The People Behind the NEI Institute
The NEI Institute was founded by Dr. Nina Belei together with entrepreneur Nils Gerlant Veenstra. Their collaboration brings together scientific research, systemic methodology, and long-term ecosystem building.
The Institute was created to establish Neuro-Emotional Integration as a recognized and well-understood approach across Europe — and to provide the intellectual and professional infrastructure needed for the field to develop responsibly.
Together they combine academic rigor, practical methodology, and entrepreneurial experience to build something designed not only for today, but for the decades ahead.
Dr. Nina Belei
Dr. Nina Belei is the founder of the NEI Institute, a researcher and practitioner working at the intersection of behavioral science, neuro-emotional integration, systemic intelligence, and identity architecture.
With a PhD in Marketing and decision-making, her work focuses on how internal systems shape identity development, decision-making capacity, and leadership presence.
She is the originator of Systemic Performance Architecture — a high-precision methodology designed to enable internal systems to release structural blockages that restrict human potential.
Her primary private work is delivered through drninabelei.com, where she works with a small number of executives, founders, performers, and high-responsibility professionals in long-term, high-commitment trajectories. This work is designed for individuals whose external success has outpaced the capacity of their internal system.
Alongside her systemic work, Nina is also the founder of the Mekigai Leadership Academy, where she integrates dog-assisted methodology as a direct feedback mechanism within leadership development. Working with highly attuned co-coaches, she enables leaders to access immediate, non-cognitive feedback — making patterns in presence, clarity, and internal alignment visible in real time.
Through both her private work and the NEI Institute, she contributes to a broader shift toward deeper human system literacy, more precise emotional work, and a stronger internal foundation for leadership, performance, and life.
Her doctoral research was recognized with the Emerald/EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Award by the European Journal of Marketing.
Nina works internationally across Europe and offers her work in native German, English, and Dutch.
Nils Gerlant Veenstra
Nils Gerlant Veenstra is a Dutch-American entrepreneur who has built technology companies across multiple waves of digital innovation — from the early Dot-Com era through Web 2.0 and Web3.
He recently co-founded a physics-based AI company in Virginia, USA, focused on enumerative modeling approaches. Nils resides on the Balearic Islands in Spain.
Beyond technology ventures, Nils has extensive experience building international ecosystems, trade organizations, and industry alliances, including IMMA (with Steering Group members including The World Bank, Amnesty International, UEFA, GRAMMYs, UNESCO, and the CIO of the UK government), BECON (with events on six continents), and the Data-Driven Marketing Alliance (with Founding Partners such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Google, Hubspot, Oracle and the European Association for Communication Agencies).
At the NEI Institute, Nils is using this background in entrepreneurial strategy and ecosystem development to build bridges across disciplines, geographical locations and healthcare stakeholders, ultimately for the benefit of the public as a whole.