Howie the Harp

What Howie the Harp does

Howie the Harp is a Dutch non-profit vocational training organization founded in 2012 in Rotterdam, operating under Stichting Pameijer. It trains people with lived experience of mental health issues, addiction, or homelessness to become professional experiential experts (ervaringsdeskundigen) — peer support practitioners embedded in Dutch healthcare and social welfare delivery. Its flagship is a one-year, full-time MBO-level program combining theory, personal development, and supervised internship; the organization reports training over 1,000 students across three physical training academies in Rotterdam, Amsterdam, and Tilburg, with an expansion under way in Den Haag. Cohorts of roughly 20–32 students progress through an in-person pedagogy, with monthly information sessions (first Monday of each month) serving as the core enrollment funnel.

The product portfolio extends beyond the full-time program. Complementary offerings include MOED (part-time training for existing healthcare/social welfare staff, delivered with Zadkine), Ervaringsdeskundige inzet in Leiderschap, Advies en Bestuur (a leadership/governance track delivered with PAO Psychologie for managers and supervisors), Familie Ervaringsdeskundigheid (family caregivers), Werken met Eigen Ervaring / WMEE (short introductory course), the Verkorte MBO accelerated MBO pathway with Da Vinci College (€588 per school year tuition), and Werkfit met Ervaring, a 15-week pre-employment trajectory developed with Markieza. The Howie the Harp™ trademark is licensed from Community Access in New York, where Howard Geld originally developed the model. Operations rely on Zoom, email, and digital newsletters adopted during COVID-19; no proprietary software platform is built or sold.

Revenue is overwhelmingly public/managed-services style: the full-time program and most short courses are funded by UWV (Dutch Employee Insurance Agency) and municipalities for eligible participants, students typically pay no direct tuition, and B2B revenue comes from healthcare and social welfare employers paying to train their staff (MOED, leadership program). The accelerated MBO pathway adds a small direct tuition stream (€588 per school year plus ~€750 in materials). The organization operates with approximately 42 employees, deep structural partnerships with Pameijer/+Vijf, HVO-Querido, and RIBW Brabant (each co-hosting a training site), and a stated ~80% graduate employment rate into experiential expert roles.

Name

Howie the Harp

Legal name

Howie the Harp

Website

https://howietheharp.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Howie the Harp is a Dutch non-profit that trains people with lived experience of mental health, addiction, or homelessness to become professional experiential experts, operating full-time MBO-level programs across Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Tilburg, and Den Haag in partnership with major healthcare and social welfare organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Rotterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government and Municipal Funding (UWV, Gemeenten): Howie the Harp's educational programs are primarily financed through government and municipal funding sources. The organization receives financing from UWV (Dutch Employee Insurance Agency) for participants who are unemployed or receiving benefits, and from municipalities for social welfare-funded placements. This is a public-good social-justice educational model where students do not bear the primary cost of tuition.
2. Employer-Funded Training (MOED for Staff): The MOED part-time program and specialized modules are funded by employing organizations in the healthcare and social welfare sector. Employers pay for their staff to receive training in experiential expertise, creating a B2B revenue stream from partner organizations.
3. MBO Tuition ( verkorte MBO route): The accelerated MBO pathway (in partnership with Da Vinci College) charges tuition of approximately €588 per school year. Students may additionally bear costs for books (~€750 for the full program), laptop, and optional coaching. This is a minor revenue stream compared to government-funded placements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Howie the Harp is a Dutch non-profit training organization that delivers accredited educational programs for "experiential experts" (ervaringsdeskundigen). Its flagship offering is a one-year full-time MBO-level program that transforms personal recovery experiences (mental health, addiction, homelessness) into professional expertise. Complementing the core program are shorter courses for healthcare employees (MOED), family members, organizational leaders, and an accelerated MBO diploma pathway.

