Meet the
SACA speakers
WORKSHOP IDEATION
WED 29/04
Speaker Lars Hegenberg
Company: Novel-T (Advisor Startup Acceleration)
What does SACA mean to you?
“I believe that being one step ahead and taking a proactive approach is crucial, especially in these times. We are all in this together and SACA provides us with a platform to come together and create real impact – collectively.”
Profile description
After gaining experience in the California tech scene and being part of a startup next to his studies, Lars is now the advisor for startup acceleration in one of Europe’s most successful ecosystems for innovative entrepreneurship at Novel-T. He has facilitated various startups in developing and validating their idea, as well as raising funding at conferences such as CES Las Vegas or Slush Helsinki. Together with his team, he is now building up Incubase, the new incubator of the University of Twente.
Speaker Peter Langela
Company: Novel-T (Startup Coach)
What does SACA mean to you?
“Corona has a deep impact on the global economy and it changes the way we live rapidly. Quick response with innovative solutions is a must. I support the SACA initiative because I believe that students can think out-of-the-box and can work together under pressure to come up with brilliant ideas.”
Profile description
Entrepreneur with a focus of new technologies (blockchain, IoT, big data) & startup coach & trainer at Novel-T, University of Twente & EIT Digital.
WORKSHOP POST-CRISIS MANAGEMENT
THU 30/04
Speaker Didier Herbert
Company: European Commission Representation in the Netherlands (Director)
Profile description
Mr Didier Herbert is the Head of the Commission’s Representation in The Hague since 1 March 2019. Mr Herbert, a Belgian national, was previously Director and Acting Chair of the Regulatory Scrutiny Board, an independent body of the Commission, which provides a central quality control and support function for the Commission’s impact assessment and evaluation work.
A highly experienced civil servant with over 30 years of working experience in the European Commission, Mr Herbert occupied several positions. Before joining the Regulatory Scrutiny Board, he was Acting Director in the Directorate-General (DG) for the Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW). He was responsible for policy coordination, Economic analysis, International affairs (Trade and external affairs) and the external representation, while at the same time also being a Member of the Impact Assessment Board.
WORKSHOP ISOLATION & MENTAL HEALTH
FRI 01/05
Speaker Janine Zagorny
Company: Dashmote (People and Culture Manager)
What does SACA mean to you?
“In times like this we need to use technology more than ever, while being human more than ever. We need to be flexible and innovative. We need interdisciplinary talent with a futuristic mindset, that can point the way to a better future. Therefore, SACA is so important and will empower us to combat the impact of the corona virus.”
Profile description
With 7+ years of know-how in people experience & management, it’s Janine Zagorny’s goal to transform the way HR enables a business and its workforce! She strongly believes that employee experience is critical to a company’s success. Over the years, she has developed a strong passion for people and refined her business, people management and overall management skills whilst cultivating people-as well as business growth.
WORKSHOP EDUCATION
FRI 01/05
Speaker Nabih Elhajj
Company: iVenturED Inc. (Executive Director)
Profile description
“I am an educator, an entrepreneur, and a nonprofit executive. I teach coursework on early-stage startups at the University of Illinois Springfield. I am also the Executive Director of iVenturED Inc. an Illinois nonprofit that provides entrepreneurship education to high school students.”
WORKSHOP LEGAL
MON 04/05
Speaker Bas van der Werf
Company: HalloLex (Co-founder & Director)
What does SACA mean to you?
“I believe in different times after this crisis. A changed way we look at certain societal problems but also a difference in the way we are going to allocate money and focus. I think that companies that are flourishing or starting now, can have a great impact on the changes described above.”
Profile description
“In my second year of my studies I founded my first company in which I focused on corporate innovation mainly through connecting startups to larger companies and guiding them both throughout the whole process and collaboration. In 2018 I founded an investment fund in which we only were participating with Crypto’s. Due to heavy and very complicated compliance rules, I had to pull the plug mid 2019. That’s when I started working on a new company where I figured that how small a company is, everyone has to do something with legislation. I started HalloLex with the goal to make legal services accessible and above all approachable. By only using fixed prices, having named the company after a caricature named Lex and being ready for legal questions without looking at the time, we are trying to make startups and smaller companies legally healthy.”
