corporate video Tag

February 18, 2026 In Blog

Greg’s Dutch Climate Startups

Greg’s Dutch Climate Startups: Lab-Grown Beef & Lab-Grown Leather

18 February, 2026

In January I spoke at the HollandBio event, and I was inspired by this new Dutch startup called Qorium that makes lab-grown leather. Why is this such a potential game changer? Fighting Deforestation.

The CEO Michael Newton explained how leather is a multi-billion dollar industry, but the process of separating the cow hide from the cow is one of the grossest things on earth. “Making leather is polluting, wasteful and controversial.” And you can try fake leather, but it’s mostly plastic-based.
The audio technician backstage turned to me and said “It’s true! I work with leather in my other job, and pleather sucks.”
The CEO: “as wasteful as the process is, leather is – by volume – a very valuable part of a cow.” And the audio guy said, “THAT’s why – even though people eat less red meat – the price of leather drives up the demand.”

So I looked it up: A cow’s hide is only worth 5% of a slaughtered steer’s value. Although – profit margins in the beef cattle industry hover around 5%. Sounds to me like potential for DISRUPTION!
Less leather, less cattle expansion, less deforestation.

MAKING REAL LEATHER WITHOUT THE COW?

Yes. Step 1 does involve biopsy cells from a donor cow. Then Step 2 is when they replicate the cells in the lab – to do what they do best – make collagen. And in Step 3 they stimulate the collagen cells to grow as they normally would inside the cow – because SCIENCE.
So if you really want to stop deforestation to grow cattle – try Lab-grown Leather. WATCH:

Next: Beef without the cow: MosaMeat.

A few years ago, I spoke for a Dutch startup making lab-grown beef. Or as they like to call it: “cultured” beef.
Because I guess “lab grown” makes you think of Frankenstein, but cultured makes you think of Young Frankenstein, in a tuxedo.

They biopsy “a sesame seed sized sample of cells,” and they let them grow in the lab just like they would grow in nature. Apparently, one sample from one cow can grow enough protein cells too make 80,000 burgers.

Stay tuned next time for Dutch startups in lab-grown fish, lab-grown pork, and lab-grown fruit.

…But I don’t know when the next time will be, because two of those companies went bankrupt, and the third one doesn’t exist just yet.

Lab-grown Leather:
https://www.qorium.com/

Lab-Grown “Cultured” Beef:
mosameat.com/

For more of Greg’s Climate Good News:
https://gregshapiro.nl/blog/shapiros-orange-going-green/

January 10, 2026 In Blog

Greg Shapiro Keynote Demo

GREG SHAPIRO Keynote Speaker DEMO (SEE ALSO: EVENT HOST DEMO)

10 January, 2026

In Corporate Speaking, there are two basic categories: Event Host and Keynote Speaker. Sometimes I’m hired to do both.

BUT for now I’ve now prepared two different video demo’s. Here is:

GREG SHAPIRO AS Keynote Speaker

Some case studies:

NL Foreign Ministry: “Summit for Democracy” Global Livestream

In 2023, the US State Department initiated a series of “Summit for Democracy” livestream events. The Netherlands was chosen to host the one about freedom of speech and journalism. I was hired by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs to perform a short standup routine on the topic of the freedom of speech.

The Dutch Ministry encouraged me to say anything I wanted, as that was the point, But then we heard that US State Department would be using a slight delay, because they might want to edit some of the content. I teased the US that Americans still don’t understand the meaning of the word irony.

Expat Center Zeeland: “How to Be Dutch” Livestream.

Since I wrote my books How to Be Dutch: the Quiz and The American Netherlander: 25 Years of Expat Tales – I get requests to speak as an expert about cultural differences. I’ve spoken for Expat Centers in Amsterdam, The Hague, Leiden, Eindhoven, and Almere. This one for Zeeland was a livestream. Hence the video.

Google Netherlands: “Year in Search” Comedy Special.

Google Netherlands celebrates every year with an event to acknowledge their hottest search terms. Boom Chicago got the call to create a sort of Dutch oudejaarsconference, which I performed with Pep Rosenfeld. It became a standup special called The Year in Search. Included in the playlist is my take on the Netherlands in Eurovision.

Utrecht Int’l Comedy Festival: “Listpusher” Comedy Special.

In 2022 I was asked to be a “Lijstduwer” for a Dutch political party in the local elections. (but which one? You can watch the comedy special online.)

