Cycling for Everyone

Our team

The Dutch Cycling Embassy team has been passionate about sustainable, safe and comfortable cycling since 2011 and thus contributes to liveable, healthy and active cycling cities for everyone.

Our team consists of an enthusiastic, devoted and downright fun combination of Dutch and non-Dutch colleagues who are eager to help you with your questions!

Meet the DCE team

Lucas Harms PhD

Managing Director

As the Director of the Dutch Cycling Embassy Lucas is responsible for the strategic development of the public private partnership, as well as the operational and financial activities of the organization. Under delegation of the board, he manages the daily office and the team and coordinates, together with the project coordinators, the Embassy’s various projects that result from incoming requests from all over the world. Lucas has a background in urban geography and more than 15 years of research in various roles, focusing on urban planning and sustainable urban transportation. Formerly he has been affiliated to the Urban Cycling Institute (UCI) of the University of Amsterdam and has worked at the Netherlands Institute for Transport Policy Analysis and the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. With his experience and extensive network Lucas and his team supports public and private organizations in creating the best conditions and solutions for cycling to flourish in countries and cities around the world.

Nicole Lolkema MSc

Event Coordinator

As an event coordinator, Nicole assists the team on projects in the Netherlands and around the world. She organises activities and takes care of things behind-the-scenes. In recent years, Nicole has gained experience in organising international congresses and events. She spent years abroad and lived in places in the world where cycling was not the most obvious means of transport, and that experience made her realise how cycling contributes to a happy and free life, and what it means to her. Therefore, Nicole likes to contribute to the mission of making cities and places in the world greener and liveable.

Chris Bruntlett BSc

Marketing & Communication Manager

As Marketing and Communications Manager, Chris brings a diverse set of communication skills to his role at the Dutch Cycling Embassy, including writing, photography, filmmaking, podcasting, public speaking, and digital media management. He first visited the Netherlands in the summer of 2016, and quickly fell in love with its seemingly effortless bicycle culture, and unique approach to transport planning. This cross-country tour inspired him to co-author the book, “Building the Cycling City: The Dutch Blueprint for Urban Vitality”, which shines a spotlight on the incredible (and often underappreciated) achievements of the Netherlands as the world’s foremost cycling nation. Chris uses his knowledge and passion to share practical lessons for global cities wishing to follow in their tracks, and become better places to live, work, play, and—of course—cycle.

Nout Ramaekers BSc

Program Manager

During his study in International Management, Nout combined his passion for bikes and international trade by exporting vintage road bikes within Europe. Internationally oriented, Nout has an eye for cross-cultural trends and strives for global cooperation to encourage and improve our most healthy, most sustainable and simply most fun way of transportation: by bike!

Margot Daris MSc

Project Manager

As Project Manager at the Dutch Cycling Embassy, Margot matches questions from abroad regarding cycling mobility with Dutch knowledge and expertise. She works on several topics connected to cycling, such as behavior change, inclusivity, infrastructure and policy. Margot believes it is important to keep a pleasant living environment and sustainability as a starting point for mobility policies. With the idea of ‘Think Big, Think Bike’, we put cycling on the international agenda to create healthy, climate neutral, reachable and livable regions. With a background in Political Science and Human Geography, Margot always approaches mobility projects with a holistic view. At the Dutch Cycling Embassy, we do this with our broad network of Dutch cycling experts. Cooperation and connecting are always at the center of this process. 

Shelley Bontje MSc

Project Manager

Shelley is highly motivated to contribute to a livable, enjoyable, and future-proof world. She believes in active and environmentally friendly modes of transport as a key to enable an inclusive society for all. Therefore, she fully embraces the mission of the Dutch Cycling Embassy: Cycling for Everyone. As Project Manager at the Dutch Cycling Embassy, she connects the best of Dutch cycling knowledge, experience, and experts with the rest of the world. Shelley has a background in Human Geography and Urban Planning and holds a teacher’s degree. She is culturally sensitive, open-minded, and always willing to think along or chat about concrete steps that can positively contribute to our surroundings.

Nils Steinhauser MSc

Project Coordinator

Nils is passionate about promoting active mobility worldwide to support the transfomation towards more liveable, inclusive and sustainable cities. After moving to the Netherlands, he realised the opportunitites and potential that cycling offers when taken seriously and designing infrastructure right. During his studies at Utrecht University, his personal passion for cycling turned into his research focus looking at sharing knowledge and leanrings in the field of urban mobility. In his master thesis he focused on last-mile commute in India analysing the potential of walking and cycling to public transit. He is highly motivated to connect people and transfer knowledge to continuosly improve conditions for active mobility worldwide.

Emma Stubbe MSc

Project Coordinator

Having lived in six cities in four countries so far, Emma has first hand experience of different approaches to cycling infrastructure and cycling culture. With an academic background in Philosophy and International Relations, and a passion for cycling as sport and sustainable, socially beneficial transport, Emma is dedicated to forging connections that lead to international cooperation in the field of cycling infrastructure, as well as more theoretical issues of equality, inclusivity, cities of the future and climate adaptation. Following an internship at the Dutch Cycling Embassy in 2021, Emma completed a Master’s thesis on the impact of cycling diplomacy on states’ soft power in collaboration with the DCE. As Project Coordinator at the DCE, Emma connects demand for cycling-inclusive mobility from abroad, particularly from French- and German-speaking countries, with Dutch knowledge and expertise. She is looking forward to exploring more of the world by bike!

Sophia Hanneman

Intern

In her fourth year of study at Van Hall Larenstein University, internationally recognized as a leader in sustainability, Sophia joined the Dutch Cycling Embassy to explore her interest in collaborations for sustainable practices with Dutch and international companies, knowledge institutes, NGOs, and government agencies. In her minor study, Co-Design at Hogeschool Utrecht, Sophia worked directly with clients where she gained experience with strategies for intake processes, ideation, concept presentations, and stakeholder engagement for community projects. Sophia is from USA and first came to the Netherlands as a high school exchange student.