While I was EPFL, there was no way to get in contact with students from other European universities to learn about their perspectives about the energy transition. We could have reached out cold via Facebook or sent them an email to chat … and that’s exactly what we did, kicking off the first YES-Europe Annual Conference. I’m grateful for the people I met through YES-Europe, who have shaped a more holistic perspective for me on various energy sources, domains – policy, engineering, and business, and have become life-long friends. 

A community to grow and make an impact. You can do it. YES-Europe gives everyone the space, the freedom, and the opportunity to go out there and make a
difference. It is empowering. Once you start producing results, you gain a sense of confidence which stays with you forever and encourages you to do better
not just here, but in other aspects of life too.

I strongly believed that the different projects that many members in this community are carrying out need to be smoothly supported by a platform and a network that facilitate their success. Supporting and having ideas, empowering each single person to make an impact, and ensuring a proper amphitheatre for their knowledge would be my contribution in accelerating the energy transition.We sometimes forget that our greatest achievements have always come when we are bold. A special thanks to all the people I met along my journey that made everything so fun and enriching. 

YES-Europe had an incredible impact on my life. The people I had met, the events that I had been a part of and the activities that I had experienced all influenced and empowered me greatly.  Our organisation’s mission has always been unique, yet important, to ensure young people have a criticial voice on critical issues. Being in a position to lead was an honour and a privilege. It was the adventure of a lifetime that created unforgettable memories.

My biggest achievement has to be the culture we have built. How to make change happen? Through YES-Europe we have access to a community of young,
passionate energy enthusiasts. We aim to understand how to unite our community towards a common goal: accelerating the energy transition

YES-Europe is the perfect place for practicing positive thinking. We are proud of the community that we have built all together, the holacratic method applied to let individuals work in different roles autonomously, the support and the freedom to test new ideas. We have witnessed people grow, personally and professionally, starting from ourselves.

My journey at YES-Europe has truly been a testament to the organisation’s inclusive and inspiring culture—from starting in the Finance Team, to attending COP, to now helping lead YES-Europe into its next stage. Through this experience, I learned an incredible amount, met inspiring people, and grew even more excited about the world of the energy transition—a field full of opportunity and optimism for the future

Being part of YES-Europe community made me more optimistic about our sustainable future. Our team helped coordinate activities to ensure that important projects are moving forward in the best way. YES-Europe brought me additional perspectives on diversity in Europe and beyond as well as a strong drive to collaborate further toward Sustainability

YES-Europe is an organisation where one gets to meet a lot of amazing people who are all contributing in various ways to the sustainable energy transition
and other sustainability aspects as well. It’s great to work together in teams where people have very diverse backgrounds but share a common vision about the future. It’s not only about working, though. It’s also a place to meet and interact.

We created a work dynamic within the Finance Team that will on the one hand facilitate continuous accounting & fundraising work throughout the year and on the other hand distribute responsibilities along the team to avoid the complete disruption and loss of knowledge when an important team member leaves YES-Europe.It has brought me hope, hope that, we young people, can really have an impact if we invest time and put our minds to it

My growing passion for finance led me to the Finance Team, where I progressed to the role of CFO in 2024. Throughout this journey, I have grown alongside the organization, both professionally and personally. Today, I am proud to have built a strong network of like-minded people across Europe, thanks to YES-Europe!

Through meeting young people, passionate about energy, from other countries in Europe, you learn a lot. YES-Europe gave me a great sense of satisfaction when I see YES-Europe growing at such a rapid pace. It was also exciting for me to witness so many individuals stepping up and taking care of the different projects here at YES-Europe

Being part of the Policy team has allowed me to grow a lot as a professional and to make use of my passion for climate and energy policy to bring projects to life. I have been continuously amazed by the impressive projects prepared by the YES-Europe community, both at international level but also by the several different local teams. But the highlight for me really was meeting everyone at the 2022 Annual Conference – it was such a happy moment!

