Joost Nauta

About Joost Nauta

The story of Joost Nauta begins in 1971 in Amsterdam. His parents were told that due to a severe muscle disease, he would live to be between 3 and 5 years old. Because of his condition, Joost relies on a fully customized electric wheelchair and uses respiratory support. Due to his condition and an unstable home situation, Joost lived in hospitals, boarding schools, and homes in The Hague from the age of three. Against all odds, Joost attended regular education. Eventually, Joost decided to study social work in Utrecht in 1993 and, with help, live independently. There, he could not receive the care he needed and founded the experience-oriented home care organization Joost Zorgt in 2007. This concept grew into a company with an annual turnover of 13 million.

After a high-profile conflict with a health insurer, Joost ended his company in February 2019. In September 2019, Joost started Joost Ontzorgt, a home care service entirely driven by platform technology, where appropriate care is once again central.

Joost Nauta developed self-help programs for chronically ill young people from two prominent Academic children’s hospitals. For this, he received the citizenship award in 2010 and with Joost Zorgt the Golden Gazelle award from the financial newspaper. As a socially engaged entrepreneur, he trained delinquent youths for probation on how to deal with their possibilities. In the book “Motivational Interviewing” by author and trainer Sergio van der Pluim, the entire afterword is dedicated to Joost because, according to the author, Joost is the ultimate example of thinking in possibilities. Joost is inspired by the NLP of Anthony Robins and studied the provocative coaching method of Frank Farrely. However, Joost is a very authentic speaker, shaped by life experience, work experience, and the street experience of The Hague. He gladly shares his applied knowledge with anyone who wants to help themselves move forward from their own strength and motivation.

Joost now has extensive experience as a speaker, entrepreneur, coach, connector, and director. A pioneer who tackles challenges with a solution-oriented approach. Stubborn yet a driven team player in service of the mission. Lifelong connected to care. Joost is an articulate expert by experience both as a care recipient and care entrepreneur. Intrigued by innovative technology and pragmatic in assessing applicability. Specialist in the field of self-management, inclusion, and participation. Joost teaches at the International Business School Eurocollege and at Erasmus University. His subjects there are success, motivation & eHealth innovation and ethics. In March 2019, a major article appeared in the national media about Joost as an ambassador of eHealth in the Netherlands. He is a frontrunner in the Rotterdam e-Health agenda and, connected to the eHealth summer school, he is committed to the future of healthcare in the Netherlands.

Joost tells stories. Mostly about the world around him, he does this through his short film #Joost, which was shown at the International Film Festival Rotterdam 2019. He wrote a poetry collection “The Naked Knight.” A biography about his life is being written by sports journalist Leo van Marrewijk titled “If I Can Do It, So Can You.” As a great music lover, Joost produced several Reggae artists driven by his urge for self-expression. Humor is an important ingredient in Joost’s life. Therefore, he performs at the Amsterdam Toomler stand-up café as the ultimate challenge from a wheelchair. He was called a life artist by author Koos de Wilt, writer of Think Like an Artist Don’t Act Like One. From that moment, Joost decided, despite all setbacks, to continue driven above all.