Product overview

Howie the Harp is an educational organization offering a portfolio of training programs in experiential expertise (ervaringsdeskundigheid). The core offering is the one-year full-time Howie the Harp training program that prepares participants to become professional experiential experts using their personal recovery journeys. Complementary programs include MOED for employees, the leadership program in collaboration with PAO Psychologie, and Familie Ervaringsdeskundigheid for family-focused expertise. Additional pathways include the short WMEE course as preparation, Verkorte MBO for diploma enrichment, and Werkfit met Ervaring as a foundational 15-week program. The organization operates across three locations in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Tilburg with partnerships including Pameijer, HVO-Querido, RIBW Brabant, and Zadkine.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MOED: Training program for employees working with experiential expertise
• Familie Ervaringsdeskundigheid
• Werken met Eigen Ervaring (WMEE)
• Leiderschap, advies en bestuur

Products and services

• Howie the Harp Voltijdopleiding One-year full-time accredited MBO-level training program that prepares people with lived experience of mental health issues, addiction, or homelessness to become professional experiential experts. Combines classroom theory, personal development, and supervised practical internship.
• MOED Part-time training program designed for existing healthcare and social welfare employees who want to incorporate lived experience and recovery principles into their professional practice. Offered in collaboration with Zadkine and employer-funded.
• Leiderschap, Advies en Bestuur Specialized program for managers, advisors, board members, and supervisors on effectively integrating experiential experts into organizational leadership and governance. Delivered jointly with PAO Psychologie.
• Familie Ervaringsdeskundigheid Training program focused on family members who have lived experience of supporting someone with mental health or addiction challenges, enabling them to professionally support other families.
• Werken met Eigen Ervaring (WMEE) Short introductory course enabling participants to share experiences from their personal recovery process to support others facing similar challenges. Serves as a preparatory step toward the full professional program.
• Verkorte MBO (Accelerated MBO) Shortened MBO Level 3 or 4 program in collaboration with Da Vinci College, allowing Howie graduates to earn an MBO diploma in Social Care or Support for Specific Target Groups in 2 years with recognition of prior learning. Tuition approximately €588 per school year.
• Werkfit met Ervaring 15-week basic learning trajectory for people with psychosocial vulnerabilities who are not yet ready for formal education or employment. Focuses on personal development, orientation to experiential expertise, and building work-ready skills. Developed jointly with Markieza.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of graduates find paid employment as experiential experts within the Dutch healthcare and social welfare sector
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered secondary, core and minor.

