Joost de Valk is an internet entrepreneur from the Netherlands. He is married to Marieke, and together they have four children. The family resides in Wijchen, the Netherlands
Joost is the founder of Yoast, a prominent name in digital marketing and WordPress. Marieke was Yoast’s co-founder and took over as CEO from January 2019 until they sold the company to Newfold Digital in 2021.
Through their investment company, Emilia Capital, Joost and Marieke support businesses operating in the digital space, often focusing on WordPress-related ventures. Joost serves on the boards of companies like PatchStack and Atarim and is also involved in their own projects, such as the recent launch of Progress Planner.
Joost founded Yoast in 2010, after years of experience as a digital marketing consultant for several companies. His career includes work on major SEO projects, including the high-profile site migration of the Guardian from .co.uk to theguardian.com.
Outside of work, Joost dedicates time to coaching youth soccer at AWC, where he also holds a board position. When on holiday, he and Marieke enjoy spending time at their vacation home in Tuscany or traveling to other destinations around the globe.