Category: News

It’s April 2021 and we are working digitally for over a year already. It’s not always easy to find a routine in your day at the home office. In this list, we offer you some tips to make your digital working day as comfortable as possible.

1. Communication: ‘’you’re still muted’’

Where previously communication and decision-making was fast and easy while being together at the office, it now requires more effort to reach out to your team in order to discuss a topic. There are however tools to facilitate fast and efficient communication. The first one is the most traditional and old-fashioned one you can think of: it’s called the phone.

In The Netherlands, there is a good reason for saying ‘’De beller is sneller’’, so pick up that phone if you need something from your teammates or business partner or simply want to have a chitchat to kick start the day. Other beneficial channels are for example Slack, Whatsapp for Business, Microsoft Teams or Zoom.

2. Work/Life Balance: prioritize and realize that things can wait

These times it remains a hot topic: how to establish a healthy work/life balance? Firstly, it requires a little bit of your own effort to close your laptop after a busy day and leave it until the next morning. However, we can imagine that working and living in the same place could make that difficult. Try to remember that not every mail, message or task needs to be completed the same day. You could apply the simple ABC Method to prioritize your jobs and get more grip on your work day.

3. Take a walk they say, it will be good for you, they say

We know a lot of you can’t stand to hear it anymore: take a walk and exercise. Guess what? It is true… When you start your day with a stroll around your house, you feel more energized for the rest of the day. Another thing you can do is to schedule your meetings in combination with a walk. Next to some exercise, you get the opportunity to meet your colleague in real life. And last but not least, to vitalize your body, try to do your work in standing position occasionally. It gives you more freedom to move which results indirectly in higher productivity and creativity. Don’t have the money to buy such an expensive desk? No worries, because with Stand Up Box you can simply create your own standing desk.

4. Distraction is annoying

There is always more work to do than we anticipate beforehand. Distraction by communication channels such as Outlook, Whatsapp or Slack disturbs your concentration and withholds you from ‘’getting things done’’. It’s recommended to go digitally ‘’offline’’ now and then to focus on the job that needs to be done. Only look at your mail twice a day for half an hour or simply turn off the notifications for a while until you finish your work.

By Rob Groenendaal – Business Coach

“A few years ago, in the summer of 2018, we organised the IMPROVE programme for the first time. Not in the exact same way that we are currently running it, but we organized a summer school ‘’crash course’’ edition. This summer school was basically our first pilot and we learned a lot. In this article, I would like to tell you what happened during this pilot and how I discovered the most important trait to have as an entrepreneur.

The one word that defines your why
One of the topics we addressed at the start of the course (and still do) is Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle, a.k.a. Find your Why. The Golden Circle is a great tool to find that one important word on which your whole startup is founded. As the why of startups is often very personal (you are the startup, the startup is you), it is also a great method to trigger people to open up about their true motivation behind the wish of becoming an entrepreneur. During that specific summer school edition, I had a chat with starting entrepreneurs about their why and one of the answers I received still triggers me to this day: “We want to make as much money as possible and become rich!”.

Can money be a motivator?

It was a very interesting response and not quite what I expected. But there is some truth in it: money does play a key role in our society and if you want to become a successful entrepreneur, you will definitely need a business model in which revenue exceeds costs. For most of us, this is a desired result. But this person actually said that money was their why. Can money ever be your true why? The reason you wanted to become an entrepreneur?

My simple answer

No, I believe money can never be the why of an innovative startup. Because if earning a lot of money really was your true heart’s desire, you would not start your own company. There are easier ways to earn money than entrepreneurship. I know far more poor entrepreneurs than rich entrepreneurs, to be honest. But most starting entrepreneurs are only ‘poor’ when it comes to money, because they are very rich in another sense. That is because they have the single most important trait you can have as an entrepreneur: passion! They are not in it for the money, but they are starting their business out of passion. A key element for success! And when it comes to passion, the opposite is true: I know far more entrepreneurs rich in passion than poor in passion.  

