Where Women Connect, Beethovensingel 15, Castricum (2026)

04/09/2026

Two cities. Two worlds. And a lot to connect.

Luxembourg is starting to feel more familiar, but I’m still very much in discovery mode, meeting people, asking questions, figuring things out and probably being far too curious about everything.

And the more I see, the more similarities I notice with Doha.

Both are small markets with big ambition. Both are financially strong, globally connected and full of people from all over the world building lives, careers, businesses and friendships.

And in both places, community matters.

The right people. The right conversations. The introductions you didn’t expect. The coffee that turns into an idea. The idea that turns into something else entirely.

That is exactly what I love about what we’re building with Where Women Connect.

And now, as I build across both Luxembourg and Doha, I’m especially excited to see how these two very different, yet surprisingly similar, worlds can connect.

Through people, ideas, opportunities, friendships and business.

Two cities. Lots of overlap. Plenty to discover.

If you’re in Luxembourg, Doha, or somewhere in between, come and say hello. There are some very interesting connections to make!

28/08/2026

I’ve been a little quiet here. Actually, very quiet.

The truth is, I got a bit tired of Instagram.
For a while it started to feel like another thing I should be doing rather than somewhere I genuinely wanted to spend my time. And I’ve become much more conscious of where I put my energy.

LinkedIn has become my main place to write, share what I’m working on and have conversations. I’m really enjoying it. It helps me reconnect with people I have known for quite some time, it brings new people into my world and, quite simply, it works for me and the community we’re building.

But I also realised something. Not everyone I know is on LinkedIn, or always very active there. And there are so many of you here I’ve met, worked with, connected with, laughed with, had coffee or dinner with over the years. I haven’t forgotten about you. Quite the opposite.

And a lot has changed since I last properly showed up here. We moved to Luxembourg this summer, and I’m now building life and work between Luxembourg and Doha, two very international places that are already starting to connect in interesting ways.

But I’m continuing to grow Where Women Connect, bringing women together, creating introductions and conversations, and connecting brilliant female talent with companies and opportunities across both cities.

And this autumn, The Curated Circle will become part of that too, bringing a smaller group of women together more closely across Doha and Luxembourg.

And personally? I’m still figuring out what I want Instagram to be. Definitely less polished and less pressure. Not every day, but when there’s something relevant, interesting or worth a conversation. And come and also find me on LinkedIn: /elsbethblekkenhorst

Hello again here! I’ve missed you, and seeing what many of you are up to too. Tell me, where are you in the world these days, and what are you working on?

25/06/2026

One question that occasionally comes up is: What exactly is Where Women Connect?

It wasn’t something I planned.
It grew naturally.

Through our recruitment business, I’ve met incredible women from all over the world. Talented, ambitious and experienced women. But I kept noticing the same thing. Many weren’t just looking for a job. They were looking for people.
They wanted connection, advice, introductions, and women who understood what it was like to move countries, start over, build a career, launch a business, raise a family, reinvent themselves, or simply figure out what came next.

So in 2021, between Covid peaks, I started bringing women together. Before I knew it, Where Women Connect had become something much bigger than recruitment.
Today, it’s a community for women seeking meaningful connections, trusted relationships, new opportunities and genuine support.

Our members come from many different backgrounds, but what connects them isn’t a job title. It’s mindset. Curious women who want to meet others, learn, share, support one another and grow. Women who believe collaboration is more powerful than competition and know that the right conversation can change everything.

Over the years, I’ve watched friendships form, businesses launch, partnerships emerge, careers change, and opportunities appear simply because the right women met at the right time.

That’s why I continue to build this.
Because I believe we all move further, faster, and with a lot more joy when we don’t do it alone.

As Where Women Connect evolves, I’m excited to launch The Curated Circle this October in Doha, a smaller, more intentional membership for women looking to build deeper relationships and open new doors together.

For now, you’ll find us in Doha. Luxembourg is next!

To everyone who has been part of our journey so far, a huge thank you!
And if you’re only just discovering Where Women Connect, I’d love to hear from you.
Let’s start the conversation.

20/06/2026

Some partnerships make perfect sense.

Not because they were planned years in advance, but because they are built on shared values and a belief in what is possible when women support women.

When I first met Pinar Kaya in 2022, she had just arrived in Doha and was working as Director of Marketing & Communications at Hilton The Pearl.

At the time, I was organising my monthly Where Women Connect gatherings. Pinar was one of those people who immediately stood out. Professional, dedicated, generous with her support, and always willing to find a way to make things happen.

Over the years, we stayed in touch, cheering each other on through different chapters, projects and milestones.

Today, she is part of the team at Park Hyatt Doha, led by the wonderful Esra Parin, whom I first met many years ago during her time at W Doha.

