Author: Johanna

Breaking barriers: How an academic entrepreneur is creating impact

Posted on by Johanna
Erasmus Enterprise has recently welcomed Iris Casteren van Cattenburch and Sonja Wendel, incorporating into our community The Human Stuff, their narrative-based research consultancy for creating cultures of care. Their journey demonstrates that it is possible to combine academia with entrepreneurship and turn research into positive societal impact. In an interview, Iris shared the exhilarating journey of building their business, along with the challenges they had to overcome. 

 
The Human Stuff helps organisations focus on the human element, thus improving the health of people and of the organisation. “Our premise is that every human being needs to be seen and heard to feel a sense of belonging. In this way they commit themselves to the vision, mission, and goals of the organisation,” shared Iris. By using an age-old learning tool that is accessible to everyone, our human ability to tell stories, they encourage customers and employees to cultivate a constructive and mutually beneficial human culture.  
 

Asked about how this journey to enter entrepreneurship as an academic was, Iris answered that for her it was not as challenging as for Sonja. “I have been self-employed as a communications strategist since 1999, so entrepreneurship is my starting point. I also combined my PhD research with my professional career,” told Iris. She developed her dissertation into a method to apply Shakespeare to organisational and sustainability challenges and became an associate researcher at GovernEUR, one of the impact centers of Erasmus Research & Business Support (ERBS) at the Erasmus University to add the narrative-based approach to their qualitative research projects in public administration. The director of ERBS, Laurien Poleij, connected her with Sonja. 

Sonja is an assistant professor and teacher at the Erasmus University Rotterdam (School of Economics) and senior researcher at the Leyden Academy on Vitality and Ageing. One of her main research objectives is to prioritise health and well-being, drawing on human experiences captured in stories. She passionately believes that connecting inter-disciplinary theories and practices can stimulate out-of-the-box thinking and enhance academic research to create impact. Sonja and Iris shared passion for stories and the impact they can have, by using them as interventions for improving organisational cultures, made them take the leap and embark on a business adventure together. 

Their biggest challenge was to develop the steps of their business process into something clear and understandable for their potential clients. Nevertheless, the support of ERBS, and from the business developers of Erasmus Enterprise (EE) and Erasmus Research Services (ERS) helped them overcome this hurdle. Their innovative research activities are developing into a promising business and have now become a separate BV under the umbrella of Erasmus Enterprise. Iris shared that being part of the Erasmus Enterprise community is inspiring for the entrepreneurial spirit everyone breathes. “No matter what age, position or background; it’s a community of skilled intellectual doers who want to make a positive change in the world.”  

The inspiring journey of these women serves as proof that although combining being an academic and entrepreneur can be a challenge, it is within reach with the appropriate support and perseverance. Their advice for fellow academics that want to do the same? “If you want to make a change, it’s worth your venture!” 

Iris and Sonja from The Human Stuff with Ernst from Erasmus Enterprise
The Human Stuff signing 16 March-3
The Human Stuff signing 16 March-4
Iris and Sonja from The Human Stuff with Ernst from Erasmus Enterprise
Iris and Sonja build The Human Stuff and combine academia with entrepreneurship
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Empowering Academics to Innovate: The Impact Starting Guide by Erasmus Enterprise 

Posted on by Johanna

Erasmus Enterprise launches The Impact Starting Guide on April 3, 2023 with Erasmus Research Services with the aim to provide academics with tools, bringing their ideas into actionable plans that drive societal impact. The first copy of the guide was presented to Ed Brinksma, President of the Executive Board at Erasmus University Rotterdam, marking the beginning of its distribution. 

Download The Impact Starting Guide!​

“The Impact Starting Guide is an invitation for academics to accelerate their impact by reaching out to researchers or enterprises with ambitions and ideas…. We aim to make everyone feel safe in taking this fun and exciting journey to accelerate their efforts” – Bas van der Noll  

Erasmus Enterprise is committed to fostering an entrepreneurial mindset among academics and providing the necessary resources to them for success. Establishing impact is a combination of research and people who are proactive. With the right resources and tools academics can develop innovative solutions and create a lasting social impact.   