YES-Europe has impacted me on several levels. First of all, through organising initiatives and events with the rest of the team and with partnering organisations I gained a lot of insights that I never had about the energy transition. This happened through interaction with young professionals from fields of the energy transition that are outside my expertise, so it really helped me broaden my horizons. At the same time, it gave me the opportunity to exchange views with people from all European countries, as well as views on the energy transition and help have a broader understanding of the issue. In general, meeting all these cool people within energy and sustainability would not have happened without my presence in YES-Europe.

It is not just the destination, but also the journey. The motivation of the members to do something meaningful acts as fuel for YES-Europe to succeed. As we learn, we evolve, we grow, and we get better. We helped to create a stronger bond amongst members from different teams and maintain a positive environment.

Our team’s work  increased the exposure and impact of YES-Europe through high-quality podcasts and reports. We recruited over ten people just in 2022 to directly work on Knowledge Sharing projects. In addition, we have also expanded our influence circle. Together we can achieve more

YES-Europe, indeed, means having the opportunity to ask for information from such a highly skilled and expert community in various fields. This allowed me by pure chance to discover previously unknown themes, and in particular more closely the role of hydrogen, by talking about it with workers or researchers in this area. And thanks to this precious help I discovered a new passion that helped me in finding my thesis choice and also in finding a company ready to welcome me for the internship. The possibilities are around the corner, YESEurope helps you to look at them better.

YES-Europe enabled me to learn about local and European perspectives on energy issues, connect with amazing people from all over Europe and grow my skill set. One of the major advantages of being a part of YES-Europe is that you get the opportunity to build connections with people from across Europe. And to put
the cherry on top, I love the fact that we come together as a community and do cool things together, for the future

I honestly believe I wouldn’t be where I currently am if it wasn’t because of this experience in YES-Europe. Not only did I enhance my professional and communication skills, learning how to lead a team and craft impactful  messages, but I also created meaningful connections with people from all over Europe
whom I’m grateful to call friends!

During my time at YES-Europe, I developed several skills that I have been able to transfer directly into my academic work. I became highly proficient in graphic design, which proved particularly valuable during my master’s degree, where I was required to deliver numerous presentations. In addition, my involvement in YES-Europe strengthened my leadership and collaboration skills, especially my understanding that meaningful outcomes in group settings require time and effective communication. Finally, the experience reinforced the importance of approaching topics holistically, particularly when engaging with complex socio-technical issues

YES-Europe’s mission and vision resonated so well with other organizations across the globe that it allowed the partnerships team to find partners with ease. This, along with partnering with internationally recognized organizations and groups has been one of the most significant achievements down the years

YES Europe has given me numerous opportunities to learn from the community while being a part of the active member pool, as well as to directly leverage learning and partnership opportunities and networking with industry leaders. Young leaders like myself should have faith in the strength of our own opinions. Our world will improve the more we raise awareness of the impacts of climate change and the more accountability we demand of our leaders

YES-Europe fosters skill developmentthrough community-driven knowledge sharing and collaboration. By connecting young professionals and students, the organisation creates a space for peer-to-peer learning and hands-on project work across various disciplines. Overall, it has been a very rewarding experience in which I learned a lot in terms of teamwork, adaptability and social skills but also a year in which I worked on my creative thinking and my solution-oriented kind of being.

I owe a great deal to YES-Europe, which is why I was always willing to give just as much in return. In professional life, one is constantly confronted with dependencies, hierarchies, or people who prefer to slow things down. For me, YES-Europe was something else entirely: a space of freedom. The experiences gained there are more enduring than any “Jour Fixe” in a company or any exam in a lecture hall. For that, I am deeply grateful – and I hope that this very particular YES-Europe feeling will stay with me for a long time to come.

I joined YES-Europe in 2017, when the organization was only a year old. Having previously been part of student initiatives, I was pleasantly surprised and inspired by the professionalism, dedication, and clear vision of the founding team. Being involved in efforts to grow the community taught me the importance of inclusive communication and engaging diverse stakeholders. 

My journey is a strong example of the impact of the YES-Europe network: a casual conversation with a fellow member evolved into a master’s thesis, which later became a research project leading to both a conference and a journal publication. I am proud of the progress YES-Europe has made over the years, and its vision continues to inspire me to actively connect people across different spheres of my life.