Radio 10 US Election Day: Trump Q&A with Gerard Ekdom

Since the ‘Netherlands Second’ video in 2017, I am regularly asked to perform my Trump imitation for live events, like this US Election Day special on Dutch Radio10.

TEDx Amsterdam VU: “An EU Late Night Comedy Show.”
I’ve hosted TEDx events, but this was a recording of my TED talk. I argue that the EU should have a continental version of an American style late night comedy show.

Book Launch “Total Action”: Tailored Standup.

25 years ago, I performed for a book launch for Dutch business guru and professor Peter Vervest. 25 years later, he released a follow-up book, and I was hired as a keynote speaker for the gala dinner. From the host Vincent Everts: “You didn’t just add humor to the evening – you elevated it. Your insight, your sharpness, your perfectly tailored jokes – and the way you connected it to the original Total Action book from 25 years ago – it was just masterful.”

Here you can see the longer videos + KEYNOTE SPEAKER – PLAYLIST

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLccmkVw5sINrdqU7IYqzF_gZogOwp9ySq&si=a-K16sjojICwYfQj

December 18, 2025 In Blog

Greg Shapiro Event Host

Greg Shapiro EVENT HOST Demo (see also: Keynote Speaker Demo)

18 December, 2025

In Corporate Speaking, there are two basic categories: Event Host and Keynote Speaker. Sometimes I’m hired to do both.

BUT for now I’ve now prepared two different video demo’s. Here is:

Greg Shapiro as EVENT HOST

Some case studies:

CitizenM Hotels: Host ‘CitizenM TV’ Global Livestream

During Covid, companies had to cancel their traditional offsite annual general meeting. But Dutch CitizenM hotels decided to put theirs online. They wanted to make it like a late-night TV show. And they needed a host. That was me. It went so well, they asked me back for Season 2.

Agristo Potatoes: Host Promo Video

This Belgian agribusiness giant hired me to host their promo video, directed by Dutch legend Dennis Bots. The concept was inspired by the DollarShave and Old Spice ads. And it involved me “parachuting” into Belgium. My WW2 grandparents would be proud.

Amsterdam Zuidas ‘Inclusivity25’: Host & QuizMaster of Diversity Day

Hello Zuidas hired me to host a Diversity Day event, and the guest speaker was also a white male. My job was to make the event as interactive as possible and share the microphone with diverse guests. In the video, they show me giving the mic to… a white guy. But he was neurodivergent! Not that you could tell from the edit, but we learned about his perspective of being high-functioning on the Autistic spectrum.

The GREAT fatboy SHOW: Host of Global Livestream

Dutch design start up fat boy brand became famous for their stuffed outdoor furniture. They needed to introduce their new product line, also during Covid. And I hosted their annual meeting online.

MediaMarkt: Host ‘MediaMarkt Awards’

Hosting an award show is a special challenge. “Who is handing over the award? Do they know which way to face for the cameras? Can we schedule a walk-through?” I have hosted too many award shows where the photo captures a totally confused winner whose face is in the shadow of awards / flowers. Luckily, this event was done properly.

AD.nl ‘The Butler’: Host of Online TV Series

Back in 2019, Amsterdam already had a problem with over-tourism. The Algemeen Dagblad news platform hired me for an online series to convince tourists to venture off the beaten path. In this episode, we convince a German couple to skip the Alkmaar cheese auction and go straight to the farm where they make the cheese.
Watch:
https://www.ad.nl/videos/serie/the-butler-2120?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ecosia.org%2F

GREG SHAPIRO EVENT HOST DEMO

And here is a link to the YouTube playlist. Please click on the YouTube logo for “Watch on YouTube.”

EVENT HOST – PLAYLIST

October 20, 2025 In Blog

Greg Shapiro Hosts Inclusivity25

Greg Shapiro Hosts ‘Inclusivity 25’ for Hello Zuidas, September 2025

20 October, 2025

“We need someone to host our Diversity event in Amsterdam. Who should we get?” A WHITE GUY?!

Yes. As host of INCLUSIVITY 25 for Amsterdam’s Zuidas business community, I knew my job was to make the event a conversation. I literally passed the mic to as many diverse voices as possible. I used my loud American persona to encourage people to share their own perspectives. And it worked! I “broke the fourth wall.” At the office space known as The Edge – Stadium.

