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Who is who
Who is who?
Throughout the week, you will encounter many experts across disciplines and with backgrounds in practice, academia and combinations. They are all at your service to make your business idea better. In alphabetical order, we are proud to already announce the following names:
Louise Andrews is academy facilitator at the Innovation Academy of Trinity College, Dublin. She coaches, manages and supports PhD entrepreneurs in multidisciplinary projects. Having a background in Applied Chemistry, she later developed a fascination and strong expertise in marketing in new product development in small and medium-sized enterprises. She has professional experience in strategic business and marketing in Life Sciences, Technology and Education sectors.
Together with Ruth Kearney, Louise will treat you to a creative entrepreneurial marketing session to learn how to think out of the ordinary.
Barry McMahon has seen it all from medical device development to sales. He is an entrepreneur, inventor, lecturer, Chief of Medical Physics & Clinical Engineering at Tallaght Hospital, and course co-director at the Innovation Academy, Trinity College, Ireland. It is his ambition to positively impact human health by leading multidisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals in projects with practical applications. Medical device innovation is his specialty.
Barry will take a seat in the panel and will judge the pitches at the end of the week. He will provide you with useful feedback and critical questions.
Aard Groen has developed numerous business support programs that helped establish and grow hundreds of technology-based firms. The latest, most prominent program is VentureLab International. His track record did to go unnoticed, as Aard is regularly asked to advice national and foreign business development organizations. As the director of the Netherlands Institute for Knowledge Intensive Entrepreneurship (NIKOS), he also leads educational and research programs on innovation and entrepreneurship.
Aard will provide you with all the ins and outs of the entrepreneurial process. As a panel member, he will also judge your business idea at the end of the week.
Nico Höfte is business development manager at the company Power-Packer Europa B.V. Power-Packer primarily develops and manufactures (electro) hydraulic actuation systems for the global automotive, truck, marine, agriculture and medical markets. Examples are actuation systems that are used in convertible roof tops of roadsters in the automotive industry and cab tilt systems for truck OEM’s. Power-Packer is global market leader in these segments.
Within Power-Packer the Growth & Innovation department is constantly looking for new growth opportunities and innovations, especially in emerging markets and new vertical markets. As a business developer, Nico is responsible for the ideation and definition of new solution/market combinations, balancing the idea funnel portfolio, and defining the go-to-market strategy of new solutions.
Nico and his colleagues will welcome you at the company premises. They will provide a tour and explain how to go from business idea to first prototype. As a bonus, Nico and his colleagues will organize a brainstorm session on a real challenge.
Ruth Kearney is the business development manager at the Innovation Academy of Trinity College, Dublin. She coaches, mentors and supports PhD entrepreneurs on multi-disciplinary projects. She has extensive experience in traditional and online marketing with leading organisations in Ireland and Australia. Ruth is especially strong rebranding and the creation of brand identities from scratch, and has worked for some of Ireland’s best known brands.
Together with Louise Andrews, Ruth will treat you to a creative entrepreneurial marketing session to learn how to think out of the ordinary.
Björn Kijl has extensive experience in Business modelling, especially in the context of IT companies. He is the founding partner of a business model & investment research boutique that serves tens of thousands of private and professional investors, and actively developing IT businesses in the European community EIT-ICT Labs. Furthermore, he is co-author of the first Dutch bestseller about the famous investor Warren Buffet, and used to be a consultant at eMAXX. On top of that, he remains active in business model research.
Björn will actively assist you in designing and improving your business model.
Henk Kroon makes financial management interesting. Boring numbers and ratios come to life after one lecture of Henk. Being an entrepreneur himself, he knows what he is talking about from all angles.
Henk will teach you the essentials of financial management in entrepreneurial context.
Louk Mendels is an entrepreneur to the core. He was the president of Mendels Cartonnage and responsible for its growth from 3 to 75 employees. As one of the first companies in the Netherlands, Mendels introduced Just In Time delivery, and he was responsible for the development of new business opportunities for years. After that, he used his experience to provide industrial consultancy, and to perform interim management in companies with innovation and growth challenges. Currently, Louk belongs to PUM Netherlands senior experts. In this role, he advises production companies in emerging countries, such as Nepal, India, Russia, Sudan and Turkey.
Louk will take a seat in the panel at the end of the week, will judge your business idea, and will provide you with useful feedback.
Pim Paffen is partner at the CompetenceDevelopmentCenter. Being a social- and organizational psychologist, he delivers hands-on and applicable trainings on employee and organizational psychology. Pim is specialized in career management, management development, leadership, coaching and stress and publishes on these themes on a regular basis.
Are you an entrepreneur or a manager? What is the difference and what does it mean for the composition of your team? Pim will give the answers.
Nico Schraag is an extensively experienced communication, sales and management trainer. He has trained and advised professionals in media, government and even members of the Royal Family. His interactive approach enables people to get outside their comfort zones and learn by doing.
Nico will prepare you thoroughly for your final pitch.
Jaap van Tilburg has accumulated almost 30 years of experience in entrepreneurial coaching, especially in start-ups. In fact, he is an entrepreneur himself. From his company Van Tilburg Innovation, he and his staff have advised companies, knowledge institutions and governments in the EU, Turkey, Latin America and Curaçao on their innovation activities. Jaap is also the programme manager of VentureLab International and board member of Top Spin International. Previous board activities were in Technology Circle Twente and the Entrepreneurs’ Association Business & Science Park Enschede.
Jaap will help you to generate the best applications for your idea.
Mariska Roersen establishes and manages relations and projects with mainly international companies and universities. She has organized various summer schools and is involved in marketing and international management education.
During and before the summer school, Mariska will be your host and contact person. M.J.Roersen@utwente.nl
