Jan Willem Hengeveld is a highly-educated and passionate educator with a diverse background in education and policy. He began his journey in education as a student of Gymnasium, Natuur & Techniek at Passie Scholengemeenschap Utrecht, and later went on to earn his Bachelor of Science in Academische Lerarenopleiding Primair Onderwijs at Universiteit Utrecht. After teaching in a variety of settings, including justitiële inrichting, the special education system, and innovative schools, he pursued further education, earning his Master of Science in Onderwijspedagogiek from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. It was during this time that he began to take on leadership roles within organizations such as the Algemene Onderwijsbond, serving as the chairman of the youth branch.

Currently, Hengeveld works as a policy officer at the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science. He sees his mission as building bridges between different groups involved in education, including policy makers, school administrators, teachers, and students. By bringing these groups together, he hopes to contribute to the development of better education systems across the Netherlands.