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Regardless of dealing with a number of challenges, equivalent to monetary obstacles, restricted entry to sources, and far more, ladies’s entrepreneurship is rising globally. In response to the World Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2023/24 Ladies’s Entrepreneurship Report: Reshaping Economies and Communities, one in ten ladies, in comparison with one in eight males, have been beginning new companies in 2023.
The Netherlands has witnessed ladies’s startup charges greater than double over the previous twenty years. That is evident within the metropolis of Rotterdam, the place ladies are main progressive startups, creating sustainable companies, and driving financial progress.
Rotterdam: A thriving hub for women-led startups
In response to the SHELEADS+ Insights Report 2024, Rotterdam is among the many high cities within the Netherlands for ladies (co-)based firms, accounting for 8 per cent of the companies.
The town offers ladies entrepreneurs with entry to sources, mentorship, networking, and funding alternatives, and a vibrant ecosystem that encourages progress and collaboration.
Up!Rotterdam is likely one of the key stakeholders of the town’s entrepreneurial ecosystem that has been instrumental in making Rotterdam a stage taking part in subject for all entrepreneurs, regardless of their gender.
Up!Rotterdam: Leveling the taking part in subject
One in every of Up!Rotterdam’s key objective is to extend the variety of feminine founders within the Rotterdam space. To this finish, it really works carefully with over 60 co-creation companions to attach, strengthen, innovate, and supply entry to a variety of organisational programmes.
It consists of Techleap, RVO (Netherlands Enterprise Company), Innovation Quarter, Tech Advocates, Numerous Leaders in Tech, and Dutch New Narrative Lab, amongst others.
By enabling these partnerships, Up!Rotterdam ensures that feminine entrepreneurs obtain a stage taking part in subject, discover the requisite sources to develop their companies, and be a part of a neighborhood that encourages inclusivity, innovation, and sustainability.
Meet Rotterdam’s powerhouse feminine entrepreneurs
Ladies entrepreneurs in Rotterdam are making a major impression throughout sectors like HR tech, sustainability, SaaS, and AI. They aren’t solely growing progressive options to advanced issues but in addition driving financial progress and strongly encouraging inclusivity and variety.
To spotlight their accomplishments and showcase their success tales, we now have compiled an inventory of powerhouse feminine founders who’re scaling Rotterdam’s innovation ecosystem.
Co-Founders of Equalture
Charlotte Melkert is the CEO & Co-founder of Equalture, an HR tech scale-up devoted to creating unbiased hiring practices by combining neuroscience and gamification.
She has at all times been keen about combating unfairness and illogical programs. Regardless of her privileged upbringing, she reworked her conviction into motion, co-founding Equalture together with her sister Fleur Melkert to rework recruitment by the artwork of neuroscience and gamification.
She earned her Bachelor’s diploma in Enterprise Administration from the Rotterdam College of Administration, Erasmus College, and pursued a Grasp’s in Administration of Innovation on the similar establishment.
Charlotte has been nominated for a number of awards, together with Forbes 30 Underneath 30, EY Rising Entrepreneur 2023, Harper’s Bazaar Ladies of the Yr 2022, Prime 30 Most Inclusive Leaders NL, and Sifted’s Prime 14 European Gen Z Founders.
Alongside together with her twin sister Charlotte, Fleur Melkert, CCO & Co-founder of Equalture, can also be revolutionising recruitment by science-based hiring software program.
She is on a mission to disrupt the HR tech market by eradicating intestine emotions and introducing information into each facet of individuals’s decision-making.
Her work has earned her quite a few accolades, together with Harper’s Bazaar Lady of the Yr (Public Award) and recognition as a champion of range and inclusion.
Fleur pursued her training at Erasmus College, Rotterdam, finishing a Bachelor’s diploma in Criminology with a minor in Psychology. She additionally enrolled in a Grasp of Science (M.Sc.) program in Administration & Organisation, although the diploma was not acquired.
Her work has led to a number of nominations, together with Forbes 30 underneath 30 2022, Harper’s Bazaar Lady of The Yr 2022 (Public Award), Sprout Challenger 50, Inspiring Fifty 2018, TedxWomen Amsterdam, Sprout 25 underneath 25, The Subsequent Women100 2017 & 2018 & 2019, TNW500 and the Award for essentially the most Numerous and Inclusive Firm within the Netherlands 2021.
Founding father of Paebbl
Marta Sjögren is the co-founder of Paebbl, an organization that turns captured CO2 into constructing supplies that retailer carbon completely.
She is a planet-positive firm builder and investor with a ardour for future-proof applied sciences that remedy actual issues.
