event

Workshop | Make diversity work for you

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Diversity at work has become a hot topic nowadays. Especially in the startup world, having a diverse team sits at the core of an innovation ecosystem and has the potential to launch the company to success.

Companies that are diverse are better able to reach a greater market and engage in international business relations. They also do better economically! According to SAP CSO, Deepak Krishnamurthy, on average, companies with more diverse leadership teams report almost 20% higher revenues from innovation. Furthermore, having a diverse team is often a requirement that investors and stakeholders demand.

That's why we organize the workshop 'Make diversity work for you' in collaboration with High Tech Plaza.

Make diversity work

To better understand the importance of diversity, we have to start with our own prejudices. What are they, and how can we overcome them? What does diversity mean to you, and what differentiates you from the rest? We will discuss these issues and teach you how to turn your uniqueness into an asset. During this interactive workshop, we will zoom in on what makes you unique and discuss how this can work to your advantage. Through this lens, you will also learn to appreciate the uniqueness of your colleagues and people around you. This is the first step to achieve a diverse team!

Where and when

12th of November from 16:00-18:00
High Tech Plaza | High Tech Campus 27, Eindhoven

Speakers

María Frías Goyenechea
Biomedical Engineer | TMC Mechatronics

María is the chairwoman and one of the co-founders of the TMC expat community. She is originally from Mexico and has international experience with different types of companies. She worked for TU/e, TNO, Infineon and several start-ups in Mexico as well as The Netherlands. .As a woman and expat, she understands the importance of diversity.

“Diversity is about embracing one another's uniqueness. It is not only having different groups represented; it is about accepting, valuing, and celebrating differences among people. Diversity generates more productive, innovative and balanced teams.”

Ignacio Vazquez
St. Development Engineer | TMC data Science

Ignacio is one of the founders of the TMC Expat Community and KIVI International Engineers; groups that help freshly arrived engineers and their families to feel welcome to the Netherlands and network with other professionals. He has worked at DAF, ASML, Continental AG, a HighTechXL startup and was briefly a high school teacher in Mexico.

“Did you know that in Darwin’s theory of evolution diversity plays a key component to any species surviving? If the environment changes and your group is not able to adapt fast, you’ll not make it. Teams are like that, you need a continuous input of fresh ideas and different lenses to filter what the world throws at you.”

Lotte Geertsen
Manager TMC Entrepreneurial Lab

Lotte is project leader of innovation projects such as Hybrid Teaching. She is an optimist who organizes, connects and likes to build bridges. As a business innovation architect, she develops future-oriented strategies, particularly in the areas of technology, entrepreneurship and creativity. In addition, she wonders herself about technology and human interaction in innovation ecosystems, and she believes that people make innovation happen. She likes to build ecosystems with stakeholders and work for a better world of tomorrow, because Lotte states: “the best way to have a good idea, is to share lots of ideas”.

“In order to create new innovations you need different people with diverse perspectives together, because the magic is in the mix.”

Do you want to join us? Participation is free.