(Photo: Gent-6 by Joost Markerink)
The London Chapter of KU Leuven Alumni invites you to our next event, an exciting discussion on innovation and entrepreneurship with Koenraad Debackere (KU Leuven Research & Development), Anne-Sophie Maenhout and Siska Lannoo (Showpad UK) on Thursday 7th April 2016.
Programme:
- 19h00: Welcome by the Steering Committee of KU Leuven Alumni London Chapter
- 20h00: Testimonial from Showpad UK and discussion on innovation with Koenraad Debackere, Anne-Sophie Maenhout and Siska Lannoo
- 21h00: Reception with the opportunity to network and meet other KU Leuven alumni
- 23h00: End
This event is free and open to both KU Leuven alumni and non-alumni.
Hoping to see all of you there,
The Steering Committee of KU Leuven Alumni London Chapter
How to Take your Entrepreneurial Project to the Next Level?
A real-life testimonial from Showpad, a Ghent-based start-up, will give insights from their own experiences. Founded by two young professionals in 2011, Showpad has now grown into a company with offices in Ghent, London and San Francisco. Furthermore, in the past year, Showpad more than doubled its global headcount, now employing almost 130 people. As such, Showpad is an exciting example of Flemish entrepreneurship and innovation!
As the founder of more than one hundred spin-offs, Koenraad Debackere will share some of his expertise on innovation and provide insight in how innovation can take your entrepreneurial project to the next level. Furthermore, he will interview Showpad on how they use innovation on a day-to-day basis, which will certainly make for an insightful discussion.
With a focus on innovation we hope to broaden your horizons on the entrepreneurial front!
Guest Lecturers:
Prof. Dr. Koenraad Debackere, KU Leuven Research & Development
Koenraad Debackere is full professor at the Faculty of Economics and Business at KU Leuven. He specialises in Technology, Innovation Management and Innovation Policy. In 2005, he was appointed as Managing Director of KU Leuven and as such is responsible for the university’s administration and central services. Furthermore, professor Debackere also is the Executive Director of KU Leuven Research & Development (LRD), one of the first technology transfer offices in Europe. Over the last 40 years, LRD has developed a tradition of collaborating with industry, securing and licensing intellectual property rights, and creating more than 100 spin-off companies. As an expert on innovation, he has been involved with different initiatives in the context of Vlaanderen in Actie (VIA), the strategic plan of the Flemish Government and in April 2013, Kris Peeters appointed him as the Chairman of VIA’s Council of Elders.
Anne-Sophie Maenhout, Business Development UK & Ireland – Showpad UK
Siska Lannoo, Business Development & Partnerships Manager – Showpad UK
Showpad, a Ghent-based start-up founded in 2011, is a leader in sales enablement that helps sales teams have more engaging conversations, driven by context, and optimized for every conversation. They provide mobile-first software that gives clients marketing control over content and messaging while providing sales teams with up-to-date content to present and share with prospects. By enhancing all sales interactions, Showpad enables companies to close more deals, faster. They now have 700+ customers across the world, including household names such as Atlas Copco, Audi, Electrabel – GDF Suez Xerox, Heineken, Johnson & Johnson, Unilever and Xerox.