The “truth” about passion

If you want to start an innovative company, you either want to create something that isn’t there yet or improve an existing product, service or process. Additionally, you probably want to make a difference and maybe even create societal impact with your startup. If this is the vision you have for your startup, then passion is a must! Without it, your entrepreneurial journey will be difficult and your chances of success are low. I will explain why:

Passion stimulates your intrinsic motivation. And let’s be honest, you will need a lot of that when you are setting up a business from scratch.

Passion will help you overcome your screw ups. Yes, you read that correctly, you will inevitably screw up. Not once, not twice, but many times. That is how you learn and improve. Screw ups are necessary, however that doesn’t mean you like them. Passion is needed to accept and overcome them. It helps you to acknowledge the positive side of failure and to use it to your advantage.

Passion will be that unique thing other people notice. Whether you are trying to convince a partner to cooperate, an investor to invest, or a Mercator Launch business coach to let you participate in an IMPROVE track. Passion is part of the decision more often than you might think.

Passion will drive you to persevere, when it is time to persevere. Starting up is dealing with a lot of risks and assumptions. Everything is mostly unclear and pivots are just around the corner. However, sometimes you just need stick to what you believe, keep going and dig even further. Passion is needed the most in these situations.

Passion is the clickbait for customers. Let’s be honest, why do customers choose to do business with your startup? Because of your buggy prototype? Your basic knowledge of the problems your customer is facing every day? Your assumed Value Proposition? Of course, all of the above. You know what else?

The level of . . . . . . . of the entrepreneur.

Want to unleash your entrepreneurial passion into the world?

Contact us

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This month is all about passion. Passion can be extremely powerful, whether it is your own or someone else’s. Nothing is more inspiring and infectious than hearing an entrepreneur talk about their company with unbridled enthusiasm and determination. That is exactly the kind of inspiration we have got for you today: quotes from our passionate entrepreneurs about starting your own business! We have gathered the best tips from our IMPROVE-alumni, based on their own experiences. Are you ready for a healthy dose of inspiration? Here we go.

1. “If you have an idea, make a plan and make your idea better by testing, testing and then some more… testing!” – Van Eigen Deeg
2. “Challenge yourself to learn and develop a little more every day. Where you start is probably not where you will end up anyway.” – Tolooba
3. “Dare to try new things, even if you’re unsure if they will really work. You learn from your failures. Work on something with added social value. Because if you have that, you have the potential to create a successful business and make the world a better place!” – Soluxa
4. “Your first business idea will probably not work out exactly as you planned it. And maybe not even your second or third idea either. It’s important to keep in mind that it’s not about what you want to do, but about why you want to do it.” – Displac3D
5. “Be proud of your idea, but also be aware. Even if your idea seems great, it will never be a guarantee for success. Keep close contact with Mercator Launch and grab a coffee time to time with your network, to keep yourself on the learning track.” – Pixelstad
6.  “Do something you really like and see how far you get. If you don’t like what you do, you won’t get very far. And if you don’t try, that’s a real shame!”- AeroCount
7. “Only start a company out of passion. And ask yourself regularly if this still holds true.” – LABM8
8. “Just go for it! If you have an idea, don’t hesitate to try and make it work.” – Gelijkspel
9. “Let other entrepreneurs inspire you and learn from each other.” – Ji Shin Martial Arts
10. “Do what you believe in, work passionately and be patient!” – Crowdience

Well, if these quotes didn’t inspire you to start your own business, we don’t know what will. Do you already have a great idea? Are you ready for the next step? Sign up for our next Discovery Track that starts in April.

Apply here!

First, let me introduce myself: my name is Aline Oosterhof and I am an independent contractor in the field of Marketing and Communications. One of my main (and favorite) projects is working in the Mercator Launch Marketing Team.

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“It’s 7.00 AM when my alarm goes off. I jump out of bed and get into gear. My running gear that is. To energise myself (and others) during the day I need a good kickstart every morning.

Some days, that kickstart consists of a short walk before I crawl behind my laptop and other times it’s a good cup of coffee while watching my favorite show… today it’s running! 😊

After my run I feel the adrenaline flowing and I’m ready to start my day. Today is going to be a very special day: I’m giving the ‘Promote your startup’ Marketing Masterclass to some of the Mercator Launch IMPROVE-alumni.