What I admire most about both women is the way they continue to lift others as they grow. They understand the power of community, connection, and creating opportunities for women to be seen, heard, and celebrated.

Which is exactly what Women on the Move is all about.

Born from years of conversations with women from around the world who made Doha their home, this book shares stories of reinvention, courage, friendship, and building new chapters far from home.

So when I started looking for a partner for this project, Park Hyatt Doha immediately came to mind.

Not simply because it is a beautiful hotel, but because behind it are people who genuinely believe in creating spaces where women can connect, inspire one another, and share their stories.

When Pinar and Esra said yes, I was absolutely over the moon.

As Pinar shared: “At Park Hyatt Doha, we are honored to support initiatives that celebrate and uplift women. Inspired by Hyatt’s commitment to inclusion and belonging, and the impact of the Women@Hyatt community, we believe in creating spaces where women can connect, inspire one another, and share their stories.”

To Pinar and Esra, a huge thank you for believing in this project and the women whose stories fill its pages.

More soon.

05/06/2026

Meet my dear friend , founder of and featured in my series.

We met in Qatar through our shared passion for fashion and entrepreneurship. Over the years, that connection led to a collaboration on my own dress collection, inspired by silhouettes and prints I love. Sonali transformed my ideas into sketches that were brought to life through traditional craftsmanship. The fabrics were hand-dyed in Jaipur and stitched in Delhi by her talented team. It was incredible to see an idea evolve from sketch to finished collection, supported by artisans who have perfected their craft over generations.

With more than 30 years of experience across India and the Middle East, Sonali is a fashion designer, entrepreneur, educator and consultant. Her slow fashion brand, SR by Sonali Raman, was created from a desire to make ethically sourced and sustainable products, reimagining India’s traditional fabrics and crafts in a contemporary way.

Supporting women is at the heart of what she does. Through her work with women artisans, weavers and embroiderers across India, she helps create opportunities while preserving traditional craftsmanship.

Like many small businesses, Sonali has had to navigate changing customer sentiment, rising costs and supply chain challenges. Her response has been thoughtful: slow down, adapt and continue creating with purpose.

What struck me most is her belief in the importance of community. Visibility, collaboration, customer loyalty and simply showing up for one another can make all the difference for small businesses.

Here’s to the women building through change.

What’s your story?

31/05/2026

Some projects need to brew a little longer than others.

Women on the Move was born years ago in Qatar, through countless conversations with women from all over the world. Women who arrived with dreams, hopes, uncertainty, ambition, courage. Women who pivoted careers, started businesses, rebuilt themselves, found friendships, and shaped entirely new lives far away from home.

For years, I kept thinking: these stories that I started sharing through my different community series deserve to be captured in a book.

As many of you know, I’m endlessly curious when it comes to people and their journeys. Listening to women’s stories has always been one of my favourite things about building my Where Women Connect community.

But life happened. Business happened. Family happened. And this project stayed quietly brewing in the background.

Then there is . My dear friend, brilliant photographer, and my creative partner in crime in this book project. She has brought my community, my brand and vision to life through her lens for years, and now she is doing the same for the incredible women who will be sharing their story.

We were finally ready for the photoshoot in March and then the situation in the Middle East changed, forcing us to postpone everything. But last week, it finally happened.

We created a walk-in photoshoot, and one by one the women walked in smiling, excited, glowing. Women who I’ve known for many years, and who are very dear to me. The energy in the room was so special. We were all beaming.

And suddenly, this idea that had lived in my head and heart for years became real. Tears of joy ran down my cheeks, again!

Now behind the scenes, we’re passionately bringing it all together. Writing our stories, choosing portraits, editing pages filled with resilience, reinvention, friendship, courage, and the power of the right connections in the right room.

After the summer, Women on the Move will finally come into the world. And I truly cannot wait for you to read these stories, brought to life through the most beautiful portraits. Stay tuned!

06/05/2026

With everything shifting, and a fair bit of chaos, I’ve decided to at least bring some proper structure into my business.

In 2011, I left corporate and jumped into entrepreneurship. I was so excited. But organised? Not even close! Because when you leave corporate, you don’t just leave your monthly salary behind, you also leave behind beautifully connected systems, processes, and dashboards that just work.

Suddenly, it’s just you. And your ideas. Lots of ideas.

When we started our recruitment company Global Women Qatar, we ran everything on Google Docs. It worked, until it didn’t. So we upgraded to proper recruitment software, which helped us grow. But structure? Real planning? Still no.

Same story with my shoe brand (hello Excel!), and my community (a mix of everything, everywhere, all at once).

