Martin Kniest

About Martin Kniest

Martin Kniest is a (social) entrepreneur and catalyst. He is known for the popular documentary series ‘De Wasstraat’, a highly acclaimed documentary series that aired its first season in early 2021. Martin demonstrates how organizations can successfully engage in socially responsible entrepreneurship. With his car washes in Deventer and Zutphen, Martin has employed over 60 people, of whom 90% have a bridgeable distance to the labor market.

According to Martin, every person deserves a healthy work & living environment and a fair chance at a well-deserved income. As an entrepreneur, Martin has taken responsibility for this, and he is grateful for it every day. This is beautifully portrayed in the documentary series ‘De Wasstraat’. Since then, many employers have been curious about his approach, and Martin gives lectures throughout the Netherlands for inspiration.

Anyone inquiring about Martin’s career path feels like they are on a true rollercoaster. After attending dance academy, he flourished as a Latin dancer and, together with his partner, danced their way to the top five in the world. For years, he appeared on television, dancing in the background of major Saturday night shows. He was already socially engaged back then, as a dance teacher, Martin also mentored young people with Down syndrome.

Martin’s career has been one of ups and downs, and there was no real logic to be found. Except for entrepreneurship, which always played a role. At a poorly chosen moment, he started a nightclub with borrowed money, which subsequently went bankrupt. Martin was left with debts and often had to do his grocery shopping with bottle deposits. The experiences he gained during this time with social workers made him think and learn. As he slowly got back on his feet, he pursued training to become a debt counselor and began helping families with debts.

When a friend of Martin asked if he would lead a car wash for him, everything changed. Martin managed the car wash in his own way and with his own choice of people. It has since become his own company: a social enterprise… and a bit more.

This did not go unnoticed, and a successful documentary series was made about it. The recently released book ‘De Wasstraat – Social Entrepreneurship – and a bit more’ also became a great success. This has led to several nominations over the past year, with Martin and his team receiving some beautiful awards. Martin now frequently speaks on the topics of socially responsible entrepreneurship and (social) entrepreneurship at municipalities, schools, and business gatherings. Additionally, he is often invited to act as a moderator on these themes.