So, after I’ve had my coffee and some yoghurt, I start my workday by reviewing my Masterclass one last time and I check whether I estimated sufficient time for every part of the workshop. I make one small adjustment and decide to leave it at that. I’m 100% ready for this afternoon!

Then it’s time for our weekly marketing meeting where we discuss our content calendar, important news and events that are coming up that need our attention. This week is packed with putting out interesting content AND the organisation of the Innovation Competition. Everything’s on track and we talk about the content we have lined up for next month.

During the marketing meeting, we briefly touch on the subject of Growth Hacking, one of our experimental marketing projects. After our meeting, I check the performance statistics of our latest LinkedIn campaign out of curiosity and I’m very pleased with the results. Our LinkedIn campaign is part of one of our Growth Hacking experiments that really seems to be paying off. Every two weeks, we carry out one or two really ‘out-of-the-box’ marketing experiments for little to no costs to decide if that’s an effective way of doing marketing for us. It’s a very interesting and fun way to find out what works for your company. A great tip for startups to ‘hack’ your way to success! (Check out this book on Growth Hacking!)

Now it’s time for lunch and a quick walk outside with my ‘Ommetje’ app before I’m cooped inside for the rest of the day!

At 12.45 PM I go into my Masterclass Zoom session and make sure my camera angle is good. I’m always a bit nervous before I have to talk to a group, but after the first minute my anxiety makes way for a rush of energy. I’m connecting to people and helping them build their companies by teaching them a thing or two about marketing. All the participants are really involved and passionate about their startups. There’s a great vibe during the entire Masterclass and everyone is sharing their stories and complimenting each other on their ideas and pitches. After an exhilarating three hours I shut down my computer. That went well! It feels really good to be able to share my knowledge about the subject with others and help them grow their business with marketing!

I quickly call my colleague to debrief and decide to call it a day. I go outside for another walk and process the Masterclass. What went well? What could I do better next time? With a smile on my face, I think: you never know what another day working for Mercator Launch will bring, but one thing is for sure – it’s always inspiring!”

Do you have a question for Aline?

Blog by Robi Janssen

In modern industries, compared to 20 years ago, the development of new ideas and start-ups is accelerating as fast as ever. As a starting entrepreneur, you have to be able to anticipate and adapt to the market in order to become successful. In order to stay ahead of the competition, it is necessary to apply a different way of product development; focus on your customer instead of your product. This way of product development is called the Lean Method. With this method, you establish a business idea by making use of validated learning. You will have conversations with your customers in order to find out what problems they encounter and you adjust your products according to their customer needs.

The past few months I have applied the Lean method to my own business idea: I validated my idea for ‘Esportslokaal’. Entrepreneurship always begins with a passion. Something you love and something you would like to earn your money with when you’re older. Because let’s be honest: you don’t want to do something you don’t like for the rest of your (working) life.

My passion is esports: the competitive playing of online videogames. My business idea was to organize esports tournaments at local football clubs around Venlo. This is my response to the declining membership numbers, resulting in the financial problems that the local football associations are experiencing. Furthermore, I also discovered a big desire for esports events in the region.

I thought I’d hit the jackpot with this idea, so I enthusiastically began working on my Lean Canvas model on the basis of my own assumptions. But after completing one building block, the first questions arose: do the problems that I want to solve with my idea actually exist in this region? What is my target audience that would want to participate in this competition? What is my Unique Selling Point? How am I going to reach my target audience? How am I going to make profit from this idea?

All these questions are vital when starting a business. Of course I can start a nice and fun esports competition with ‘Esportslokaal’, but if I can’t answer these basic business questions, ‘Esportslokaal’ is doomed to fail as a viable company in the future

By executing problem and solution interviews, I talked to 24 different potential customers. Among them were two esports experts and one expert in local football clubs. They helped me get the answers to the questions I’ve mentioned above. I did this to gather as much information as possible to help me create and develop my business in a validated way.