The Impact Starting Guide – What is in it for you?  

First, The Erasmus Impact Guide can provide you with practical advice to overcome common challenges and inspire you to head start your journey to make change. Secondly, it can determine your current position in your journey and guide your vision. Lastly, identify the needed support and provide you with the rightful information. 

The guide is set up to direct academics to navigate through various stages of research and development, enabling them to achieve maximum impact in their respective fields. It helps researchers identify potential problems within their ideas and validate them, providing them direction on solution development. Team and partner building are another aspect, distinguishing potential partnerships and defining the right composition. Additionally, it provides objective on initiating fundraising and funding activities.  

Taking initiative is crucial to achieving positive societal impact beyond research, as continuous initiative and dedication is essential to accomplishing it. The Impact Starting Guide will guide you to realise your potential as an entrepreneur and begin your journey. Empower yourself to create a better future by downloading The Impact Starting Guide and take the next steps towards impactful entrepreneurship and co-creation. 

Download The Impact Starting Guide!​

Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam treedt toe als aandeelhouder investeringsfonds UNIIQ

Posted on by Johanna

Rotterdam, 21 maart 2022 – Afgelopen december is de Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam (EUR) officieel toegetreden tot het Zuid-Hollandse proof-of-conceptfonds UNIIQ. Daarmee zijn alle academische instellingen van de provincie Zuid-Holland nu aandeelhouder van het fonds. De EUR investeert in UNIIQ om spin-offs in een vroeg stadium financiering te bieden voor de ontwikkeling van hun innovatie, en zo het ondernemerschap onder studenten en medewerkers verder aan te jagen. Op 21 maart bezegelden Hans Dreijklufft, fondsmanager van UNIIQ, en Ernst Hoestra, CEO van Erasmus Enterprise, de toetreding op universiteitscampus Woudestein.

De TU Delft en de Universiteit Leiden zijn samen met het Erasmus MC en regionale ontwikkelingsmaatschappij InnovationQuarter de oprichters van UNIIQ, dat sinds 2016 bestaat. Het vroegefasefonds staat inmiddels bekend als zéér actieve investeerder en is hard op weg naar de 50e deal. Samen haalden de UNIIQ-portfoliobedrijven al meer dan € 120 mln. aan vervolgfinanciering op.

De toetreding van de derde Zuid-Hollandse universiteit biedt Rotterdamse studenten, PhD’ers, onderzoekers en medewerkers nog beter en sneller toegang tot de financiële en inhoudelijke support van UNIIQ. Een investeringsmanager van Erasmus Enterprise, de ondernemerscommunity van de EUR, is gedetacheerd bij UNIIQ om innovaties te scouten, jonge ondernemers te begeleiden en zo de samenwerking tussen de universiteit en het fonds te versterken.

Toegang tot unieke expertise

Andersom biedt de toetreding UNIIQ en haar portfoliobedrijven toegang tot de unieke expertise van de EUR, met name op het gebied van business en entrepreneurship, software en kunstmatige intelligentie (AI). Met onderwijs en onderzoek op het gebied van econometrie, business information management, data science en business analytics vormt de EUR een aanvulling op de expertises van de andere academische partners, waaronder life sciences (Universiteit Leiden en Erasmus MC), hardware en deeptech (TU Delft). De toegang tot de kennis en kunde van de EUR stelt UNIIQ in staat haar portfoliobedrijven inhoudelijk nog beter en gerichter te ondersteunen.

Aanvulling op Graduate Entrepreneur Fund

Studenten en alumni kregen al ondersteuning vanuit het Graduate Entrepreneur Fund, opgezet door alumni van de EUR en de TU Delft. Hiermee komen jonge ondernemers in eerste instantie in aanmerking voor het Graduate Entrepreneur Pre-Seed Fund: maximaal € 75.000 om hun bedrijf op te starten. Als ze in deze onderzoeksfase hun potentie weten te bewijzen, biedt UNIIQ een proof-of-conceptfinanciering tot € 350.000. Voor de commercialisering kunnen de startups vervolgens aankloppen bij het Graduate Entrepreneur Seed Fund, voor een kapitaalinjectie van maximaal € 2 mln. Zo vullen de fondsen elkaar op logische wijze aan en ontstaat een sterke financieringsketen.

