Yespers
Talking to founder Stefan Baecke
ImpactCity is celebrating its tenth anniversary with an exhibition in the town hall, a poster campaign throughout the city, and, of course, a special anniversary edition of ImpactFest.
We have selected ten entrepreneurs who have made a significant contribution to the impact ecosystem in The Hague over the past decade. Yespers is one of these ten companies, so we visited them for an interview with founder Stefan. The article below is based on that interview.
Yespers
Proper nutrition is what Yespers is all about. For consumers, this means pure, delicious flavours. It also means fair conditions for the people who grow and process the food. And it means thinking about the future of our planet, with production methods that are sustainable for generations to come. Based on this conviction, Yespers is gradually building a progressive food chain.
The company, based in The Hague, produces breakfast products such as granola, crackers and spreads, but does so in a way that goes beyond taste and health. At Yespers, it’s not about the end product, but about the raw material. What can you do with an apple, besides just making juice? What can we do with the seeds and the stalk? These questions form the starting point for every new product. This results in food that is right for people, the planet and future generations.
From the financial world to a meaningful mission
The driving force behind Yespers is founder Stefan Baecke. After years of working in the financial world, he decided to change course. ‘I no longer wanted to work solely on financial returns,’ he said. ‘I wanted to do something I could fully support.’
In 2014, he founded Yespers: a company that is not focused on profit as its ultimate goal, but on creating a positive impact. His vision is clear: a food chain that is future-proof, where health, sustainability and fairness are in balance.
He also works closely with Den Haag Werkt to offer jobs to people who are distant from the labour market.
A new perspective on food
What makes Yespers unique is its approach to raw materials. Whereas most food producers start with the end product, Yespers begins with the basics: the ingredients. Its mission is to utilise the entire raw material so that nothing is wasted.
That sounds obvious, but it requires a completely different approach to producing. When it became clear that existing chain partners were not prepared to work in this circular way, Yespers decided to take matters into its own hands. This led to the creation of their own factory in The Hague, a milestone that made the mission tangible. Here, food is developed, produced and packaged according to the principle of maximum value. Every part of the raw material has a specific function.
From the kitchen table to Pearl of The Hague
In ten years, Yespers has grown into a team of more than twenty employees. Yespers products are now available in supermarkets, and the company has built its own circular factory, allowing for complete control over its production methods.
Yespers’ unique approach did not go unnoticed. The company was named ‘Haagse Parel’ (Pearl of The Hague) by the municipality, a recognition for companies that stand out for their social impact. In addition, the company received support from the Rabo Impact Fund, the ‘Rabo Coöperatieve Duurzaamheidsbijdrage’, the Rabo Foundation and the ‘Kansen voor West’ programme.
From the outset, Stefan received support from ImpactCity, ranging from access to a relevant network to visibility through events such as ImpactFest and ChangeNOW. According to Stefan, this is extremely valuable: ‘Everyone agrees that sustainable products are important, but not everyone feels responsible for buying them. ImpactCity helps to stimulate that conversation.’
Lessons from the journey
Entrepreneurship with impact is not always the easiest path, as Stefan has learned. ‘It takes three times as much time and five times as much money as you think. Prepare yourself for a journey through the desert,‘ he says with a laugh. He believes that passion and perseverance can make all the difference: ’As a starting entrepreneur, you need to have a combination of stubbornness to persevere and the courage to admit what you can’t do yourself. And above all, you have to do something you enjoy, otherwise you won’t be able to keep it up.”
Looking ahead: proper nutrition, everywhere
By 2035, Yespers envisions an entire network of factories in The Hague and beyond. The model can be replicated for other raw materials and partners. Chain cooperation is paramount and focuses on affordable food with minimal harm to people and the environment.
Stefan’s goal is ambitious but simple: to produce affordable food with minimal harm to people and the environment. Because if food is the source of many global challenges, it can also be the source of solutions. And that is exactly what Yespers stands for: showing that change is possible. Always with a positive outlook and a clear ‘yes’ to the future of our food.
Ten years of ImpactCity,
ten entrepreneurs in the spotlight
Yespers demonstrates how ‘doing good and doing business’ go hand in hand and has therefore been selected as one of ten entrepreneurs to celebrate and showcase ten years of ImpactCity.
Campaign images of Yespers and the nine other entrepreneurs were displayed on digital screens throughout the city from 21 October to 3 November, 2025. In addition, there was also an exhibition entitled “10 Years of ImpactCity” in the town hall from 29 October to 27 November.