All the information I gathered during these interviews was essential to ‘Esportslokaal’. During the interviews, it turned out that the problems I wanted to solve were actually present in the region, but I was wrong about who my target audience actually was. I thought Esportslokaal would be perfect for 20 to 34-year olds, but it turned out that 11 to 20 year olds were way more interested in esports tournaments. The interviews also made clear that my target group prefers long-term relationships with companies and products, rather than short and fleeting ones. This fact ensured me that a certain revenue model needed to be chosen that aligned with this need. So, I decided on a subscription revenue model. Moreover, simple things such as what social media platforms I should use to reach the target audience appeared to be different than expected. Not Facebook, but Instagram and Snapchat seemed to be the platforms on which my target audience is very active.

As you can probably imagine, I had to adjust numerous assumptions by virtue of the information I received from my target audience. This doesn’t mean that my business idea was bad, it just means that my assumptions about my customers’ needs were wrong. My validation process turned out to be an opportunity to transform my idea into the perfect product for my customer. As a result, I will not only host online competitions at local football clubs, but I will organize live local esports events in the region as well.

Using the Lean method as a way of validating my business idea is perfectly consistent with the business programs they offer at Mercator Launch, where I work as a graduate intern. Mercator Launch recommends starting entrepreneurs, like me, to start conversations with potential customers in order to develop an added-value product or service.

Mercator Launch also recommends using certain models that I used myself throughout my research. The Value Proposition Canvas is a very useful tool to study your customer’s problem and develop your Unique Selling Points. Another great model is the Business Model Canvas, which I will start using myself in order to work out my business idea in further detail. For me, being able to do my internship here, is a business match made in heaven!

Do you have a passion and do you want to start your own business? And do you want to know more about the validation process or about Esportslokaal? 

Contact us

1. What problems are you solving?

We connect international students and graduates with local companies to enhance the integration of the internationals in Dutch society.

 2. What drives you to provide this service?

All members of our team have experience studying abroad or being an international student in the Netherlands. From personal experience, we know how hard it can be to find your place in a new city. However, we also know the drive and potential of international students. That’s why we want to push them in the right direction!

 3. How did Mercator Launch help you?

Mercator Launch really helped us with their feedback on our general business plan during the Discovery track and Venture track, but also customised feedback on our business proposal for funding (i.e. GV voucher). We eventually got the funding and now we have been able to professionalize our marketing activities and attract our first customers.

As starting entrepreneurs we did not know the importance of networking and having the right connections yet. With the help of Mercator Launch we got in contact with key decision makers in the region, such as the Rector Magnificus of the Radboud Univeristy, Han van Krieken!

Last but not least, the guest lectures of OostNL and Rabobank gave practical tools and insights.  

 4. What are the future plans for International Students Work?

We have so many energetic ideas and plans. But for now we focus on getting more students and companies in the region Arnhem-Nijmegen on board to validate our business case.

 5. What do you need to make this happen?

Stronger collaborations with both universities and local companies.

 6. If you can give one piece of advice to future entrepreneurs, what would it be?

Don’t be afraid to share your business plans and challenges you face. It’s not just your own network but the network of others that will bring you closer to a well running business.

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Join the IMPROVE programme yourself!

In our series “Catching up with …”, we catch up with former IMPROVERS to see how they are doing and what they are working on!

Stephanie and Mbali are IMPROVE alumni. We’re curious to find out what they’re up to these days at Expectalent. Expectalent is a socially innovative company that supports internationals to connect, integrate and find access to local opportunities.

How did you come up with the idea for Expectalent?
Stephanie: “Four years ago, I moved from Ghana to The Netherlands to study here. After I graduated, I found out that it is difficult to find a job in the Netherlands as an international. I was very lucky to get a job in a small international company. However, it definitely wasn’t my dream job.

A lot of my friends left Nijmegen after graduation and I found myself feeling somewhat lonely. So, I told my friends that I had the idea to start an African organisation in Nijmegen, to find social connections and local communities. On an intercultural night, I met my co-founder Mbali Mbuyisa. She is from South Africa and experienced the same problem I did, namely that she couldn’t find any other African students in Nijmegen to connect with, even though we both knew they were there. We told several local citizens about the problems we encounter and our idea to create an African organisation. The reaction was quite shocking: they were under the impression that there was already a lot in place for us as internationals. That’s when the idea for Expectalent was born: we create a big community where internationals can connect with locals and local industries.

