Vivienne van Oosterum – “Bringing people together makes us strong – “Interview with the TEDxBreda Players

Meet Vivienne – A creativity-meets-organising powerhouse, established horse rider and an endless seeker of knowledge. Also a member of the groups behind organising this years’ event. How are her multifaceted skills applied to the upcoming TEDx2016?

Hi Vivienne, how’s it going? We’re curious to find out a bit about yourself, your ambitions and passions. 

Hi, my name is Vivienne van Oosterum and I am a proud “Bredanaar”. I have been born and raised in Breda and have actually also found my passion and work in Breda. Even though my ambitions are international, I still feel Breda is my home base. A few years back I graduated from my Masters in Marketing Management and ever since I have worked for my own company in Marketing and Management. It has been an amazing time with great assignments, projects and wonderful inspiring people around me. One of my main passions is horses, I have been doing this since I was 5 years old and can’t imagine a life without. My ambitions for the future? There are a lot, I have several ambitions regarding work, but also definitely with sport. As long as I have fun with everything I do, I enjoy my ambition and journey towards my goals.

What was the first time you heard of the world renowned TED talks and is there one that stuck with you in particular?

I have been watching TED talks for many years already, but one from Rene Brown really stood out, I also read her book about the gifts of imperfection. In her TED talk she explains how great it can be to be imperfect and to make mistakes and acknowledge them. I think this is something we should all still learn, instead of trying to be strong all the time. I was also very impressed by the talk of Bill Gates on mosquitos, malaria and education. They way he handles persuasion techniques is very interesting.

Do you follow a specific topic?

Regarding topics, I think I am most drawn to topics on psychology and technology. I find it very interesting to know how the human brain works and how society effects us daily.

Now about TEDxBreda – What drove you to become part of the team?

I have always been a big fan of TED and becoming a member of the TEDxBreda family just felt right. I got the opportunity to join the team 2 years ago and it has been amazing ever since!

TEDx is composed of various groups, collaborating within the same fireframe. Tell us a bit about your group and involvement in the process?

Currently I am involved in two groups. I am the head of Communication and Marketing and I also help with the Resources team. Both are connected to what I do in my daily life, so I can apply my knowledge in the different fields for TEDxBreda. It is great to have such teamwork and to be able to collaborate with so many different people and different backgrounds.

What are the perks of being part of the teams?

I very much enjoy the different opinions, interests and experience. You can really notice the backgrounds from everyone and I think bringing all these people together makes TEDxBreda so strong.

Tell us a bit about TEDx as a group. What makes a happy group, what bonds you all together?

I know from the communication group, that fun and laughter is something that bonds us. But also the mutual interest of building the TEDxBreda brand into something all people of Breda will know. I always have a lot of fun with our group, we have dinner, talk about all different kinds of things and work seriously together. Great variation!

How would you describe the rewards of the activities that we do?

I think the reward comes in energy and positive vibes. It is all voluntarily work but when we have had a meeting or we have the main event, there is so much positive energy!

How is TEDx influencing the cultural and social image of Breda?

I think it is now just inspiring the community but has interesting chances ahead! If we are able to build the TEDxBreda community, wonderful things can happen.

Ok so here’s a powerfully insightful question: What are the three things that you would bring with you if you were strangled on a deserted island?

Is is allowed to bring my horse? Haha if so, he would be the first I would bring, further more perhaps a net to be able to fish and a pan to cook in. The other things are probably easier to find on the island.

What are your personal hobbies and interests?

As I mentioned before, I am a huge fan of horse-riding. So that is definitely one of my hobbies and interests. Besides this, I read books on philosophy and psychology just because I think it is very interesting to read and learn about what makes us tick.

Gamification – this year’s theme: How did games or playfulness influence you? What’s your view on the topic?

I think it is a very interesting topic, also very upcoming at the moment. We live in a highly changeable society with lots of technology and games all around us. So having this theme makes it more interesting and more reachable for people.

Do you apply gamification techniques in your day to day life?

I probably do, but am not aware of it yet.

What is your favorite game (boardgame, video game, hunger game, mind game)?

I think I like mindgames the most. Allthough, I also like the tradition board games every now and then.

What are your expectations from the TEDxBreda 2016 event in November?

Let’s make it one hell of a edition!!

Dana Leahu