As I found out, maybe my white maleness was useful. Maybe it helps to indeed have a white guy arguing for more diversity. In my solo show Leaving Trumpland 2, I talked about Kamala Harris, and I talked about my experience working for a Black woman as my manager. After the show, I heard from many women – and people of color. Their take was “Thank you for talking about it. When we bring it up, people think we’re whining. When you bring it up, it’s harder to ignore.”

These days the US government is anti “DEI.” My message was “without ‘Diversity Equity and Inclusion,’ you’re at a disadvantage. Without DEI, your organization will D.I.E.” (but seriously, next time make me co-host.)

A Diversity Pub Quiz for Your Organization

My part of the event was organized by Hello Zuidas. The main event was a Pub Quiz with 10 different categories, from ‘Gender Gap’ to ‘Age Gap’ to ‘Digital Inclusivity.’ At the end of the event, the organizers provided the 50 questions in the form of a deck of cards – for people to use if they wanted to host their own pub quiz for their own organization. I still have one deck left over, if you want one.

Thank you to the sponsors and initiators. Thanks to Hello Zuidas for producing the flashy video. And thanks to Elisa Schouten for bringing me on and helping prepare the quiz questions!

Hello Zuidas “Inclusivity 25”
https://en.hellozuidas.com/nieuws/inclusivity-25-let-s-celebrate-together-682489578a151554da037d47

Greg’s Blog piece on working for a woman of color as his manager (Amber Ruffin)!
https://gregshapiro.nl/blog/shapiro-improv-tim-walz/

March 9, 2025 In Blog

Shapiro Hosts NAF Gala

Shapiro Hosts NAF Gala

When you need a host for the Netherland America Foundation, you call Greg Shapiro: the American Netherlander. I grew up in America first, and I moved to the Netherlands second. The Netherland America Foundation – “NAF” – is a wonderful charity that helps Dutch & American students subsidize their higher education. (As of 2025, it might have to deal with way more US students moving over here…)

For years, New York had the only gala fundraiser! But now the NAF have started organizing galas in the Netherlands. I hosted the first one, in Leiden. In the Pieterskerk (where the Pilgrims came from). There were Dutch royals in attendance. It was all very formal. There were flags and anthems and honor guards. But the main event was the fundraising. And we set a new record! (Mostly because it was the first one.)

In 2024, I was asked to host the NAF gala again. This time the location was on Amsterdam’s Dam Square at the “Industrial Club” – where you still cannot get in without a suit and a tie. Luckily, I had my tuxedo.

I was to host the dinner in a crowded room. A very crowded room. I was told that they had to choose between a stage for me, or extra seats for wealthy money donor people. Actually, it was not a choice. It was a fait accompli. Would I still be willing to do it? I said yes. Charity is the star of the show, not me.

Off the Rails

After dinner, the event relocated to the bar downstairs. The special guest – all the way from Philadelphia – was the legendary soul trio called The Three Degrees! They’re known for their hit songs ‘Dirty Old Man’ (40 years before ‘Me Too’) and ‘When Will I See You Again.’

Backstage, I learned that two of them were originals, and one was a daughter. …sorry: GRANDdaughter. Their hits were in the 70’s and so were these singers. PLUS, they had just flown over from the United States. AND it was almost midnight.

They had a great set! The crowd was loving it. They closed with their hit ‘When Will I See You Again.’ Then I was told to go back onstage and announce an encore. I built up the crowd, I waved my arm, I said “Here they are!” But they did not come back. I laughed out loud. They literally ended on ‘When Will I See You Again?’ The answer is: we will never know.

BUT the good news is: I may be back to host another NAF gala for 2025. As the US / EU alliance is being torn apart, we need organizations like the Netherland America Foundation more than ever.

The Netherland America Foundation
https://thenaf.org/

Greg Shapiro Corporate Events
https://gregshapiro.nl/greg-shapiro-corporate-events/

July 31, 2023 In Blog

Shapiro at ‘4 More Years’ Event

Greg Shapiro Helps Celebrate ‘4 More Years’ of Castro Communicatie, May 2023

31 July, 2023

How do you celebrate your 4th anniversary as a Dutch political consultancy? With a political-themed party called “Four More Years!” Dutch communication and lobbying agency Castro Communicatie hired me to help them celebrate their fourth birthday, at The Loft in the A’dam Tower Amsterdam.