We got in touch with Mercator Launch and decided to apply for the IMPROVE programme. We have learned how to validate our idea. The programme really motivated us to become more active in writing proposals, pursuing projects and basically ‘selling’ our product. We talked to Radboud University and the Municipality of Nijmegen and they were really excited to get involved.”

What are you currently working on?
“Right now, we’re working on two research projects together with the Lindenberg and Stadsschouwburg Nijmegen. We’re looking into how inclusive they are and how open these organisations are to everyone. The Lindenberg asked us if we could help them reach more international people in Nijmegen. More often than not, the intention within organisations is good and they do want to include more people, they just don’t know where to start. Next to our research projects, we’re working on projects for the anti-racism awareness week and education week. For the summer, we’re planning to organise events and even a little festival for international students. We are very happy to have a couple of projects lined up for Expectalent already!”

What challenges did you face over the last year?
“Local organisations are sometimes hesitant to trust us because we’re not Dutch. Additionally, not everyone recognizes what needs to be done about inclusivity. So, we have to keep talking to people. We have made some very good connections that help us get in touch with more local institutions. For instance, Mathijs Buddingh’ of the Municipality of Nijmegen has really helped us a lot.

What is your ultimate goal with Expectalent?
“Our main goal is to not only have an office in Nijmegen, but that we’ll be active in other cities as well. We want to create valuable communities in parts of The Netherlands that currently don’t have a lot in place to facilitate connections between the international and local communities.

What inspires you to do better every day?
“Our motivation is that we don’t want any other international (student) to feel as lonely as we once did. We want people to have good experiences in their host cities and feel that they made the right decision to move there. We want to try to make people feel more at home. It takes a lot for someone to move away from their country and start over on their own. Our ultimate goal is to create an environment where international people feel welcome and included. And that’s what we work hard for every day!”

Want to join the IMPROVE programme yourself?

“The IMPROVE programme is an eye-opening opportunity to learn more about building your business – the true magic of turning random ideas into concrete projects” – IMPROVE programme participant

NOTE: this inspirational story is based on a fictional character, we’ll name him or her ‘you‘ because it could be you. You decided to apply for the IMPROVE programme at Mercator Launch and this is your story.

“I found out that Mercator Launch helps academics and students with the commercialisation of their research results and business ideas. This is why I contacted them. I had an innovative idea and was wondering if I should build a business around it. I met with a Mercator Launch business coach who told me all about the support I could get from them. They can help you with IP checks, office space, network, and funding. It all sounded great, but I was really looking for way to figure out where to start and what to do. Luckily, they could help me with this too!

The flagship of Mercator Launch is the IMPROVE programme. IMPROVE is a one-stop-shop to test your business ideas, build your first prototype, get your first customer and build your founding team. Everything you need to get started or start growing. And the best part is: you don’t have to do it alone! You start the programme with other ‘wantrepreneurs’, so you meet like-minded people to share your highs and lows with.

“Mercator launch guides you through the enormous amount of choices you have to make when starting your own business” – IMPROVE programme participant

Last October, I started the programme with 27 fellow wantrepreneuers. We were grouped together based on which phase our business idea was in. This helped us focus on the different aspects of starting a business that were relevant for us at that time. The business coaches guided us through the 3-month-programme. They organized weekly sessions about certain topics, such as: determining the business value of your idea or product development from a customer perspective. In between the sessions we did research and tested our ideas by talking to potential customers. It was a lot of work, but definitely a great learning experience for me! Sometimes it was stressful to find out something did not work as I thought it was going to. But most of all, it was fun and exciting to see my idea come to life!

The result? Me and my fellow ‘wantrepreneurs’ worked out 19 innovative ideas and turned them into viable business concepts. Together we interviewed more than 125 potential customers and 9 of us already went to the chamber of commerce and launched their business. 7 of us wrote our first business plan. 5 teams even got their first funding.

Next to that, everyone in the Venture Track – the advanced programme -, got their first paying customer or paid pilot. To summarise for the BETA’s among us, this is a 100% score! 😉

Long story short: would I recommend it? Definitely! And so would everyone in my group. Just read the quotes.”

