It's going well,
but there is more to it.

Our Story
The Culture Trail

Two founders, one question.

Ronja and Josien met in 2024 in the Peruvian mountains, connected by a shared vision of life. What started as friendship grew into something more. In 2026, they stepped into an entrepreneurial journey together. A relationship built in the mountains, on trust and connection: a Dutch and Swiss duo now forms the foundation of The Culture Trail.

Ronja and Josien in The Culture Trail shirts, with the mountains behind them

The future of work requires teams where people feel safe and connected.

Culture does not live in policy or nice words, but in daily practice: in how people express themselves, work together, deal with pressure and make decisions. Every organisation is working on this every day, consciously or unconsciously.

In many companies, the vision is clear on paper, while the reality is characterised by pressure, unspoken expectations and emotional distance. This tension often remains undiscussed, simply because there is no space, language or context for it.

“It's going great, but there's more potential.”

Entrepreneurs and teams that are only happy with what already works do not reach their full potential. Those who dare to delve deeper build more impact, stronger cooperation and an organisation that is ready for the future.

Why the mountains?

Because clarity rarely emerges in our usual environment. In the mountains, everything changes: perspective, peace, overview. In the absence of stimuli, the body calms down and space is created: to look differently, to listen better and to speak more authentically.

By distancing yourselves from the daily work environment and letting go of fixed roles, it becomes natural to work on openness, connection and trust.

sustainability

Striving for a sustainable future.

We strive to organise our trails with as little impact on the Earth as possible. Nature is an essential part of the experience and we believe it's our job to respect and protect it.

We encourage participants to travel by train or electric vehicle where possible. For those who choose these lower-impact options, we invest 5% of the total cost of the trail in a sustainability or local environmental project selected by our team.

For companies that are already attending conferences or events in or around Zurich, we offer the opportunity to organise the trail while the team is already in the region. A chance to step out of the conference environment and experience nature as part of your stay.

OUR EXPERTISE

The team behind the trail

Josien Verkleij talking with a colleague, coffee in hand
Josien Verkleij and a colleague drinking coffee in The Culture Trail shirts
Josien Verkleij

Josien Verkleij

Founder

Josien gets her energy from bringing different people together. She connects people and brings them closer in every environment she's in: the corporate world, the creative industry and the mountains.

Born and raised on a farm in the countryside of the north of the Netherlands, she made Switzerland her new home. She liked to push and perform, but realised that performance at your best happens not by pushing harder, but by building conditions to feel safe.

Human-oriented, driven, and deeply convinced that vulnerability and trust are the real drivers of performance.

Ronja Barelli

Ronja Barelli

Co-founder

Ronja is an MSc psychologist passionate about the intersection of the outdoors and human development.

Based in Zermatt, she combines psychological knowledge with practical experience in sport and mountain environments. Alongside her work in mental coaching and sport psychology, she is active as a ski instructor, Swiss Alpine Club tour leader and former outdoor guide in Northern Sweden.

Fascinated by how challenge, movement and nature shape the way we learn and grow, she helps create experiences that encourage reflection and new perspectives. What happens when psychology leaves the classroom and enters the outdoors?

She believes that some of the most powerful learning happens when people engage not only with ideas, but with themselves, others, and the environment around them. She co-created TCT with her life vision. Living Lagom: not too much, not too little, just the right amount.

Dirk van Uffelen

Dirk van Uffelen

Ambassador

With more than 20 years of experience leading high-performing teams and mentoring young professionals, Dirk is The Culture Trail's first ambassador. He brings insight into what drives human growth, both individually and collectively.

As a partner at Count & Cooper and with a background in organisational and sports psychology, Dirk combines scientific knowledge with a passion for human connection.

His approach helps people connect with themselves and with others, and find clarity about what really matters, on a mountain top as much as in daily life.

Adrian Irniger

Adrian Irniger

Local Guide

Born and raised in Switzerland, Adrian knows the mountains not only as a landscape, but as his habitat and home. As a local guide, he has years of experience in safely guiding groups through alpine terrain.

With an MSc in psychology, Adrian combines knowledge of human behaviour with practical experience in supervising groups.

He understands how people react in stressful situations and how meaningful learning can take place in nature.

Adrian works through his own company Semover.

Giulia Genovese

Giulia Genovese

Sustainable Tourism & Impact Strategist

With a background in sustainability consulting and project management, Giulia spent over five years helping organisations translate complex sustainability challenges into practical and meaningful actions.

She then consciously transitioned to sustainable tourism, driven by the conviction that she could create more visible and lasting impact closer to people, places, and ecosystems.

She leverages sustainability as a driver for connection, regeneration, and long-term value. Her focus is on developing experiences that balance business, people, and place, thereby contributing to destination development and more sustainable tourism systems.