Over the past 15 years, it’s been a whirlwind of businesses, ideas, tools, apps, and a mind that never sits still. I’ve tried to get organised many times. It never quite stuck.

And then, ! She found my community, came to events (the ones I wasn’t at!), joined my world quietly, until we started talking two weeks ago.

She saw it all: the ideas, the gaps, the chaos, the potential. Clémence is your strategic right hand. She’s helping you bring everything together: systems, structure, flow.

All of this, just as I’m preparing for my community membership launch and continuing to build my hub in Doha, with Luxembourg on the horizon.

Reading her audit of my business felt like someone finally turning the lights on in a room I’d been navigating in the dark for years. For the first time in a long time, I feel genuinely calm. Clear. Ready.
Like I’m finally moving, but on tracks. And we move fast!

I’m curious, do you have your systems and structure sorted, or are you also running on organised chaos. Tell me!

Photo by my beautiful friend & photographer

28/04/2026

What’s really happening behind the scenes of a woman’s life and career?

Over the years, I’ve been running different series, taking a closer look at what women in our community are really building, navigating, and figuring out across life, career, and business.

Today meet Marcelia Bou Chebl, an image strategist based in Qatar.
“I work mostly with women, and also with men, helping them approach their image in a more intentional and personal way. My work goes beyond clothing, focusing on how image connects to each person’s lifestyle, their roles, and how they want to be perceived in their everyday life.”

Since the unsettling situation, the biggest shift for me has been more internal than external. I chose to slow down how I was positioning my work. Not because I stopped working, but because the moment required more awareness.

Behind the scenes, I continued supporting my clients. Some things slowed down, others came through referrals more organically. It made me reflect on timing, communication, and the responsibility behind how I guide people through their image.

A decision that made a difference was choosing not to force visibility. I stayed aligned, even if that meant being quieter. That gave me clarity.

The most challenging part has been not reacting out of pressure. Learning to respect the moment instead of reacting to it.

I simplified everything. Focused on my routine, my family, and the work already in my hands. Going slower wasn’t a problem, it was necessary.

Right now, what feels most valuable is genuine connection. Sometimes support is simple, a message, a referral, or sharing someone’s work. I support through my work, helping people find clarity in how they show up. This is a moment where collaboration becomes even more meaningful.

A huge thank you Marcelia, for giving us a peek behind your scenes and how you’ve kept building through change.

What has change looked like for you recently? I’d love to hear!

20/04/2026

The most confusing part? It’s not the move. It’s your career. Because every time you change countries, you don’t just ask what’s next but you ask what actually comes with you.

My Lisbon chapter has been a transition. A more private one. Where I focused on family, especially my children with my husband on the other side of the world. On personal growth. On the kind of inner work that doesn’t show, but changes everything. Not every chapter is meant for full expansion. Some are there to realign you.

I did build here: events, connections, bringing women together. But as life shifted, the building became quieter. Smaller circles, closer connections, more depth. And those rooms? They mattered just as much! I met incredible women here too who became close friends, supporting me in life, in professional development, and in still moving things forward, even when it wasn’t loud.

The foundation of what I build, was built in Doha. My women’s community Where Women Connect. That’s what I’m taking forward. This next step isn’t about starting over. It’s about expanding, and continuing to build what already exists in Doha, while stepping into a new market and building again in a completely different environment. On the same foundation, in a different context.

And alongside that I’ll be continuing to grow my recruitment work, connecting women to opportunities. Not just through roles, but through the right introductions, networks, and conversations. Work that has always been built on relationships, on understanding female talent beyond CVs, and placing them where they can actually thrive.

Meaning that I don’t start from zero. I’ll build from experience and from a network that already exists. I’ll adapt and grow again, but differently. In two places now: Doha and Luxembourg.

The real shift isn’t “what do I do next?” It’s knowing exactly what you stand for and building it wherever you go.

I’d love to hear from you, what’s one thing you’ve built that you’d take with you anywhere!

Photo by my amazing friend

🇶🇦 🇱🇺

15/04/2026

Today marks my last 3 months in Lisbon. On the other side Luxembourg is waiting.

Since taking the decision to make this move my world has descended into chaos, again. Wrapping up one chapter, getting ready for the next. Story of my life 🫣

My head hurts, my body aches, my heart cries, but is also full of dreams.

It’s that messy in-between where everything moves fast, but slow at the same time. Where things don’t always go how you want them to go, where you change direction a few times, where you manage each other’s feelings to make sure everyone is happy. And where you grow a few more grey hairs!

But I’m ready. Ready to take on this next chapter, between Luxembourg and Doha.

Now I’m curious, as always! What does that messy part look like for you? Share in the comments! With much love, Elsbeth xx

Where Women Connect

04/09/2026

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25/06/2026

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