Philosophy Portal
Debrief Summary
"In a world increasingly polarised by ideological battles, the Genesis Experience emerges as a bold, nuanced experiment in redefining leadership, culture, and human connection.
Initiated by social entrepreneur & facilitator Timothée Brès with the support of speaker & facilitator Pamela von Sabljar, as well as Leen Schelfhout (Commons Hub) & Sinouhe Monteiro (Regens Unite), this event seeked to bridge the divides between mind and body, masculine and feminine, the spiritual and the material.
Held at the Commons Hub in Brussels, the Genesis Experience is a container designed to approach the DNA of a new cultural code, one that honours differences, unleashes creative potential, and dares to challenge the status quo.
The Origin of Genesis: A Vision for Emerging Culture
The Genesis Experience was born from Brès’ decade-long quest to “hack the leadership equation.” After encountering deep contradictions in decentralised models during his ventures in academia and the arts, Brès sought a new way to lead, one that fosters aliveness, impact, and meaningful collaboration without reverting to outdated structures.
During a Philosophy Portal retreat in Marseilles, he met von Sabljar, whose work on “Living from Eros” resonated with his own explorations of masculine and feminine polarities.
The Genesis Experience is designed as a container for thinkers, builders, healers, artists and creatives to explore what Brès calls “the DNA of the emerging culture.”
This DNA is rooted in the interplay of body and mind, biology and culture, and the sacred and the mundane. Drawing inspiration from his essay in Logic for the Global Brain (published by Philosophy Portal), Brès frames Genesis as a response to the need for a new theory of sexual difference or gender meme, one that acknowledges both biological realities and the social construct of gender, while fostering new forms of collaboration between men and women.
The event’s logo, a horizontal DNA strand, symbolises this integration of flow & structure, reflecting a new relationship between masculine and feminine, potentially at the core of the next cultural code.
The Event: A Tapestry of Logos, Eros, and Art
Unlike a conventional academic conference or business summit, the Genesis Experience is a dynamic blend of philosophy, embodiment, and artistic expression.
Held over two days, the event balances structured facilitation with emergent, participant-driven exploration. Day one featured a clear schedule, with talks by thought leaders like Cadell Last, bodywork sessions led by fascia therapy pioneer Dirk Marivoet, and contributions from leadership and organizational innovator Peter Koenig. Day two shifts to an open-space format, allowing participants to share their gifts, reflections, and desires sparked by the previous day’s experiences.
The event’s structure is deliberately "androgynous", as Brès describes it, combining the clarity of a directive program with the fluidity of emergent collaboration. This balance mirrors the broader aim of Genesis: to honour both clarity and flow, masculine and feminine energies, fostering a generative space where polarities are not suppressed but unleashed.
von Sabljar emphasises the role of art as a foundational element, not an add-on. From professional dancers to a sound system curated by 90s electronic music pioneer Mike DMA, the artistic dimension created an atmosphere that holds participants in a “sacred container,” enabling authentic transformation.
A key focus of the event is the explicit acknowledgment of sexual difference. In a cultural moment where postmodern narratives often downplay biological distinctions, Genesis takes a courageous stand.
von Sabljar articulates the power of recognizing these differences: “When we suppress the fact that we are different by biology, we take away an inherent power from men, women, and those who walk in between.”
By embracing her receptivity as a woman, for instance, she can tap into relational and social intelligences that enhance workplace dynamics. This approach, Brès adds, is paradoxically the path to deeper connection: “The way to come closer together is to first acknowledge the differences.”
Confronting Resistance: Navigating the Culture Wars
The Genesis Experience is not without its challenges.
Its commitment to prioritizing perspective over performative diversity, evident in the choice of an intro panel featuring four white men, sparked initial resistances among some participants.
Yet, as von Sabljar notes, the maturity and readiness of attendees allowed to address taboo topics beyond political correctness and fears of cancellation, a "brave stage" encouraging bolder expressions of leadership.
By focusing on the “right perspectives” rather than tokenistic representation, Genesis risked alienating both the progressive left, wary of reinforcing traditional gender roles, and the conservative right, which may dismiss such conversations as subversive and woke because trans inclusive.
Brès and von Sabljar are acutely aware of these tensions.
Having once identified as a “radical left-wing feminist,” von Sabljar reflects on her evolution: “I was wrong [to believe there were no differences between men and women]. There’s a deep fear of losing the freedom we’ve gained, but we’re missing something of great importance by throwing out biology.”
Brès, meanwhile, sees the erasure of sexual difference as an unconscious defense mechanism, a way to avoid confronting childhood traumas and mother/father wounds. Both emphasize the need for emotional maturity and spiritual investment to navigate this “middle path,” which resists the noise of ideological extremes.
The Creative Potential of Sexual Energy
One of the most important outcomes of the Genesis Experience was the recognition of sexual energy as a creative force. Far from being stigmatized, this energy—described by von Sabljar as “Eros” or the “life-affirming energy”—is channeled into collaborative projects and innovative ideas.
Participants spoke of “creative partnerships” fueled by the chemistry of masculine-feminine polarity, finding relief in a space where such dynamics could be openly discussed.
As Brès notes, “our life force energy has creative potential beyond the sexual space" and “recognizing sexual differences is key to unleash polarities”.
This insight has profound implications for leadership and culture. By integrating the sacred and the mundane, Genesis challenges the notion that spirituality and business are antithetical.
Discussions on money, investment, and political economy were as central as those on sex, death, and primal human drives.
Cadell Last highlights the event’s ambition to engage deeply with these realities: “Cultivating spirituality to go deeper into political economy, getting your hands dirty with the difficult realities of contemporary life, is the opposite of bypassing.”
The Future: Building the Mycelium of a New Culture
Looking ahead, Brès and von Sabljar envision the Genesis Experience as a repeatable ritual, with plans for a follow-up event in September 2025 at the Commons Hub Brussels, a regenerative, apolitical space, providing a courageous container for these conversations.
A beta Genesis Leadership Program is also in the works, aimed at supporting leaders in scaling their business with aliveness and impact.
Both she and Brès see Genesis as part of an underground “mycelium”, a network of small, potent “mushrooms” sprouting a new cultural horizon. As Cadell Last puts it, this path requires commitment despite its lack of mainstream attention: “It’s nuanced, it takes emotional maturity, but it’s the way forward.”
Conclusion: A Call to the Edge
The Genesis Experience is a clarion call to those willing to step beyond the culture wars and into a space of radical honesty, embodiment, and creativity.
By centering sexual difference, integrating Logos and Eros, and embracing the sacred within the mundane, it offers a blueprint for a leadership model that is alive, generative, and deeply human. For those in Brussels and beyond, the invitation is clear: join the mycelium, engage with the edge, and help shape the DNA of the emerging culture.