• PAO PsychologiesecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025PAO Psychologie collaborates with Howie the Harp on the 'Ervaringsdeskundige inzet in leiderschap, advies en bestuur' program — a specialized training for managers, advisors, board members, and supervisors on integrating experiential expertise into organizational strategy. The partnership brings academic-level continuing education to the sector.
• Basisberaad (Zorgbelang Inclusief)secondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025In October 2025, Howie the Harp Rotterdam (Pameijer) and Basisberaad (Zorgbelang Inclusief) announced a partnership to strengthen experiential expertise in the Rotterdam region. Basisberaad focuses on client participation and advocacy in healthcare.
• HVO-QueridocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018HVO-Querido partnered with Pameijer to bring the Howie the Harp program to Amsterdam in 2018. HVO-Querido operates the Amsterdam location, provides coaching and student support, and manages organizational aspects of the Amsterdam program. The partnership was formalized in early 2018 with an official launch event.
• Pameijer (+Vijf)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPameijer (specifically its +Vijf initiative) is the primary Dutch license holder for Howie the Harp and the lead organizational partner. Pameijer coordinates the Rotterdam location and is responsible for financial administration, quality control, and organizational oversight. The partnership was central to bringing the Howie model from New York to the Netherlands in 2012.
• RIBW BrabantcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRIBW Brabant is the key partner for the Howie the Harp Brabant/Tilburg location. The organization provides the operational base, employs graduates as experiential experts, and supports student placements. The partnership expanded from Waalwijk to a dedicated location in Tilburg at Zuiderkruisweg 1.
• ZadkinesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerZadkine is the vocational education partner for the MOED program and the Verkorte MBO pathway. The partnership enables Howie the Harp graduates to receive accredited MBO-level qualifications. Zadkine and Howie co-developed the MOED curriculum and have a long-standing collaboration, including hosting the Dag van de Ervaringsdeskundige together.
• MarkiezaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarkieza partnered with Howie the Harp to develop and deliver the 'Werkfit met Ervaring' (Workfit with Experience) basic learning trajectory — a 15-week program for people not yet ready for formal education or employment. Markieza brings expertise in vocational rehabilitation and work reintegration.
• Vereniging van Ervaringsdeskundigen (VvED)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe VvED is the Dutch professional association for experiential experts. Howie the Harp collaborates with VvED on sector events including the Dag van de Ervaringsdeskundige, supports student membership at discounted rates (€5 first year), and is connected to the Beroepsregister voor Ervaringsdeskundigen initiated by VvED.
• UWV (Employee Insurance Agency)secondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerUWV is a key referring partner that funds and refers benefit recipients to Howie the Harp's training programs. UWV also conducts satisfaction surveys among Howie students regarding the support and information provided. The partnership provides a pathway for unemployed individuals with psychosocial vulnerabilities to retrain as experiential experts.
• Da Vinci CollegesecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDa Vinci College in Dordrecht offers an accelerated MBO program (Level 3 or 4) for Howie the Harp graduates. Students with a Howie certificate can complete an MBO diploma in 2 years (instead of 3) with recognition of prior learning. The college organizes intake days and provides the accredited vocational education component.
• Community Access (New York, USA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Access in New York is the original developer and license holder of the Howie the Harp program, named after Howard Geld. The Dutch organization operates under license from this US organization. There are regular exchanges between the Dutch and US programs, including visits from US staff (Mike Lesser) to Dutch locations and international congress participation.
• Stichting Anton Constandse / FonteynenburgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnton Constandse and Fonteynenburg partnered to bring the Howie the Harp program to The Hague region (Haaglanden) in 2023. An intent declaration was signed and the first information session was held in March 2023, with the program expected to start in September 2023.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Community Access (New York): Original developer and license holder of the Howie the Harp program, founded by Howard Geld in New York. Operates the equivalent experiential expert training model in the United States and shares pedagogical lineage and ongoing staff exchange with the Dutch organization.
• Markieza: Dutch vocational rehabilitation and work reintegration organization that co-developed the Werkfit met Ervaring program with Howie the Harp. Comparable as a partner training provider serving people with psychosocial vulnerabilities seeking workforce re-entry.

Broad incumbents

• Hogeschool Utrecht (HU): Major Dutch university of applied sciences hosting social work and healthcare programs. Comparable as a broader-scope Dutch post-secondary education provider, including the venue for the 2024 Dag van de Ervaringsdeskundige.
• Trimbos-instituut: Dutch national knowledge center for mental health and addiction that provides training, research, and education to healthcare professionals. Serves overlapping audiences in Dutch mental health education but from an applied-research, broader-scope perspective rather than lived-experience pedagogy.
• Zadkine: Large Rotterdam-based MBO (vocational education) institution that co-delivers the MOED and Verkorte MBO programs with Howie. Comparable as an accredited Dutch vocational education provider in the same training ecosystem.
• Da Vinci College: Dutch MBO college in Dordrecht that delivers the accelerated MBO diploma pathway (Level 3/4) for Howie graduates. Comparable as an accredited Dutch vocational education provider in the same training ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Phrenos: Dutch center of expertise for severe mental illness that develops training programs and methodologies, including experiential expertise frameworks. Comparable as a specialized training provider within the Dutch mental health education ecosystem.
• Zorgbelang Inclusief (Basisberaad): Dutch client participation and advocacy organization that partnered with Howie Rotterdam in October 2025 to strengthen experiential expertise. Comparable as a values-aligned training/advocacy provider in the Dutch healthcare ecosystem.

Others

• Vereniging van Ervaringsdeskundigen (VvED): Dutch professional association for experiential experts that maintains the Beroepsregister and co-hosts the Dag van de Ervaringsdeskundige with Howie. Serves as the credentialing and sector-body counterpart that validates Howie's graduate pipeline.

Regional players

• Recovery Academy (UK): UK-based peer-led recovery education organization offering co-produced training on mental health and recovery. Comparable as an international peer-run experiential education provider, though operating in a different geography and without Dutch accreditation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@howietheharpnederland8648
• Facebookfacebook.com/Howie-the-Harp-476867395758640
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/howie-the-harp
• Instagraminstagram.com/howietheharp

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Howie the Harp