Karen Boers

Today we organised a "Brown Paper Session" for parking.brussels, focusing on the strategic redesign and development of Cyclo Parking, which currently manages more than 8,000 bike parking spots across the Brussels region. 🚲🅿️ As they prepare for an ambitious expansion that will more than double its' capacity in the next three years, this workshop was crucial. We dived deep into the existing processes for both users and customer service, employing a visual and interactive approach to outline the "as is" process 📊💻 During the session, we mapped out: ➡ User Interactions: Understanding the full user journey to identify pain points and opportunities ➡ Customer Service Workflows: Analysing the quantity and quality of requests to streamline operations and improve response times. ➡ Potential Improvements: Pinpointing key areas where technological and process innovations can improve the service 🔍With the insights gained we will design and develop a more user-centric and operationally efficient platform! Stay tuned as we transform these insights into action and continue to revolutionise urban mobility and parking solutions! 🌟

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💥 Mission accomplished at paradigm.brussels with another impactful bootcamp! Paradigm, an organization of 500 professionals, is at the forefront of Brussels' digital transformation. Among them, over 10 team members are responsible for crafting multiple complex proposals each month for public organizations - a process that’s as time-consuming as it is demanding. 😥 The challenges they face each week: - Scoping projects with significant uncertainty - Navigating diverse cases across varying sizes and verticals - Crafting intricate offers that integrate SaaS solutions with professional services - Balancing one-time phases (e.g., setup, training) with recurring components - Pitching deals ranging from small to large scale When Paradigm invited me to lead a bootcamp to address these challenges and equip their team with actionable tools, my response was immediate: “Challenge accepted!” 💪 What we delivered: ✅ A clear audit highlighting key points to be solved, fast ✅ Actionable guidelines to solve these points in a few weeks ✅ Concrete improvements to critical offers ✅ Practical tools to simplify and accelerate complex offer configurations => Make much better offers. Much faster. Alone or as a team. A big thank you to Bastien Van Aelst (Head of Product Marketing) and Carole Boichu (Marketeer) for placing your trust in me.

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Excited to share my contribution to the article, 'Let’s Get Phygital.' This insightful piece explores the powerful synergy between physical and digital experiences. I was thrilled to contribute my expertise on digital transformation. Check out the full article to learn more about how businesses can harness the power of phygital to enhance customer engagement and drive innovation. #phygital #digitaltransformation #innovation #phygital

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To all my fellow tech founders: if you need help defining your value proposition and aligning it with your sales and marketing efforts, Luuk Janssen is the person to talk to! I recently joined one of his workshops and learned so much—things I had been searching for but couldn't find in any concrete source.

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A powerful experience and a lot of really deep conversations and insights. Please read more below.

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🚀 Calling all data explorers and documenters! 🚀 We’re excited to be at #Trefdag, and we’d love to connect with you! 💬 Drop by, say hello, and let's chat about the future of data! #DataExplorers #DataDocumenters #Trefdag2024 #Networking #DataDriven dScribe

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Если вдруг кто-то еще переживает, что Chat-GPT отберет у него работу. In case anyone is worried that Chat-GPT will take their job away from them. Translate: ME: Well, you'll never take my job away from me with cognitive abilities like that. ChatGPT: Thank you for your trust! I hope my descriptions and explanations help you or your students better understand programming and building web applications. If you have more questions or need help, always willing to help!

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We are extremely proud that our platform, Sigrid®, helps Digitaal Vlaanderen in elevating the quality of their software portfolio, minimizing associated risks, and bridging the gap between development teams and upper management. 🏛️ 💻⚙️ Digitaal Vlaanderen (Digital Flanders) serves as the digital partner for Flemish and local authorities. They oversee digital transformation projects and guide governmental organizations throughout the entire process. Given their role as a governmental agency handling sensitive and private data, ensuring the reliability and security of their systems is paramount. “Tooling like Sigrid provides transparency, allowing us to manage our software proactively and maintain high standards. This is crucial for securely sharing personal data in our digital processes and staying ahead of potential security risks.” – Kelly Bonneure, Program Coordinator – MAGDA, Digitaal Vlaanderen “Ensuring high-quality, secure software is crucial for any governmental organization. Working with Digitaal Vlaanderen exemplifies our dedication to helping governmental entities achieve their goals through adequate software governance.” – Luc Brandts, CEO of Software Improvement Group. Read the detailed success story here ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/eYM3cJEm #SoftwareQualityAssurance #Sigrid #PublicSector #DigitaalVlaanderen #SuccessStory

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How to become an agent for change in the age of digital disruption... Here is what I learned from the great guest lecture of Wim Van de Voorde from DPG Media België 💪 Even as a business oriented person, having basic coding knowledge is an extremely valuable asset as it allows you to be the driver of some straightforward automation projects (and YouTube is a great source to learn 😉) 👊 Being a driver of change is not only about taking initiative, but also sharing the output with others to maximize the impact of your efforts. 🚀 You can only be a driver of change if you show-up, speak-up and team-up Thanks a lot to Wim for these great insights!

