Body Signals Academy won the title in the Starter category during the 2025-2026 Enterprise of the Year election . According to the expert jury, the young company stands out with a strong and scalable concept: practical trainings and lectures on body language, aimed at professionals and teams in a variety of work fields.
The company was founded in the middle of last year by Ashwin Taneja, who has been studying non-verbal communication for over 14 years. "I find it fascinating how much people actually say - without saying it," says Taneja. At the time of its inception, he was still working in salaried employment, but that role began to suit him less and less. "I was good at what I did, but I didn't enjoy it as much. I missed the freedom of being allowed to make my own decisions."
Unexpected step
The move into entrepreneurship also came as a surprise to those close to him. "I flipped open my laptop and said: I am going to give training courses in body language from now on. My wife said: 'You didn't tell me that.' I said: I know that, I'm just making that up." A post on LinkedIn generated a lot of response almost immediately, after which the first requests quickly came in.
Strengthen communication
With Body Signals Academy, Taneja targets professionals who want to deepen their communication by paying attention to what happens beyond words. According to him, there lies a crucial key to better interaction. "We only communicate about 30% with our words. Giving colour to a message we do with intonation and body language. If you really want to understand what is going on, you have to learn to read that 70% as well."
Video analyses and role plays
The trainings usually cover a half-day session and combine theoretical explanation with practical application. Participants learn to recognise signals all over the body, from facial expression and posture to hand movements and the position of the feet. "The further from your brain, the more honest you are. Your feet often betray where your thoughts are," Taneja explains. Practical examples are discussed through video analysis, followed by role-plays practising recognisable work situations.
Tailor-made trainings
When organisations work with specific challenges, trainings are tailored to the client's context. During an intake, Taneja identifies the issues and goals, after which the content is tailored to the daily practice. "A sales manager has different needs than a teacher. I always focus that practical piece on one's own practice."
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