With a give attention to selling range and constructive innovation, significantly in enterprise capital and finance, Marta helps groups growing transformative options and higher merchandise.
Beforehand, she was an institutional investor in early-stage B2B and B2C firms in Europe and the US for over a decade.
Marta holds a B.Sc. in Worldwide Relations from the London College of Economics and a Grasp’s in European Enterprise from ESCP Enterprise College.
Co-founders of ChatLicense
Marjolein van Tilburg is the CEO & Co-founder of ChatLicense, a household app designed to information dad and mom and children by the challenges of managing a primary smartphone.
She is a author, speaker, and inventor with a various background as a lawyer and mediator.
She has expertise as a basic counsel and a knowledge safety officer and a profitable monitor report in world firms and legislation companies.
She collaborates with corporates, governments, and specialists in youngsters’s rights, media literacy, and digital well being to set larger requirements for households coping with expertise.
She pursued a management training, finishing the Ladies Company Administrators Programme in Organisational Management on the TIAS College for Enterprise and Society.
Moreover, she earned a postgraduate diploma in Transformative Management from The Ladies’s Management Program by Carla Clarissa.
Martine de Leeuw, the CMO & Co-founder of Chatlicense, is a Dutch entrepreneur and impact-driven chief at present dwelling in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
As a serial entrepreneur, Martine additionally based JungleBird Company, which helps companies with triple-bottom-line values to amplify their impression.
As an angel investor, she holds a Grasp’s in Social Sciences from VU Amsterdam and a certificates in Sustainable Enterprise Technique from Harvard Enterprise College On-line.
Co-founder and CEO at umob
Bibi Jorissen is the CEO & Co-founder at umob, a MaaS platform that mixes all mobility suppliers by full integrations into one app and places the traveller first.
She is keen about mixing expertise and sustainability to drive constructive change.
With twin Grasp’s levels in Technique and Advertising and marketing, she has a robust background in sustainable practices and market technique.
Her early profession achievements embrace lowering Common Motors’ carbon footprint and driving a 30 % fleet progress at Greenwheels, which reworked city mobility within the Netherlands.
By umob, Bibi focuses on growing inventive options for a extra sustainable future in mobility.
Co-founders of Minite and Her Future
Micky Chen is the CEO & Co-founder of Minite, a College students-as-a-Service (SaaS) supplier. The platform connects vetted high scholar freelancers with firms to carry out CV-building work in digital advertising and marketing, gross sales, market analysis, information, IT, analytics, and (graphic) design.
She can also be the CEO & Co-founder of Her Future, a startup that empowers younger ladies in expertise by serving to them discover varied profession paths.
Micky is an ex-Salesforce worker turned tech entrepreneur. She is keen about serving to the following era succeed and making the world a greater place by entrepreneurial endeavours.
She can also be a Visitor Lecturer on the Rotterdam College of Administration, Erasmus College, the place she shares information on startups, progress, tech and innovation, and new enterprise improvement.
Earlier than Minite, she based BOXY in Singapore, the place they designed full present containers and engaged in inventive company gifting for SMEs.
Micky’s skilled journey additionally consists of roles at Salesforce as an Account Govt, Staff Chief for Enterprise Growth, and Sr. Enterprise Growth Guide.
She holds an M.Sc. in Data Programs from the College of Amsterdam. Moreover, she additionally accomplished a B.Sc. in Worldwide Enterprise Administration from Rotterdam College of Administration, Erasmus College, accomplished in 2013.
Keen about empowering younger expertise, Linky Chen leads Gross sales & Operations at Minite, a platform connecting firms with top-tier freelance college expertise, and HerFuture, an extension devoted to advancing ladies in tech.
HerFuture is on a mission to fight gender disparity within the trade. It helps younger ladies in exploring numerous tech profession paths.
Holding an LL.B from Leiden College and VU Amsterdam, Linky combines her authorized background with a dedication to driving impactful change.
Founder and CEO of Vi Well being
Marleen ten Damme, is the CEO & founding father of VI Well being, a platform catering to ladies aged 40 and above, providing a data-driven, personalised well being strategy. It focuses on offering assist to ladies through the menopause. She has a robust background in digital well being innovation.
Earlier than founding Vi Well being, Marleen served as a Company Enterprise Entrepreneur at NN Group, specializing in Digital Well being and Feminine Well being Platform innovation.
She holds an MBA in Strategic Administration from the College of Amsterdam. She additionally accomplished a Premaster in Enterprise Administration at Radboud College.
Co-founder of Deep Breath
Daria Kozlova is the co-founder of Deep Breath, a medtech firm that goals to optimise mechanical lung air flow in ICUs by its AI-driven decision-support programs.
