What Alumni Really Think

Knowmads Amsterdam
Knowmads Business School Amsterdam
3 min readMay 8, 2018

Recently we asked our alumni to give us their unfiltered thoughts in an anonymous survey. Both for us to improve the program and to shed light on the impact their journey has had on them and what they thought of it.

Here are their answers:

alumni

How Knowmads is used

Knowmads is used as a time-out from a busy life, a science lab to explore new subjects and ways of working, and a spring board to re-launch into the world. Students may take a hiatus from work or university to connect with their purpose or devote themselves to a project for positive change. During the program they may develop the perfect vision for their ideal life, which then powers their actions after the program. Or they exit the program still not knowing their next step, but armed with other discoveries, like what makes them passionately curious. Either way, it’s impossible not to emerge with insights and clarity about identity and how one moves through the world. 89% of people change how they work after the program finishes.

And there’s more. During Knowmads:

  • 33% discovered new talents
  • 44% actively use skills they gained at Knowmads
  • 56% gained more confidence in their own abilities
  • 56% are now comfortable leading a team
  • 67% are now comfortable receiving and incorporating feedback
  • 78% are now comfortable with collaboration

Program Co-Creation

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The Co-Creation Process

Students together with staff co-create the program. They design a schedule with 35+ workshops picked from 150+ available workshops they feel would make the best learning journey within the program framework. If the desired topic is not there already, they can with staff find a trainer to give that workshop.

And co-creation is not just picking workshops and filling them into pre-existing time slots. It involves planning other elements such as vacation, midterm and final presentations, graduation party, and nature quest.

Co-creation is, as the name implies, heavily-dependent on collaboration. Everyone has different wants and needs so of course crafting the perfect schedule is a challenge in democracy. Co-creation is furthermore an intellectual challenge because each Tribe must determine how they want to go about the process. This meta-layer is where many people get frustrated.

It’s an exercise in your capability to interact with people, compromise, and come to a generative solution that benefits everyone.

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Coaching

Each student is matched with a coach based on a coaching profile they create. Each student has unique goals (from the business and social entrepreneurship side to personal development goals) so each coach will be able to offer unique guidance tailored to that.

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Craving a transformation in yourself?

See what perspective shifts you can trigger when you join the 6-month program. We are now accepting applications for Tribe 18. Less than 20 spots for changemakers, dreamers, and doers — Apply here now for the best chance of getting in.

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