Stefan de Bruijn, Greg Shapiro, Frits Huffnagel

I asked if “Four More Years” might seem too partisan for their clientele? But of course – in the upcoming 2024 US election – the term “Four More Years” could apply to two different candidates: Biden and Trump. So “Four More Years” it was! They wanted an event with all the hype and hollering of American campaign – but with a Dutch twist. Who better to help them than The American Netherlander?

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/castrocommunicatie_castro-four-more-years-activity-7064245462496665600-upym?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

Castro Communicatie’s American Roots

Castro Communicatie gets its name from the Castro district in San Francisco, the historic gay capital of the US. The two business partners (who also have male life partners) are Stefan de Bruijn and Frits Huffnagel. (aka S+F for SF: San Francisco). And they base their political consulting on the American model, so a connection to the USA seemed a perfect fit. (And then of course there’s Fidel Castro, who was famous for giving political speeches lasting for hours – which Frits and Stefan try to avoid.)

My job was to host the video presentations – and give a 20-minute keynote speech about the 4-year history of Castro Communicatie and the unique appeal of their Dutch-American style. In English, of course. Were there some older folks who didn’t like standing? Yes. Was there a MAGA hat or two? Yes. And was there one tired guy right up front? Also yes. Luckily, I’ve been trained to focus on people who are laughing, and that was most of them.

After my bit, Frits announced a new partnership with Castro Communicatie and event organizer New Balls Please. https://www.newballsplease.amsterdam/

They did a great job organizing this event – with real popcorn!
And I got to meet the DJ, who is also a former client and currently the mayor of Halderberge in Brabant: Bernd ROKS!

Congrats Castro Communicatie! We wish you a happy 4 more years.

Greg Shapiro Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-shapiro-b030392/

Greg Shapiro Corporate Events

Corporate Events

April 21, 2023 In Blog

Greg Shapiro Summit Standup 

21 April 2023

Was that me performing standup in a global livestream called Summit for Democracy? Yes, it was. introducing a new category of performing: Greg Shapiro Summit Standup.

I got a call from a friend who works at the Dutch foreign ministry. Was I aware of this ‘Summit for Democracy’ thing? It’s an initiative of the Biden White House, to push back against authoritarianism worldwide. There are various themes hosted by different countries, and the Netherlands gets to host the Freedom of Speech.

Would I be willing to perform three minutes of standup for this Summit for Democracy livestream? I said yes. “But,” he said, “the livestream might not be live in America, because they might want to censor some of the content. In fact, you want want to make a joke about that…” Oh, believe me I did.

I said: “I was told that this Freedom of Speech livestream was originally NOT going to be live in the United States, because they might want to censor some of the content. …Censoring the content? About the Freedom of Speech? Ah, America! We’re almost 250 years old, and still trying to grasp the basic concept of irony.”

“Censoring content is very hot in America right now. On the Far-Right, you’ve got people banning books because they talk about homosexuality, or they suggest that slavery might have been racist. And then on the Far-Left they’re censoring books because they use the N-word, or they’re written by Roald Dahl. Oddly, banning books is one thing that could unite the Far-Left and Far-Right in America. And then we will have truly learned the meaning of the word IRONY.”

You can watch the 3-minute monologue here, BUT please note the students sitting behind me were apparently instructed: YOU WILL BE ON CAMERA! DO NOT LAUGH!

THE SUMMIT FOR DEMOCRACY LIVESTREAM

The entire Livestream is worth a watch. Did you know how many initiatives are already in place to push back against anti-democracy disinformation? Samantha Power (USAID) explains. The Dutch Foreign Minister talks about ‘PersVeilig’ to protect journalists from harm. And Amanda Bennett talks about how Voice of America & Radio Free Europe are a vital source of news, even in Iran.
Here’s a teaser for the livestream (I’m in it briefly):

+ You can watch the whole live stream here:

CLICK HERE for more about Summit for Democracy events.

https://www.government.nl/ministries/ministry-of-foreign-affairs/activiteiten/summit-for-democracy

ALSO – GREG SHAPIRO’S POLITICAL COMEDY SHOW ‘PEP & GREG SAVE AMERICA’ AT BOOM CHICAGO:

Review: ‘Pep & Greg Save America’

January 10, 2023 In Blog

Greg Shapiro in ‘Conference Matters’

