September 2025

Tim Noortman is an experienced impact investor with a passion for creating "emotional safe spaces." In 2018, he founded Check-Inn, helping people integrate inner work into daily life after completing their coaching or retreat. Tim is a founding father of PYM and Wire Group and lives in a community (eemgoed.nl) with 130 adults and 50 children on 7 hectares of urban farmland.

How did you get started with impact investing?

I had never learned how to talk about money, and I was looking for a way to discuss it with my partner. So, I sent my girlfriend an invitation to a WIRE group weekend for wealth-holders. There wasn't a single number or Excel sheet attached — and she got very excited about that! That became the beginning of my impact journey: breaking the taboo around money with her, myself, and others.

Is your family involved?

In many families, the wealth is still tied together, but in our case, it had already been divided. So we each lead our own different investments. I personally prioritised connecting with people as part of my investment strategy and life philosophy— and found this need met in the impact world, at all stages of the process. 

What does impact investing look like for you now?

When I started, my investments were experimental, controversial, and idealistic. I wanted to experience the whole spectrum: projects with steward ownership, capped returns, loans to friends, and open decision-making structures. As a traditional (INSEAD-trained) investor, it was challenging, but also enormously educational. It led me, among other things, to discover my purpose: creating emotional 'safe spaces'. Now I am invested in the Wire Group funds, as well as in Meru Health, De Groene Afslag, Down to Earth, the Torteltuin, De Nieuwe Meent, MadeBlue, and the Gooische Bierbrouwerij. 

How can a network like PYM help?

I find it wonderful that organisations like PYM and Toniic are increasingly making space for 'deeper work': underlying personal themes such as our relationship with money, meaning, and family dynamics. This year, I connected Toniic with the spiritual teacher Thomas Hübl, and we held sessions together on this. In my experience, real change only happens when we dare to explore our discomforts. 'Changing the world' is as such both an entry point to and an expression of inner work.

What is the role of AI in impact investing?

I have been part of an American AI network for two years. What strikes me there is the focus on solutions. I miss that in the European impact world, where we focus too much on problems. For example, if AI wants to solve disease, Europe worries about overpopulation. In America, they would see that as a challenge to be solved if and when it arises. Of course, we are now in a transitional period in which AI is often misused because it is in the hands of a small group. But in the long term, I believe AI will solve many (impact) problems — from energy to climate. What excites me most is the idea of Personal AI: technology that serves you as a person. Imagine: an AI that helps you scroll less, build deeper social connections, or reminds you to do your inner work.

What would you advise starting impact investors?

I would advise them to practice with other impact investors on how to deal with their fears around money, so that they can develop a healthy relationship with money. Within the impact community and especially within PYM, there are so many kind hearts. The more you open up to this community, the more depth you will find, which is not only liberating but also creates new friendships!

Which investments inspire you today?

The Guerilla Foundation, co-living projects, and my children's small steward-owned school: Oosterwold School Sofia.

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