Are you ready to turn your idea into a solution?
Don’t hesitate and sign up for the next IMPROVE programme.

By Dorian Woods, Assistant Professor Strategic Human Resource Management

Team diversity describes teams with unique, diverse members. Usually, this diversity entails differences in gender, race, ethnicity, physical abilities, age, class, sexual orientation, or other social backgrounds. Some differences are immediately recognizable while others might not be noticeable or obvious at first.

Why is team diversity important?

Employees are the most valuable asset of an organization and actively diversifying teams can bring immeasurable advantages to a company. This is because diverse teams are more equipped to find creative solutions when employees with different backgrounds and experiences are involved. Diversity ensures a company’s potential for innovation and its ability to respond to challenges more effectively. In addition, companies with diverse teams are ahead of the game by reflecting the diversification of the general population: this diverse group can provide knowledge for catching future trends and identifying prospective clients.

Good communication and a culture of inclusion

Diverse teams function well in companies that encourage and contribute to creating an inclusive culture. Diversity managers understand this and tap into tools such as anti-biased training or supportive networks and mentoring. Fostering a culture of inclusion creates a working environment where team members can feel that they both belong to a group but at the same time that they are accepted for their uniqueness! This atmosphere helps diverse members effectively listen and learn from one another in order to perform successfully.

A level playing field

Companies that take a responsible social position in the face of wider social inequalities help to create trust within their teams. For example, diverse teams profit from a leveled playing field in decision-making processes, an equal distribution of “good” and “bad” tasks over time, as well as fair and transparent criteria for compensation and promotions. Emotional issues at work related to diversity also need to be dealt with. For example, micro-aggressions against certain minority groups should be named for what they are and deemed unacceptable.

Creating diversity: a good business investment!

Companies and organizations have increasingly focused their attention on team diversity, and with good reason. If managed well, diversity in companies is well worth the effort. Employees are a company’s most valuable resource, so making an effort to think about diversity is crucial. Recruiting talented diverse employees and promoting their ability to work together can move the company to unimaginable heights.

Any questions about team diversity?
Feel free to reach out to me or to the people at Mercator Launch. Always happy to help!

Dr. Dorian Woods, Assistant Professor, Nijmegen School of Management
E-mail:

Team diversity and inclusion are very important for startups and other organisations. These three books will help you expand your knowledge on how to deal with diversity in the workplace and create a happy and well-functioning team.

1. Startup Culture Mindset – Bernhard Schroeder

This book was written for startup founders and executives who aspire to create an amazing team that buys into the company’s mission. The key is to understand that the founder of a startup determines the company’s culture on purpose. And in order to do that well, you have to understand the key elements of a culture framework. Based on twenty years of company creation, leadership, and observation, Bernhard Schroeder shares with you the key elements of a culture framework. [1]

2. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team – Patrick Lencioni

In the Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni shares a story about the fascinating, complex world of teams. A CEO faces the ultimate leadership crisis: she has to unite a team that is currently in such a bad state that it threatens to bring down the entire company. Will she succeed? Will she be fired? Will the company fail? Lencioni’s gripping tale serves as a timeless reminder that leadership requires as much courage as it does insight. In this book, Lencioni reveals the five dysfunctions which go to the very heart of why teams—even the best ones—often struggle. He outlines a powerful model and actionable steps that can be used to overcome these common hurdles and build a cohesive, effective team. [2]

3. The Founders Dilemma – Noam Wasserman

One of the most important decisions entrepreneurs will ever face when starting a company is: should I try doing it alone or bring in a cofounder and investors to help build my business? Finances and relationships are at stake and could suffer. Wasserman’s book examines how early business decisions can make or break your startup and your team. He reveals the common pitfalls founders face and how to avoid them. Should you work with your friends? How do you split equity within your founding team? Important questions that Wasserman deals with in his book. [3]

Looking for another book tip or do you have a question for us?