She provides a singular medical and pharmaceutical experience mix.
Daria focuses on designing instruments that simplify the overwhelming quantity of medical information, aiming to cut back clinician burnout and, in the end, improve affected person outcomes — particularly in high-stakes environments just like the ICU.
She has first-hand expertise in hospital settings, significantly the working room, and over 4 years of growing digital instruments for pharmaceutical giants like Takeda and Teva.
Daria has labored on academic platforms and AI-driven chatbots for the oncology subject.
Moreover, she co-founded tARvel, a platform for creating personalised vacationer routes.
Daria holds a diploma in Politics and Worldwide Relations from Queen Mary College of London and has coaching in OSINT from the Basel Institute on Governance.
Founding father of Closure and Jochem.ai
Graciëlla van Vliet is the founding father of Closure, an organization that provides customers a digital platform that permits heirs to cancel all their subscriptions, from phone to social media accounts, in a single place.
She has a robust background in buyer care options and information administration.
Moreover, Graciëlla co-founded Jochem in 2023, specializing in simplifying information administration and retrieval.
Graciëlla holds a Grasp’s diploma in Econometrics & Administration Science from the Erasmus College of Economics and studied at Maastricht College.
Feminine founders to be careful for in 2025
Along with the above-mentioned feminine entrepreneurs, there are a number of rising feminine founders who’re reshaping Rotterdam’s startup ecosystem and displaying what’s doable with grit and willpower.
Leaving apart their improvements and positions, these feminine founders are constructing a “progressive” legacy, inspiring others to observe of their footsteps. In 2025, keep watch over them as they proceed to problem the established order and set a brand new customary within the Rotterdam startup ecosystem.
CEO & Co-Founder at Everday
Estefania Hernandez is the CEO & Co-founder of Everday, an AI-powered workforce intelligence platform able to analysing, mapping, and validating abilities throughout complete organisations and evaluating the outcomes with the newest abilities required for every position.
She is a passionate entrepreneur with a decade of expertise constructing socially impactful tech startups. She additionally co-founded Mi Dulce Hogar, which offers over 100,000 companies and creates jobs for 800+ ladies.
Forbes recognised her as certainly one of Mexico’s 30 promising entrepreneurs in 2018. She additionally participated within the 500 Startups program.
As a mentor for organisations like Chany Ventures, Estefania actively helps the expansion of feminine founders in LATAM.
She earned a Bachelor of Enterprise Administration (B.B.A.) from Tecnológico de Monterrey.
Founder & CEO of Outlander Supplies
Lori Goff is the CEO & Co-founder of Outlander Supplies, an organization devoted to tackling plastic waste by creating sustainable alternate options like UnPlastic.
She studied biotechnology within the U.S. and suggested round startups on their scientific course of.
Whereas brewing beer at house, Lori got here up with the thought of UnPlastic and has since been on a quest to create higher alternate options to single-use plastics.
As a “bioneer” and multifaceted chief, Lori drives her group to develop the supplies of the longer term, mixing science, creativity, and duty.
She holds a Bachelor of Utilized Science (B.A.Sc.) in Biotechnology from the College of Nebraska at Omaha. Moreover, Goff accomplished an trade semester on the College of Groningen, the place she centered on Dutch Tradition and Spatial Sciences.
Co-founder and CTO at geoFluxus
Rusne Sileryte is the CTO & Co-founder of geoFluxux, a SaaS-enabled market connecting waste producers with waste processors.
With a PhD in Environmental Expertise and Design from TU Delft, Rusne’s analysis focuses on GIS instruments for assessing spatially various impression significance.
Combining experience in structure, city design, and geomatics engineering, she develops computational workflows to reinforce impression evaluation from constructing to regional scales.
Rusne holds a PhD in Geography from Delft College of Expertise and a Grasp’s diploma in Geomatics for the Constructed Setting, additionally from Delft College of Expertise.
Founder and CEO of I SMILE
Samin Bayat is the CEO and founding father of I SMILE, an organization centered on medical expertise that specialises in AI options for mind ailments. The corporate offers superior instruments for prognosis, therapy, and care, benefiting each sufferers and healthcare suppliers.
Samin has been recognised as one of many high 3 within the AI Entrepreneur class for the Ladies in AI Benelux Awards 2025.
With a Ph.D. in Synthetic Intelligence and a monitor report of innovations, Samin is dedicated to revolutionising companies and advancing technological innovation.
Past skilled achievements, Samin is keen about supporting charities, collaborating with NGOs, and selling well-being by a love for nature, meditation, and spreading pleasure.
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