Hans Dreijklufft, UNIIQ-fondsmanager bij InnovationQuarter: ‘We zijn heel blij met de EUR als nieuwe aandeelhouder. Als het enige publieke vroegefasefonds in de regio hebben we de afgelopen vijfenhalf jaar met veel succes geïnvesteerd in (academische) startups. We hebben ze geholpen hun ideeën te ontwikkelen en die versneld naar de markt te brengen. Samen met de EUR kunnen we hen nog beter helpen en tegelijkertijd ons portfolio uitbreiden met nieuwe ondernemingen. De toetreding versterkt en verbreedt onze positie.’

Ernst Hoestra, CEO Erasmus Enterprise: ‘Op de universiteit maken we steeds meer werk van kennisvalorisatie en ondernemerschap. We willen de ideeën en innovaties die hier ontstaan succesvol naar de markt brengen. Dat maakt het voor ons een logische en waardevolle stap om nu onderdeel te worden van UNIIQ, en daarmee ondernemerschap aan te jagen bij onze studenten, afstudeerders en alumni.’

UNIIQ
Hans Dreijklufft
Fondsmanager
+31 6 122 24 842
hans.dreijklufft@uniiq.nl
www.uniiq.nl
Twitter: @UNIIQ_NL

Erasmus Enterprise
Ernst Hoestra
CEO
+ 31 6 146 33 020
hoestra@eur.nl
www.erasmusenterprise.com

Over UNIIQ

UNIIQ is een investeringsfonds van initieel € 28,8 mln. gericht op de proof-of-concept fase. UNIIQ helpt ondernemers in Zuid-Holland om hun unieke innovatie sneller naar de markt te brengen. Wij bieden ondernemers het startkapitaal om hun plannen te realiseren en de meest risicovolle fase van concept tot veelbelovend bedrijf te overbruggen. Het fonds is opgericht door een consortium bestaande uit Erasmus MC, TU Delft, Universiteit Leiden en de regionale ontwikkelingsmaatschappij InnovationQuarter. UNIIQ is mede mogelijk gemaakt door de Europese Unie, de provincie Zuid-Holland en de gemeenten Rotterdam, Den Haag en Leiden. Het fondsmanagement wordt uitgevoerd door InnovationQuarter.

Bekijk hier een korte introductie van UNIIQ: 

Over Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam

De Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam (EUR) is een internationaal georiënteerde onderzoeksuniversiteit met een uitgesproken maatschappelijke oriëntatie in zowel onderwijs als onderzoek. Wetenschappers en studenten werken er aan het oplossen van mondiale uitdagingen, waarbij Rotterdam fungeert als levend stadslaboratorium. De universiteit kent een onderscheidend profiel, dat bestaat uit vier domeinen: gezondheid, welvaart (duurzame economische groei), bestuur (de organisatie van bedrijven en maatschappij) en cultuur (media, geluk en identiteit in de moderne stedelijke samenleving).

Over Erasmus Enterprise

Erasmus Enterprise is de ondernemersgemeenschap op de Woudesteincampus van de Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam. Hier brengen Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship (ECE), Erasmus Business & Research Support (ERBS), tech-incubator YES!Delft en UNIIQ hun expertises samen om startups en scaleups te helpen groeien. De gemeenschap biedt jonge ondernemers, studenten, alumni, academici en regionale professionals toegang tot kennis, training, financiering en huisvesting met als doel innovatieve ideeën om te zetten in succesvolle bedrijven.