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[1] https://www.storytel.com/ae/ar/books/1333647-Startup-Culture-Mindset

[2] https://www.bol.com/nl/p/the-five-dysfunctions-of-a-team/1001004001579293/

[3] https://www.bol.com/nl/f/the-founder-s-dilemmas/9200000027496330/

Most mornings, I snooze a couple of times before I get dressed, get a cup of coffee and check the news on my phone. Often, I forget to buy my breakfast at the supermarket, so I have to improvise some alternatives. This morning I’m lucky because I have the right ingredients at home to make banana pancakes!

Today is going to be a big day. The Hero Entrepreneurs event is on the agenda tonight and it’s one of the things I’ve been working on a lot lately. Hero Entrepreneurs is an inspiring event which is organised by Mercator Launch and the Hogeschool Arnhem-Nijmegen (HAN). I’ve got a long day ahead of me, but I’m really excited for the big event tonight!

First thing on my agenda is a meeting with my manager to talk about how things are going and to discuss and prioritize the marketing activities for the week. After this short catch up, it’s already time for my next meeting about the Innovation Competition.The Innovation Competition is a training program for PhDs and postdocs to discover the business potential of their research. During this meeting, we work through the necessary actions and check what communication outreach needs to be prepared.

After the meetings, I check my email and see that one of the speakers has contacted me with some questions about Spacial Chat, the online environment of Hero Entrepreneurs. We agree to meet each other at the test environment and we  discuss if everything works according to our plan. Luckily it does and everything is good to go!

I have a quick lunch and jump into my fourth meeting of the day. I go through the script of Hero Entrepreneurs together with the rest of the organisation. After this last meeting with the organisation, I inform all the participants of the evening (almost 350 tickets have been sold!) with the latest information.

Now it’s time for a longer break. I go outside with a friend to go on a snow walk. We find a great place for sledding. After 20 minutes of fun and snowball fighting I head home, take a quick shower and get ready for the event. I send some last emails, make some calls and get in place (with four screens) to start off and enjoy the event we worked on so hard!

At 23:30, I close my laptop and go to sleep with a smile on my face. It’s been a long, yet very fulfilling day! Curious about Hero Entrepreneurs? Keep an eye on our socials for the aftermovie!

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategist at Radboud University!

The Radboud University Nijmegen is very committed to contributing “to a free and healthy world with equal opportunities for all and to make a significant impact on a regional and an international level.” (Radboud Strategic Plan). This ambition led to the creation of the function ´Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategist´ at the university. In this article, Radboud´s very own DEI Strategist Rona will tell us what her job entails and what her daily worklife looks like.

Rona: “The university embraces ‘diversity of knowledge’ and ‘diversity of people’. Research points to organisational benefits of investing in diverse teams and having an inclusive space for students and staff. We promote a culture of accountability and transparency based on an equity and rights-based framework (DEI framework). It is our mission to create a safe, inclusive and equitable campus society and culture that embraces and embodies diversity and the values of social justice for all while advocating for positive systemic change.”

What is it exactly that you do?

“My role as a DEI-strategist is a difficult job that requires tact, diplomacy and patience but also one that results in a safe, equitable and inclusive space for everyone to work in. So, from the point of view of being an agent of change, it is the best job ever! What is it that I do exactly? My core activities are:

• To facilitate, mentor, stimulate and support all levels of the Radboud organization in order to achieve diversity, equity and inclusion in their teams;
• To stimulate collaboration and help create insightful programmes in order to engage with the themes diversity and inclusion;
• To organise interactive workshops and events about these themes;
• To partner with students, employees and other campus and external networks to facilitate and share informed, respectful assenting as well as dissenting views.”

Why is diversity within startups so important?

“It’s always better to prevent problems within your startup than to cure them. As an entrepreneur, make sure you implement a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion framework in your company. This includes transparent and bias-free practice in recruitment and selection, grading of papers, conducting research, policy development and so forth. By embedding this in your organisation, you are creating an environment where everyone feels they belong and they will work harder to achieve the same organisational goals.
I hope that more organisations recognize that we all have a part to play and stop taking the easy way out. More organisations need to act just, ethical and compliant with human rights standards to help create a better world. Next to changing the world for the better, it just makes good business sense. It sometimes is as difficult and as simple as that.”

Do you have any questions about diversity, equity and inclusion at the RU?
Please feel free to contact me for any questions at .