Meet our team
Karen Boers
President of the board
Jan Bormans
CEO
Jan Bormans’ passion is working with people to make innovation and entrepreneurial creativity happen. He has a substantial background in high-tech and uniquely combines this with extensive experience in corporate innovation. He has been active in the Belgian and European startup scene since 2010. Jan has been active in European projects as participant, reviewer and rapporteur since 1996.
Catherine Van Eeckhaute
Senior Project Manager
In more than 20 years of working in different environments, Catherine has gained expertise in strategic planning, business development, sales and channel management, programme/project development and implementation and operations. She has devoted the majority of her career at the intersection of technology and the public and nonprofit sectors.
Lorie Vandeuren
Management Assistant
Lorie Van Deuren is our management assistant who supports her colleagues and loves organizing our office operations. She started as an administrative assistant and soon after built a way through the financial, HR and marketing part of her function. With full enthusiasm, Lorie strives for a European Startup Neat-work.
Adèle Yaroulina
Business Development
Adèle has a 10-years experience in business development, sales, strategic partnerships and project management within private & public sectors. She has acquired significant knowledge of digital innovation and is fascinated by the impact of new technologies on business activities. She is convinced that a cohesive European startup ecosystem is the key to empowerment and scaling up.
Massimo Privitera
Communications and Policy Coordinator
Massimo holds a Master’s Degree in “European Economy and Business Law” and has acquired substantial experience in the realm of EU policy working in Brussels for consultancies and NGOs. He is the former Acting Director of the European Network for Social Integration Enterprises (ENSIE). At ESN, he is in charge of analysing the policy landscape relating to startups and contributing to future policy developments. Massimo also handles internal and external communication for the network, ensuring that ESN maintains strong relationships between member associations and creates connections with new partners on a consistent basis.
Former
Emily Bogen
Communications and Policy Coordinator
Emily completed her studies in the U.S. and began her professional career in Brussels, where she has established experience in European projects like SEP 2.0 and CORSHIP and provided political support to the startup ecosystem. She has worked on documents like “Startup and Scaleup Ecosystem Recommendations for Policy Change” (2018) and the upcoming Pan-European Manifesto (2019). Emily also handles internal and external communication for the network, ensuring that ESN maintains strong relationships between member associations and creates connections with new partners on a consistent basis.
Marlène Bouhon
Business Intern
Marlène Bouhon is a business student fascinated by the startup world. She is in charge of selecting promising companies and initiating contact with them. She believes that great ideas should be given a chance to succeed and to benefit as many people as possible.
Elke Vosters
Business Intern
Elke is studying SME-management. That’s the context in which she developed her passion for entrepreneurship. She likes to communicate with people and to be part of a team!
Lucía Rodríguez Lacasa
Business Intern
Lucia grew up in Brussels and now studies Biotechnology with Management at Edinburgh University. She has always carried an entrepreneurial spirit, starting her own start-up company project at 16 and currently running a radio show. She is eagerly delving into scouting for SEP and CORSHIP as well as running social media. She believes start-up innovation in Europe is essential for technology, health and world advancement!
Andries Bruggeman
Business Intern
Intrigued by everything that involves startups and innovation, Andries is a passionate business intern. He considers startups and scaleups as fundamental and crucial organizations that are a prerequisite for a more innovative and more sustainable business environment.
Carolin Bednarz
Business Intern
Carolin Bednarz is passionate about fostering businesses and people in their growth. She has experience in consulting and digital strategy for large corporates in Germany which are looking to change through innovation. Her recent involvement in the Paris incubator realm gave her deep insights into various business models and the concerns of startups. She works to see Europe be the most entrepreneur-friendly place on earth.
Contact
For all inquiries and interest in the European Startup Network, please contact us at: contact@
For interest in membership: karen.boers@europeanstartupnetwork.eu.
Follow us on Twitter @StartupEurope