Greg Shapiro in ‘Conference Matters’ Magazine

Finally, a magazine dedicated to Sharing Best Practice in the (Corporate) Events Sector! Conference Matters Magazine. I was happy to be interviewed for Conference Matters, and Jeroen Mirck’s questions were so good I love him now. Here’s a preview of the interview. Please do click the link and subscribe to the magazine, if you care about quality events.
https://conferencematters.nl/en/greg-shapiro-humor-can-be-the-safest-option-for-serious-events/

STAND-UP COMEDIAN GREG SHAPIRO: ‘EVEN FOR SERIOUS EVENTS, HUMOR CAN BE THE SAFEST OPTION’
CONFERENCE MATTERS MAGAZINE, 18-11-2022

By Jeroen Mirck

Greg Shapiro is a Dutch American comedian who gathered world fame with his vocal impersonation of Donald Trump in the viral ‘Netherlands Second’ video. He started his career as a member of the comedy group Boom Chicago and became a popular speaker at business events. “Humor is the safest option at a serious business event.”

Greg Shapiro was seven years old when he saw the first season of Saturday Night Live. “That’s when I knew I wanted to be a comedian. And I found out that John Belushi, Gilda Radner and Bill Murray all started their careers at this one theater called The Second City. And it was in my hometown, Chicago! ‘The Second City,’ as in ‘New York first, Chicago second.’ …It was indeed my destiny.”

Did the viral video of your Trump impersonation in the Dutch tv show of Arjen Lubach change your life?

“Totally changed my life, bigly. Hyuge! Hahaha. I don’t know if the ‘Netherlands Second’ video changed my life, but I did enjoy hearing that it was used by the Dutch foreign ministry for trade missions! Personally, I used my Trump impression for a whole standup show – as well as for conferences like The Next Web. We interrupted the show with screens saying ‘Donald Trump Live by Phone’ and had me doing a voiceover from offstage. Then Trump would improvise his reaction to how the conference was going so far. It’s a formula we used many times since!”

When is humor a good recipe for a serious business event?

“Humor is always good. Even during a serious business event, humor can actually be the safest option. I recently hosted an event where the CEO wanted me to create an informal atmosphere – a ‘safe space’ for the audience to feel comfortable asking the difficult questions. And sure enough, someone asked about accusations of ‘greenwashing.’ The CEO gave a serious answer and admitted that in the past few years the accusations were partly true. And that’s why they’d appointed their first-ever Chief Sustainability Officer. Once he was done, I turned the humor back up to 100% by saying that if anyone complains about Dutch companies not being green enough, remind them that Shell Oil is now located in the UK.”

What is your expert advice for hosts and speakers who want to be funny?

“Good news! You don’t have to do anything – just be yourself. As we say in improv comedy, ‘Truth is funnier than fiction.’ All you need is a good co-host to help you be yourself. You need a good wing man!”

Greg Shapiro in in ‘Conference Matters’
https://conferencematters.nl/en/greg-shapiro-humor-can-be-the-safest-option-for-serious-events/
——-

Click here for Greg Shapiro on being a Cheerleader for the Netherlands, in Speakers Academy Magazine
https://gregshapiro.nl/blog/greg-shapiro-netherlands-cheerleader/

December 16, 2022 In Blog

Event Organizer for Christmas

Hire an Event Organizer for Christmas – by Greg Shapiro
16 December, 2022

Dear Corporate Event Planners, IT’S NOT TOO LATE to HIRE AN EVENT ORGANIZER.

There’s a noticeable trend I’ve observed this year: some of the wealthiest companies in the country are making rookie mistakes at their events.

The good news: Hooray! The Covid lockdown is officially behind us, and we can have Christmas / Year-End events again.
The bad news: No one remembers how to organize events anymore! Remember Marloes / Marlies / Marjolein? The one who USED to know who to call to organize all the events? She left during the Great Reset, didn’t she? And you didn’t replace her yet, did you?

The FIRST thing she would do is: HIRE AN EVENT ORGANIZER. But too often I’ve seen this logic this year: “I’ll organize it myself. How hard can it be?” And now you’re finding out the hard way: HOW HARD IT CAN BE.

STEP 1: THE FOOD.

Recently, I was at an event where I heard:
“We wanted a Christmas party where everyone is invited. Even the kitchen staff!”
Who’s going to serve the food?
“We’ll just use the kitchen staff – they’ll already be there.”
And yes, the food was served – but no one cleared the plates. The half-eaten food just stacked up on the tables, like at a fraternity party. “Merry Christmas!”

