First and foremost, I’m an optimist. I tend to see possibilities and new opportunities before I see problems. For 25 years, I was managing partner of a consultancy firm, where I led complex innovation projects in the fields of education and healthcare.

During one of these projects, I had the idea to apply robotic technology to address a social issue. Together with Lola Gielen I founded Happybots. We developed Felix: a social robot designed to help vulnerable people to express their emotions.

This innovation brought a lot of insights, also for me personally: I discovered how fulfilling it was to develop something with real social value. It gave me a lot of creative and positive energy that inspired me to a career-switch: 

In addition, I teach “Technology” one day a week at a secondary school in Eindhoven, Netherlands. Supporting young people as they explore their role in the world is a deeply rewarding thing to do!