WORKSHOP MARKET ANALYSIS
MON 04/05
Speaker Gilles Meijer
Company: Golden Egg Check B.V. (Founder)
What does SACA mean to you?
“I am actively involved in (student) entrepreneurship for >10 years, and sincerely believe in the creativity and innovativeness of students to come up with great solutions.”
Profile description
“I am the founder of Golden Egg Check. We have the largest database of investors in the Netherlands, and know what their preferences and criteria are in assessing startups. This should be valuable information when you want to convince the jury.”
WORKSHOP BRAND STRATEGY
TUE 05/05
Speaker Maja Grcic
Company: Tortuga Solutions (Co-founder)
What does SACA mean to you?
“Always a pleasure to contribute to learning experience of the new generation.”
Profile description
Maja is all about getting things done, do first ask questions later. An energy bomb full of ideas and inspiration that moves mountains. Her secret? Healthy living, spirituality and a big heart.
Speaker Ángel Figueroa Mayordomo
Company: Tortuga Solutions (Co-founder)
Profile description
Ángel loves to dive into new business challenges of all types and sizes. He is usually seen as the slowest in business and on the soccer field, and yet he gets things done.
WORKSHOP ONLINE MARKETING
TUE 05/05
Speaker Robin van Scheijndel
Company: HighTechXL
Profile description
“Coming from a background of Industrial Engineering and Innovation Management, I enjoy mobilizing communities to drive innovation forward. My key focus and interest lies in working on projects that make a global impact. I am passionate about (deep-)tech, developing business models and market opportunities and cross-cultural collaborations to stimulate the adoption of disruptive innovation.”
Speaker Cheryl Boyd
Company: HighTechXL
Profile description
Cheryl is an American entrepreneur who moved to the Netherlands with her family in 2016 to start an online media company, Dispatches Europe, a lifestyle and information publication for English-speaking expats in Europe. Cheryl and her husband Terry, a lifelong journalist, manageDispatches Europe and provide marketing communications services to HighTechXL and otherhigh-tech and deep-tech startups and scale-ups. Cheryl is a seasoned writer, editor andmarketer passionate about helping startups craft their stories and develop content strategies.
WORKSHOP INTERNAL FINANCING
WED 06/05
Speaker Ugo Mosca
Company: Shell
Profile description
Ugo is a professional in the energy sector with a career start in investment banking followed by number of commercial and less commercial finance roles in Shell.
WORKSHOP GROWTH HACKING
WED 06/05
Speaker Thomas Stoffer
Company: Rockboost (Growth Hacker)
What does SACA mean to you?
“When these times are believed to hold us back in terms of growth, I believe the ones that keep pushing for creativity and innovation can keep creating growth.”
Profile description
Main knowledge on organic channels (like SEO, social content and influencer marketing), huge interest in UX/UI research and testing combined with CRO. Worked with clients like Rabobank, Olympia, 24Kitchen and Dura Vermeer.
Speaker Nienke Hensbergen
Company: Rockboost (Growth Hacker)
What does SACA mean to you?
“Great initiative to support great minds finding solutions! I hope I can support the cause with sharing my knowledge about growth hacking. Speed is key to validating solutions during the Corona-crisis – and this is where growth hacking fits in perfectly.”
WORKSHOP EXTERNAL FINANCING
THU 07/05
Speaker Dennis Huizing
Company: Leapfunder (Country Manager Netherlands)
What does SACA mean to you?
“Giving students the tools to think of innovative solutions, no matter the context, can only help them become better professionals and create better companies.”
Profile description
The Leapfunder network has 1,000 active investors. Dennis talks to 5 – 10 startups every week to discuss their funding strategy with them.
WORKSHOP LEAN SIX SIGMA
THU 07/05
Speaker Floris van der Hulst
Company: Heineken (Global CPI Manager)
Workshop description
The workshop will guide you through how the Lean Six Sigma is applied within Heineken, and the opportunities for its applications during the COVID-19 crisis.
Profile description
Floris has been working since 1995 for Heineken and is currently in the role of Global CPI Manager.
WORKSHOP PITCHING
FRI 08/05
Speaker Jelmer Smits
Company: PresentThing (Owner)
Workshop description
“As a gesture to motivated people during the Corona period, we will offer a FREE workshop in presentation skills from an experienced professional trainer. Here’s a promise: you will learn some very interesting stuff about presentations.”