STEP 2: THE TECH TEAM.

“I’m sure the location will provide their own technician-?” Yes, and – they know how to set up the gear …but they don’t always know how to run it. I was at a major B2B event, where they’d hired an A-lister TV personality to play host for a crowd of 700. They’d even put up video screens to beam the host to the tables at the back – but they forgot to turn them on. The result: half the crowd couldn’t see, and they talked through the whole show. “We paid enough for the TV star – why should we also pay for extra technicians?”

STEP 3: THE ENTERTAINMENT.

“We’ll get the DJ we hired last time. And we’ll hire that comedian I know from the gym!”
Result: The comedian is expected to perform in front of the DJ set-up. Aka: Amateur hour.
Or – yes they thought of a stage, but no they didn’t think of lighting. Or background.
“And who needs to hire an MC? I’ll just do it myself.”
Last time, our host introduced the first comedian DURING the first course of the meal. Making sure everyone was eating and chatting instead of listening. The result was this:

It was something like a horror show.

HIRE AN EVENT ORGANIZER for Christmas.

Here is a list of event organizers I like to work with. CALL THEM!
And hire back Marloes / Marlies / Marjolein as soon as possible.
——
Aaaaha! Livecommunicatie
Evented
Evers Evenementen
LEF Marketing & Events
Moderating EU
Obsession Evenementen
PINO Evenementen
WOP Events

Anyone I’m forgetting? I’m making my list and checking it twice…

Search Linkedin: “Evenementen” “Event Organizer”
https://www.linkedin.com

More blog posts about corporate events:
https://gregshapiro.nl/blog/dutch-direct-vs-the-elephant-in-the-room/

October 19, 2022 In Blog

Greg Shapiro ‘NETHERLANDS CHEERLEADER’

Greg Shapiro ‘NETHERLANDS CHEERLEADER’ – Speakers Academy Magazine, 2022-23
by Jacques Geluk

Greg Shapiro is world-famous, ever since he perfectly imitated Donald Trump’s voice in Arjen Lubach’s ‘Netherlands Second’ video. (It’s since been viewed almost 30 million times). Shapiro is already known in the Netherlands for his work with Boom Chicago comedy theater, and previously as host and writer of Comedy Central News. Now, he is also an author and vlogger, and he frequently focuses on the Netherlands and Dutch innovations – a self-proclaimed ‘cheerleader for the Netherlands.’

Shapiro moved to the Netherlands in 1994 and is married to a Dutch woman. “Came for work, stayed for love.” By now he has lived here more than half his life, hence he knows both American and Dutch culture quite well. He often gives a ‘Masterclass’ in Dutch culture called ‘Culture Shock Therapy,’ or additionally ‘How to Be Dutch: the Quiz.’

Given Shapiro’s unique Dutch-American status, he is a popular bilingual speaker at major events. He is known for hosting or performing for NATO, for the president of France, and for King Willem Alexander. “I’ve lived here long enough to be proud of the Netherlands, but I’m still American enough to not care how loud I am about it,” says Greg in his native language. “I am frequently asked by Dutch or multinational companies for business events, often to talk about culture shock. I confront the stereotypes like sex, drugs – and Dutch cheapness. Then I go into more detail, realizing that it’s actually better here than I was used to in America. As ‘The American Netherlander’ [which is also the title of his last book from 2020], I am already a fan of Dutch inventions, innovations, water management. I’ve become a kind of cheerleader.”

Business card

Shapiro finds it interesting that the ‘Netherlands Second’ video has been used by Prince Constantijn and the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency during trade missions – as a kind of business card. “And as far as water management is concerned, yes there’s the Afsluitdijk – a marvel of water engineering. And there’s the Deltaworks in Zeeland – but also the New Orleans Deltaworks, built with the help of Dutch engineers at Royal Haskoning. It’s like the old commercials from Centrale Beheer: ‘Have a problem? Better call the Netherlands.’ Hurricane Katrina? Better call the Netherlands. Containership stuck in the Suez Canal? Better call the Netherlands (Boslkalis).”

“So many examples to mention! And not only foreigners are surprised to learn these companies are Dutch – it’s Dutch people too. Dutch folks are not giving themselves enough credit. That’s where I come in. And I’m collecting new examples all the time – for the shows and projects I do for clients like TU Delft, for Mosa Meat (lab-grown ‘cultivated’ meat) and for Wageningen University & Research.”

