23 Jan What Brought Me Here: Geert Robroek

How does a background in Dutch social health care and municipal government translate to Philadelphia public engagement? Geert shares his journey of co-creating spaces and processes that prioritize empathy, representation, and accessibility.

What work were you doing before you arrived at Connect the Dots?

Geert in action during his previous role at the City Government of Utrecht (the Netherlands), engaging with locals on housing and social healthcare.

I was working for a city government in the Netherlands, mainly around behavioral healthcare and housing. I supported organizations that help people with mental disabilities, brain injuries acquired later in life, lower IQs, and people who have experienced homelessness. My role went beyond managing contracts or budgets—we were actually collaboratively building a whole new system of social care after responsibility shifted from the national government to municipalities. 

Later, as a program manager, I worked at the intersection of housing, healthcare, and fostering connection, partnering with care organizations and social housing corporations to ensure people not only had homes but also the support they needed to truly be part of their neighborhoods. What I loved most was working across layers and directly with residents receiving care, co-creating the care system with them, and, at the same time, advising senior city leadership and defending policies at the city council. Doing this, I was constantly translating between policy language and everyday language, making sure what we were doing actually made sense to people. It was challenging, meaningful work, and one of my favorite roles I’ve had.

What drew you to Connect the Dots?

Summary of the recommendations for Safer Routes to School in Northeast Lancaster City, co-compiled with input from an on-campus pop-up event engaging with students and their families, organized by Geert.

I moved to Philadelphia in November 2024 and was waiting a few months for my employment authorization, so I came in really open. Honestly, I was ready to do anything. During that time, I volunteered with food-based organizations like MANNA and People’s Kitchen in South Philly, which was meaningful and aligned with how I show up in my own life. In my first months looking for a job, my husband and the Welcoming Center’s International Professionals Program really encouraged me to aim for work at my level. Through that program, I refined my resume, practiced interviewing, and connected with a strong network. What became clear to me was that I wanted to do work that contributes to others–work that makes a real difference in people’s lives, similar to why I was drawn to municipal work in the Netherlands. I didn’t want something purely corporate.

When I found Connect the Dots, the values immediately resonated with me. While the work here is different from my background in behavioral healthcare, the core values—people-first, accessible, and doing meaningful work—felt deeply aligned with what I’ve always cared about. Seeing the unmet needs around behavioral health in Philadelphia has been difficult, but it also reinforces why this work matters and why I’m really grateful to be here.

What do you hope to grow in, expand more of the work that Connect the Dots does or that you do specifically now that you’re here?

For me, being at Connect the Dots is also about growing into life in the U.S. This move has been a big adventure, and actually living here has given me a much more nuanced understanding of America. Seeing how history shaped things, and why they are the way they are, has been really meaningful. From Europe, the picture can sometimes feel very one-dimensional, but living in Philadelphia has shown me something much richer. I value experiencing a different culture, working in a different system, and being able to share that perspective with friends and family in my home country.

In terms of what I’d like to grow or infuse more into our work, I think a lot about behavioral healthcare. Not as a clinician, but from my experience working closely with people whose challenges are not always visible. I have seen how people develop coping mechanisms that make it look like they are doing fine, while underneath they may be struggling. I would love to bring more of that understanding into how we design engagement strategies, especially by thinking about why people respond the way they do and how systems can unintentionally create barriers for the very people they are meant to serve.

Pop-up event coordinated by Geert at the Mexican Independence Day festival, celebrating the new flight between Philadelphia and Mexico City.

One experience from my municipal work that really stayed with me was creating immersive trainings to help staff understand what it feels like to navigate systems when information is confusing or inaccessible. That kind of perspective shift, moving away from system thinking and toward people’s lived experience, is something I deeply value. I think Connect the Dots already does this well, and there is an opportunity to build on it further by partnering with behavioral health organizations and advocacy groups to strengthen accessibility and representation.

Finally, on a more personal note, I really value the freedom I feel in Philadelphia and at Connect the Dots to be myself and bring my whole self to my work. That sense of openness, authenticity, and acceptance is something I do not take for granted, and it is a big part of why I am excited to keep growing here.

Geert is a project manager with 12 years of international experience in public sector management, specializing in designing tailored, collaborative, and effective engagement strategies, with a focus on transportation.