This week is Global Entrepreneurship Week. We would like to celebrate this by highlighting Dutch talent!
Laura Klauss recently won the public vote for the prestigious Dutch Engineer of the Year Award. Together with like-minded engineers, she co-founded Better Future Factory, a multi-disciplinary sustainable company focused on design, environmental issues and engineering. Better Future Factory finds and develops creative and sustainable solutions for the most pressing issues especially those related to the plastic waste problem. The company incorporates the underlying principles of the circular economy to close loops, re-cycle materials, increase value, and develop businesses that contributes to a better future for all.
In the beginning of this year, Laura was selected as one of the two representatives from the Netherlands in the Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative (YTILI) in the United States and subsequently participated as an ‘International Entrepreneur‘ in the Global ‘ Entrepreneurship Summit 2016 (GES) in Silicon Valley:
“It was a unique experience to participate in the Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative 2016.The opportunity to integrate in another context by living in a host family and by participating in the day to to day operations of Product Creation Studio gave me some true insights in the American way of living and of doing business. I’ve noticed that the Netherlands are front-runners in sustainable and circular business development and that I could inspire American entrepreneurs by showing people that it is actual possible to create healthy business around (plastic) waste problems.
At the GES I’ve heard the stories of so many inspiring speakers in one single morning: President Obama, Mark Zuckerberg & Travis Kalanick (CEO, Uber). Being at an event like this, and spending one month with like minded people evoked strategic and creative thinking and gave me a new boost of energy to elevate our business and brand in the Netherlands.”
I have gained a lot of knowledge about the ways of doing business and organise processes that I’m surely going to apply in our studio and at the same time I had the opportunity to share my knowledge about sustainable and scalable product design. A win-win for everyone!”