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Deeper Connections Unlock Collective Actions This was one of the opening remark by Femke van Loon at the B For Good Leaders summit that took place last week in Amsterdam. A gathering of 1,500 visionary, entrepreneurs, executives, activists and investors united to create business for good. The summit kicked off rather unconventionally with a 45-minute meditation followed by a 20-minute piano concert. A clear message and invitation to "be present" rather than just "go fast" and "do more". The organizers recognized the importance of slowing down, reconnecting with ourselves, and starting from a place of "being" before "doing". Their core belief? Shared intentions for a better future need collective action to create exponential impact. And deeper connection is the key to unlocking that action. A better future starts with reconnecting with ourselves, remembering who we truly are. From that grounded place, we can (re)connect authentically and respectfully with others and the rest of life. This, I believe, unlocks our unlimited creative power – individually and collectively – and turns the concept of "business for good" into concrete action at scale. Want to dive deeper into human connection and its impact on performance? 💫 Connect with me on LinkedIn Julia Godet and learn how to unlock your potential and your organization's through the power of relationships. 🔔 Ring the bell on my profile to be notified about more content #humanconnection #relationalleadership #authenticleadership #consciousbusiness

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We celebrated Earth Day yesterday! 🌍 As Nicolien Peters-Rengers, our Global Manager of Facilities and Sustainability at Leaseweb, stated:  "Earth Day is a great time for every organization to prioritize rethinking their IT infrastructure choices." The below article dives into the importance of sustainable practices and the role of technology in mitigating climate impact. #EarthDay #ITInfrastructure #Sustainability

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Fundraising process -> 95% completed! 🚀 Closing? End of the year! (Which means we’re also 95% closer to popping the champagne. 🥂) We’ve got a term sheet from a Belgian fund, two very relevant angels flying into the investment nest, and a thumbs-up from PMV for the 'Startlening' of another €100K! Oh, and we’re also knocking on the grant gods’ doors for €240K. But wait, there’s more! We’re still looking for €50K-€100K from a relevant angel to top it off and close above €1.000.000 in total. Why join us? Sure, we’re passionate about innovation, marketing, and sponsorships. We help brands connect with audiences in smarter, more impactful ways. But let’s be honest about the real perks? ⛳ Next to 'getting rich by supporting us', you can now totally tell your partner: “I’m going to work” while heading to a football game or a festival. Because when we talk about sponsorships being part of our GTM model, we mean the front-row kind, where “networking” involves stadium snacks and epic performances. Business and pleasure? Yes, please! If you really want, we can always arrange an extra ticket so you don't have to 'lie'. 🤥 We’re already working with 4 Pro League teams and several big advertisers since starting in February. So if you’re into innovation, creativity, and turning VIP events into legit work duties, slide into our DMs. 🚀 Let’s make history (and excuses) together! Please tag angels, that should take a look at this! :) #seed #investment #excuses

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✨️ Construction on the long and winding stairway to digital transformation... ✨️ Had the pleasure of spending a full day with Claes Henschel, Lars Stehn and Olivier LEPINOY discussing both high and low level challenges, and possibilities, of digital transformation in construction. A lot of initiatives going on both nationally and internationally (for examples see e.g. HYPER Construction and The Arc of Transformation) and construction contractors need to also play offense and exploit opportunities, not just play defense and minimize risk. Yet, still a lot of the transformation that needs further research and investigation. The feeling after this day (as my co-supervisor Joakim Wikner said during my PhD studies): "Still confused, but on a higher level". 😀 More to come on the subject the higher we get...! #digitalization #digitaltransformation #liu #liubygglogistik #smartbuilt

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Strategic empathy in leadership - using soft skills that mean business 😎 Hear all about it in this podcast episode we recorded with the brilliant 🎙Patrick Akil

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Pay it forward. It’s a value I live by. Yesterday, I had the honor of inspiring multimedia students at Erasmushogeschool Brussel about entrepreneurship. (Thank you Hilko Van Hauthem) Here are my key messages: 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤. Start as early as possible. 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬. But make a plan to turn them into reality. 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝. Consistency and perseverance are essential skills. 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫. Someone who can guide you. 𝐁𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫. Help others grow. Pay it forward. Always.

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During this fascinating chat with Roel Wolfert you will discover how entrepreneurs can impact society. You will also learn the 30/30/30 rule to Get More! Listen to the most recent episode of my podcast: Entrepreneurship and Society https://lnkd.in/eGKjfPpZ

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Join the insightful session for the integration of newcomers into the labor market!

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Guess how many public votes??? Last count was at 5.000 votes for the Belgium Impact Startup Awards. Tip: watch the video 🫣 Today is the last day to show your support and cast your vote for your favorite startups! You got until 23:59 tonight. Go Vote: Link in the comments 👇 Your vote counts! Reminder: Public votes, comprising 11% of the total score, could be the deciding factor between 3rd and 4th place. Help your favorite startup(s) reach the podium! 🥇🥈🥉 Let's scale up! 👏 #startups #scaleups #buildingbridges

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Powerful Insights on the Belgian Edtech sector from the edtechstation Edtech Barometer: 💼 Turnover: 880 million euros 👩‍💼👨‍💼 Employees: 7,732 across 408 companies 🏢 Micro-Scale Companies: 50.9% of the sector 🔍 Research: 27.5% are interested/in need of AI research 🏫 Market Distribution: 43.71% education, 29.8% corporate, 25.83% both   Major Trends: - The sector is dominated by very small businesses. - Evidence-Based EdTech: There is a growing need for research, especially in AI solutions. - Joint Concern: Both the education and EdTech industries are focused on consolidating Digisprong results and follow-up policies. - Testbedding: Companies express a need for testing solutions together with users. Let’s tackle this together!   Edtech barometer: https://lnkd.in/efJjJsPy EmpowerED: https://lnkd.in/emJhcjmr

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