Roll up your sleeves: get hands-on start-up experience

Since 2015, BlueCity has developed from a vacant swimming pool into a circular economy hub for the city and region. Guus is Blue City's Venture Lead, passionately guiding circular entrepreneurs toward becoming icons of sustainable business.

“I'm dedicated to helping our circular entrepreneurs grow into iconic examples that prove the circular economy can become the norm," he explains.  Guus brings his own entrepreneurial experience, having founded multiple companies, always “driven by the belief that commercial success can go hand in hand with making a societal impact. I see businesses as a force for good to make the world a bit better, in a sustainable way.”

Guus's technical expertise complements his entrepreneurial spirit. He holds a Bachelor in Life Science & Technology and a Master in Biotechnology, both from TU Delft.

YES!Delft is an innovation hub at TU Delft, where startups and scale-ups with promising ideas turn into solid tech startups and grow into successful companies – join their experienced workshop facilitators in this prototyping journey.

There's a reason why Mount Everest isn't climbed solo. A team allows you to overcome obstacles that seem insurmountable alone. Decades of research confirm this applies to startups too – those with co-founders tend to achieve greater success. In the Co-Lab workshop, whether you're a single founder, part of a founding team, or simply have an entrepreneurial spirit, you'll gain the tools and connections to find that missing piece of your dream team and propel you to the top!

This workshop covers business idea ideation and teamwork, and you don't need a pre-existing idea or team to participate. Discover how to find your co-founder or team member, and get an introduction to the services and programmes that can help you in your journey.

Printing giant Helloprint ships millions of orders annually across 13 countries. Its founder, Hans Scheffer (41), is a serial entrepreneur with a passion for more than just profit.  "We offer local production and delivery to a global audience of creative entrepreneurs, SMEs, and e-commerce companies, reducing costs, delivery speed, and carbon footprint." Helloprint is now the largest e-commerce platform for printing in Europe.

"I've been an entrepreneur for 25 years and very involved in what's happening in the region. When Helloprint quickly grew into a large company, I realized that I could do more with it than just make money. It gave me the opportunity to do more for the city of Rotterdam and the region by helping other initiatives grow. I believe that as an entrepreneur, you shouldn't just focus on your own business, but also look at what more you can do."

Hans coaches young founders. "I do this out of love for entrepreneurship. I advise them to follow their own path and carefully consider why they want this. And to consciously choose this life. Doing it halfway doesn't work. One of the most important things to remember when you're in this position: give back too. Giving it back and paying it forward”

Mirjam is an Associate Professor of Business Society Management at RSM, specialising in how people and organisations drive positive societal change. She studies marginalised groups fighting for inclusion, often by challenging taboos and societal norms. Mirjam's work examines the innovative strategies, goals, and motivations behind these movements.  Her research spans diverse areas like social entrepreneurship (Yoni, Fairphone), global certification (RA), and grassroots initiatives in energy and healthcare.

With an MSc in cultural anthropology and a PhD in political and social science, Mirjam employs ethnographic methods for in-depth qualitative research. Her work delves into theory and concept development and has been published in top-tier journals such as the Academy of Management Annals, Journal of Management Studies, and Organisation Studies.