Carien de Jonge founded Zjián Projects. Her career started in 1992 at Radio Rijnmond in Rotterdam, where she was responsible for marketing and public relations. She started her own company, Basics for Business, in 1997.  Since then Basics for Business worked for clients in the private, government and not-for-profit sectors, writing business plans, marketing and communication plans, executing projects and programmes and organising events in the area of culture, business to business and government. For the last two years Carien has also worked for the commercial department of Rotterdam University, teaching graduates, guiding them during projects and working with them on their final theses.

 

From the very beginning Carien has given a high priority to working with people who dedicate themselves to making the world a better place. From 1997 until 2000 she managed the Rotterdam columnist Carrie , who is known for her involvement with and championing of the weaker groups in society as well as a strong sense of justice, a subject on which she has a reputation for plain-speaking to the point where both the meaning and the passion behind it are unmistakable.

 

In 1998 and 1999 Carien worked with conceptual artist Rini Biemans to organise the first two editions of the conceptual arts festival ‘de Rotterdamse kunstdagen’.  This is a festival in which the role and place of art in society was investigated.  Every year, around 80 artists took part in this festival.  Rini and Carien organised the festival following the principles of organic management.  Later, Carien volunteered for a several organisations.

 

In the spring of 2006 Carien founded Zjián Projects to provide a space for her growing ambition to do more and more in the field of sustainable development, fair trade and environmental issues.

 

Carien has travelled extensively in Central America and Asia. Since 2005, she has also been studying philosophy at Erasmus University, Rotterdam.