moments make a difference

Wiebe Wakker asks locals in India for help to fix his flat tire. An example he shares as a speaker on trust.

Why asking for help is a sign of strength

Wiebe Wakker works with an energy company in Indonesia.

How connection is created, even under pressure or uncertainty

Wiebe Wakker on stage as a speaker on trust.

What happens when you discover people are trustworthy

This is what changes after my presentation

Practical. Recognizable. Human.

  • Understanding how trust is built through real human experience
  • A new perspective on what becomes possible when people trust each other
  • The motivation to communicate more openly and ask for help
  • More understanding for each other as humans
  • More ownership and initiative
  • And above all: trust in others, and in what is possible together

Wiebe Wakker

Trust and human connection speaker

What started as a crazy idea – seeing if you could travel to the other side of the world without money – turned into a 95,000-kilometre journey in an electric car, from the Netherlands to Australia. No budget, no fixed plan, and totally dependent on the help of strangers. People offered me accommodation via my website, but often I just knocked on strangers’ doors for a meal, a place to sleep or electricity for the car. Surprisingly, it worked (nearly) every time.

Along the way, I discovered that my journey was not about technology or adventure, but about something much more fundamental: trust. Progress always came when there was a genuine connection. When you are open, dare to ask for help and approach each other as human beings, doors open and you get further. Without that connection, you stand still.

All the help I received gave me faith in humanity. Not as an idea, but as an experience. I saw that people are willing to help, think along with you and want the best for you, even if they don’t know you.

I see that experience reflected in organisations today. It is not a lack of talent or strategy that holds people back, but a lack of trust. In my lectures, I translate the lessons of my journey into everyday work and show what becomes possible when trust and human connection are once again take centre stage.

Wiebe Wakker with his electric car in front of the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

“His story was an inspiration to everyone in the room. Precisely because it was not about technology or figures, but about vision, courage, and confidence.”

Mark Reiman

Retail Manager Foodservice

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These companies have already gone on an adventure

With me as a their speaker on trust and human connection

See what others say about me as a speaker on trust and human connection

Esther Jansen Duighuizen

Internal Communications Manager

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Esther Jansen Duighuizen

Internal Communications Manager

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Mark Wijsman

Presenter & moderator

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Hear what others say about me as a speaker on trust & human connection

Wiebe Wakker is on stage giving a keynote presentation on the topic of collaboration.
Profile photo Perron038 employee.

Anne Raaijmakers

Project Manager

“As an innovation center in the creative industry, we are always looking for inspiration: Wiebe certainly gave us that.

With his story about traveling around the world in an electric car, he managed to enthuse the companies in the room and, not unimportantly, make them laugh.

Wiebe speaks in a down-to-earth and spontaneous manner and is completely himself on stage. He makes you think, not only about sustainability, but also about taking the plunge and going on an adventure.”

Mark Reiman

Retail Manager Foodservice

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“With his Plug Me In project, Wiebe drove (without any money in his pocket) all the way from the Netherlands to Australia in an electric car. His mission? To prove that electric transportation works, even with minimal resources.

Along the way, he relied entirely on the help of others: for power, food, a place to sleep… and he succeeded. 95,000 km, 33 countries, one powerful message.

His story was an inspiration to everyone in the room. Precisely because it wasn’t about technology or numbers, but about vision, courage, and confidence.”

Lions Club employee profile.

Robert de Jonge

President

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“Wiebe captivated our Lions Club members with his story about what electric mobility can achieve.

In his own wonderfully humorous way, he took us on his journey and shared his experiences of how to deal with change and setbacks.

His journey is a wonderful example of what you can achieve by working together, making connections, and having a positive outlook on the world, inspiring everyone to pursue their dreams!”

Profile photo EBS employee.

Mashrook Ali

Co-founder

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“It was wonderful to have Wiebe as a speaker at one of our events.

The insights and experiences he shared during the event were truly inspiring. It’s incredible how he found a way to gather his energy and resources for the journey from unknown people around the world.

For me, the overarching message of this adventure is: people helping people. I wish you many more adventures.”

Ellen Scheerders

Accomplished Talent Acquisition Leader

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“Wiebe’s inspiring story about his Plug Me In journey gave our employees new insights into life’s opportunities and challenges, intercultural understanding, the beauty of human generosity, everyday innovation, and much more.

It was a fantastic session, and the feedback from our audience was overwhelmingly positive!”

Why my story is different

Many speakers talk about trust. My journey showed me what happens when you discover that people are actually trustworthy.

  • I slept at complete strangers’ houses.

  • I charged my car at people’s homes.

  • I was completely dependent on help when I got stuck.

  • And time and time again, it turned out that people can be trusted.

That’s why I don’t talk about trust as a theory, but as an experience. I’ve seen what happens when trust develops, and what that makes possible.

I bring that experience with me onto the stage.

Who is this presentation for?

This lecture is particularly valuable for organizations where trust and cooperation are essential.

This presentation is suitable for:

  • Team days

  • Leadership events

  • Culture or values programs

  • Kick-offs

  • Change processes

  • Conferences on human-centered working

Or, to put it simply: for organizations that understand that trust and human connection are the foundation of progress.

Non-binding offer
Book cover of Wiebe Wakker's book 'Plug Me In'
Published 2 October 2025

Plug Me In

In my book, I describe the 95,000-kilometer journey that was only possible thanks to the help of thousands of people I met along the way. Without money or a plan, I was completely dependent on others, and that’s precisely why I discovered how many people are willing to help.

The book shows what happens when trust develops between people who don’t know each other yet. No theory, but real experiences that show what becomes possible when trust forms the basis.

More on Plug Me In

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Date: 5 March 2026

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