Kotor bay, Montenegro
I work for SPARK on the regional business start-up center project that promotes entrepreneurship in South East Europe. Together with local partners we established 5 business start-up centers (in Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo and Macedonia). These centers support young entrepreneurs to start and grow their busines with training, consultancy, micro-loans and incubation services. We work together with local government, associations of entrepreneurs and chambers of commerce to remove business barriers in the region.
From 2004-2006, I worked for the BiD Challenge (as a project officer with Fair Ventures). The entrepreneurial spirit of the participants and their business plans were a big inspiration for me and convinced me that promoting and supporting Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) is what I want to do.
I studied International Technology and Development studies at the Eindhoven University of Technology, during which I focused among others on technology transfer, policy for innovation in the construction industry in developing countries, innovative low cost building materials as well as more general development issues. In 2001, I studied in South Africa for half a year and in 2003 I conducted 7 months of field research in Chile for my thesis.
