I have met Dr. Carl Rohde at several conferences where we were both keynote speakers. I greatly respect his abilities as a speaker, thought leader, teacher and researcher. Carl demonstrates a rare combination of academic depth and sharp practical business insights. His work on future forecasting hunts for the fitness industry with several universities in the world is exceptional. The results are always sharp, surprising, and sometimes provocative but always based on sound & solid research. I hope to continue collaborating with Carl, deepening our bond in the decades ahead.

I know Carl Rohde for over a decade. It was a privilege to appoint him as professor 'Future Forecasting & Innovation' during the time I was the managing director of the Academy for Creative Industries (ACI) – part of Fontys University, the Netherlands. Within ACI, Rohde led our research programs with great dedication and solid scientific knowledge. The International Cool Hunt was an important part of these research programs. I remember exciting Cool Hunt travels with Rohde to South Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines. The students' and teachers’ enthusiasm for the innovative research methods of Cool Hunt was convincing and groundbreaking. This also allowed ACI to profile itself further at the highest international academic level. I can highly recommend collaborating with prof. dr. Carl Rohde and his international endeavors.

In recent years I commissioned as head of European Center for Ceramics, the Netherlands, together with the Department of Design at the University of Derby (UK), Royal Crown Derby and the business community of luxury ceramics of Arita, Japan, an international Cool Ceramics Hunt by professor Carl Rohde and his team. We’ve researched and predicted broad societal trends, impactful for the future of ceramics, in Japan, China, North of Europe and the UK. All together about 200 Cool Ceramics Hunters were involved. Rohde has an excellent reputation as future forecaster and innovation initiator. The International Cool Ceramics Hunt was a success as expected. It mixes provocatively relevant insights with very solid research foundations. I use its outcomes up to the recent days, will continue to do so in the future and look forward to continuous collaboration.