Event Host of the day

As an ‘improv comedian’, Greg Shapiro is also the almost ideal event host of the day. He puts guests, audience and organizations at ease with a lot of humor and always without being rude. If something goes wrong with the sound, a speaker who is not comfortable, the timing or the connection during a webinar… he improvises immediately, thanks to his many years of theater experience. “The unexpected actually makes it all a bit more lively and interesting for everyone.”

Greg Shapiro NETHERLANDS CHEERLEADER – in het nederlands

‘Een Cheerleader voor Nederland’

Hij is wereldberoemd sinds hij de stem van Donald Trump perfect heeft geïmiteerd in Arjen Lubachs ‘Netherlands Second’ video (inmiddels bijna 30 miljoen keer bekeken). Greg Shapiro is al bekend via Boom Chicago theater en als gastheer en schrijver van Comedy Central News. Nu is hij ook auteur en vlogger, met als onderwerp Nederland en Nederlandse innovaties. Hij is een zelfbenoemd ‘cheerleader van Nederland.’

Greg Shapiro woont sinds 1994 in Nederland en is getrouwd met een Nederlandse. Doordat hij nu al meer dan de helft van zijn leven hier woont kent hij zowel de Amerikaanse als de Nederlandse cultuur heel goed en kan hij ze naast elkaar leggen. Vaak geeft hij een ‘Masterclass’ in Nederlandse cultuur die heet ‘Culture Shock Therapy,’ of zelfs ‘How to Be Dutch: the Quiz.’

Mede daardoor is hij een gewilde tweetalige spreker op grote evenementen, voor zelfs de president van Frankrijk, de NAVO, en voor Koning Willem Alexander. “I’ve lived here long enough to be proud of the Netherlands, but I’m still American enough to not care how loud I am about it”, zegt Greg in zijn eerste moedertaal.

“Ik word meestal gevraagd door multinationale bedrijven voor grote B2B evenementen. Vaak praat ik over cultuurschok, de stereotypes met thema’s als seks, drugs – en de Nederlandse bescheidenheid. Daarna ga ik er dieper op in, beseffend dat het hier eigenlijk beter is dan ik gewend was in Amerika. Eigenlijk ben ik als ‘The American Netherlander’ (wat ook de titel is van mijn laatste boek uit 2020) al fan van Nederlandse uitvindingen, innovaties, watermanagement en andere technieken. Ik ben een soort cheerleader geworden.”

Visitekaartje

Hij vindt het interessant dat de ‘Netherlands Second’- video is gebruikt door prins Constantijn en het Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency tijdens handelsmissies als een soort visitekaartje. “Wat het watermanagement betreft benoem ik net als in de video de Afsluitdijk, een wonder van waterengineering, en maak ik de connectie met de deltawerken, en met de New Orleans deltawerken gebouwd met hulp van Nederlanders. Even Nederland bellen. Ik heb zo veel leuke voorbeelden te noemen! Vaak zijn buitenlanders verbaasd te horen dat de uitvoerende bedrijven Nederlands zijn. Maar vaak zijn ook Nederlanders zelf verbaasd! Dat verwerk ik allemaal in mijn lezingen, voor TU Delft, voor Mosa Meat (kweekvlees) en ook voor een project met Wageningen Universiteit & Research.”
Greg introduceert ook zijn vernieuwde YouTube-kanaal, Climate News Comedy, met nog meer voorbeelden uit Nederland.

Dagvoorzitter

Als ‘improv comedian’ is Greg Shapiro bovendien de welhaast ideale dagvoorzitter. Hij stelt gasten, publiek en organisaties op hun gemak met veel humor en altijd zonder grof te zijn. Als iets misgaat met het geluid, een spreker die zich niet comfortabel voelt, de timing of de verbinding tijdens een webinar… improviseert hij onmiddellijk, Geen probleem dankzij zijn langjarige theaterervaring. “Het onverwachte maakt het eigenlijk allemaal nog wat levendiger en interessanter voor iedereen.”

door Jacques Geluk, juli 2022

GREG SHAPIRO’S VLOG: ‘WHY THE DUTCH DIG DIGGING’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YILSxeIhWwg

GREG SHAPIRO CORPORATE EVENTS
https://gregshapiro.nl/greg-shapiro-corporate-events/