Launch Erasmus Enterprise September 2nd

Posted on by Johanna

On 2 September, Erasmus Enterprise was officially opened. At Erasmus Enterprise top incubation experts from Zuid-Holland and two investment funds come together to accelerate innovation and entrepreneurship in the region. Young student entrepreneurs can now take maximum advantage of all expertise at one location. Alderman Vincent Karremans (alumnus of the EUR, former entrepreneur Magnet.me) provided the official opening. “I wish this initiative had been around when I started as an entrepreneur,” said Karremans.

Regional cooperation for social impact

Erasmus Enterprise contributes to the convergence between TU Delft, Erasmus University and Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam. By bringing together tech, business and social expertise, the EUR wants to contribute to regional innovations that really tackle current and future social problems; societal impact ventures. “Erasmus Enterprise is the flywheel to make the entrepreneurial spirit of EUR and its students, staff and alumni even stronger. Together with our partners in convergence, and in the city and region, we have already set a lot in motion in a very short time”, says Prof. Dr. Ed Brinksma, Chairman of the EUR Executive Board.

Next Frontier Award and Societal Impact Award

During the opening, awards were presented to promising entrepreneurs. Paul Sisnett and Xenia Lichakhina of Paywith.glass were the winners of the Next Frontier Award. They make global payments possible with disruptive technology. Prof. Dr. Jan Peter Balkenende: “It was an honour to present the Next Frontier Award 2021 to the Paywith.glass team, a highly innovative new company with a focus on international payments”.

Elissa Glorie and Thom Uildriks of Moja Wear received the Societal Impact Award from the hands of Dr Ellen van Schoten. Moja Wear is an interesting start-up where social impact is created throughout the entire value chain. Ellen van Schoten: “Moja Wear shows how intensive and interdisciplinary cooperation within Erasmus Enterprise can lead to a successful start-up that actually provides an answer to social challenges. We hope the Erasmus Enterprise community will continue to be part of the story of this company in the future.”

6 experts 1 community

Within Erasmus Enterprise subsidiary Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship, affiliate YES! Delft, subsidiary Erasmus Research and Business Support, PortXL come together with investment funds UNIIQ and the new Graduate Entrepreneur Fund. Later this year UP!Rotterdam, DIT and Venture Café will follow. Besides all the experts, several start-ups have already joined the Erasmus Enterprise community. Ernst Hoestra, CEO Erasmus Enterprise: “I am pleased, but not surprised by the energy that is released in this community. Through a mix of experts with diverse and driven entrepreneurs, new initiatives come about. It is clear that we meet a need”.

Established successful entrepreneurs and fresh new generation

During the meeting, successful established alumni entrepreneurs such as Derckjan Kruit (Mendix), investors such as Hans van Ierland (HPE Growth) and Machtelt Groothuis (Rubio Impact Ventures), and social impact entrepreneurs such as Hester Le Riche (Active Cues, the Magic Table) came together with new entrepreneurs such as entrepreneurial sisters Micky and Linky Chen (Minite) and Bart Schrijnen (StarTXT.ai). New entrepreneurs such as Tijmen and Jelmer from Savvy, for example, were able to talk to CEO Michiel Muller (Picnic) about their plans and ideas during the meeting.

Pre-Opening Erasmus Enterprise June 17th

Posted on by Johanna

We have officially opened the Erasmus Enterprise buildings on the Erasmus University Rotterdam campus! An intimate group of representatives from innovation and entrepreneurship boosting initiatives in the South Holland region (ECE, ERBS, YES!Delft, PortXL, UNIIQ, Graduate Fund, Erasmus Trust Fund, Venture Café and UP!Rotterdam) and a small number of EUR employees were present for this occasion.  There were speeches by: Vareska van de Vrande (Academic lead of Erasmus Enterprise), Ed Brinksma (President of the board of the EUR and Chair of SB of Erasmus Enterprise) and Ernst Hoestra (CEO of Erasmus Enterprise) in the Q-building. Later the official opening was finalized by the unveiling of the big logo board, including all affiliates, in the entrance hall of the N-Building. Due to Covid we had to keep the group small, but we are looking forward to invite everyone for the grand opening in September.

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