I’ve always worked in venture building for systems change, but until recently I just didn’t have the words to describe it like that.
My career has moved across sectors, countries and continents, but there is one red thread running through all of it: bringing people, ideas and institutions together to get difficult things moving. From working in tech before Google existed, to developing a SaaS loyalty platform in Southeast Asia, setting up a seaweed company in Namibia, and mentoring large corporates worried about losing their top talent to start-ups, the pattern has always been the same: build something new, connect different worlds, and create enough momentum to turn an idea into action.
Today, the work is a mix of co-founding, mentoring and systems change. Often it’s with founders, companies and multi-stakeholder groups where a good strategy and implementation plan are the easy part. The difficult bit usually involves a lot of talking, persuasion, trust-building and a fair amount of social elbow grease. Things can move quickly, but commitment often takes time.
Co-founding Kelp Blue, a seaweed company based in Namibia and the Netherlands, meant bringing together science, communities, investors and industry. That experience still shapes a lot of how I work, although the focus now is increasingly on helping others build, whether through mentoring founders, shaping new ventures or working on systems where no single organisation can create change alone.
Outside work, I am happiest outdoors, hiking, sailing or foraging. I’ve also literally lived the same day twice, but that is a longer story.