How did you come up with the idea to become a REC Impact Fellow at UvA?

Throughout my career, I have always operated at the intersection of commercial and technology, gathering valuable experience in technology organisations of varying sizes, in different sectors and in different countries. 

I joined the advanced Master’s Programme at UvA for a few reasons. Firstly, to extend my current knowledge, bringing my real-world entrepreneurial experience to bear, and secondly, to better understand the ever-changing legal implications regarding technology and in particular AI.

Personally, I consider myself to be very entrepreneurial, and have been at the forefront of bringing new solutions to (legacy) markets and customers over the last two decades. Now, I feel my experiences will be useful to help guide the next generation of (tech) entrepreneurs looking to push into tricky commercial waters. It is my aim, from this perspective, to offer support to entrepreneurs that are taking part in the REC Impact startup programs and to provide a soundboard and a helping hand to anyone with the aspiration to build and scale their own business, potentially without much of a network and with less experience.

What was your first experience on campus?

'The introduction meeting with some of the staff and students of the LLM programme was my first introduction to UvA and the campus. I chose this particular Master’s as it was a law degree, albeit taught extremely interdisciplinarily. However, looking beyond the course, and the classrooms, what particularly struck me was the impressive mix of backgrounds, knowledge, and perspectives of the lecturers involved - this is something that I value extremely highly. UvA clearly represents this fusion of attitudes and has proven success in attracting international talent in teaching staff, which in turn makes it a desirable hub for knowledge and learning for students from different countries and varying backgrounds.'

What do you hope the Fellowship will bring you?

'I consider, the combination of entrepreneurial spirit, coupled with an aim to create real impact - based on the multi-disciplinary approach that forms the basis of the REC Impact -  a fantastic ground for ideas and businesses to flourish. I am excited to be a part of this fertile ground and help support entrepreneurs in these early stages of developing their business. Through mentoring new entrepreneurs, I can provide support and bring experience of scaling international organisations, help side-step some of the avoidable mistakes that I may have made in the past and help young companies, learn and grow faster, by benefiting from the advantage of an existing network. I truly believe in the advantages of bringing different perspectives together and for my part, look forward to the future challenge of being a fellow.'