Tim Brinkman

Motivation for applying to this position

Hi everybody, my name is Tim Brinkman and I would like to apply for the President position of EIT digital alumni

What is my motivation to apply for this position?

EIT has personally brought me many life experiences that I would like to help facilitate for all the other members. Firstly, it brought me a group of close friends from across the globe that taught me how to operate in international spheres. Secondly, EIT Digital has created many learning opportunities for me. During my time at EIT Digital I have started my own start-up with passionate colleagues that I wouldn’t have met without EIT Digital. Thus, my main motivation for applying for the EIT Digital Alumni is because I’d like to stay in touch with fellow like minded tech innovators and help them to experience the incredible moments that I myself have experienced.

Lastly, I’d like to further develop my leadership skills by helping this community grow. Apart from that, I believe the community has lots of unutilised potential and therefore I would like to introduce new initiatives to help the community grow and provide our members with valuable support.

Vision and plans for the community
  • More EIT cross KIC collaborations

As a president I would like to stimulate more cross KIC events and collaborations. Mainly, because I believe interacting with fellow students with different backgrounds helps us to broaden our horizons and to learn from each other, which stimulates out of the box thinking and brings new perspectives. In order to achieve this, I would like to stimulate having cross KIC startup initiatives. I do not think we would be able to build the best products/companies with only data scientists or UX designers. Furthermore, I would like to learn from them how they organise their community. Finally, I would also like to organise larger cross KIC alumni events with them.

  • More support for EIT Digital alumni startup initiatives;

The entrepreneurial spirit which flows through every EIT Digital alumnus is something we should be proud of. However, I have the feeling not many alumni succeed in creating an amazing start-up which could be the next Facebook or Google. As an EIT Digital alumni community I believe we have the knowledge and skills to help each other and therefore I would like to introduce more initiatives in which we would be able to help each other develop better start-ups. For example via an “EIT Digital alumni feedback accelerator”, in this feedback accelerator as a founder you could ask fellow EIT Digital alumni for their feedback on your start-up initiative or even use EIT Digital alumni as a user test panel.

  • Improved mentorship programme

As EIT Digital alumni we have a mentorship programme, but in my opinion this could be improved with new initiatives in which we could help each other out finding a new job or getting career advice. One local mentorship initiative could be having a (digital) site visit at the company some alumnus works for.

Why people should vote for me
  • EIT cross KIC experience

Apart from an EIT Digital alumnus, I am also an EIT Food and Climate KIC alumnus. I have visited several events from other KICs and I have experience with starting a start-up together with people from other KICs. For example I have started a startup with somebody from Climate KIC and InnoEnergy. Currently, in Amsterdam I also live with somebody from InnoEnergy, so many cross KIC integration has happened in my personal life as well ;)

  • Experience being in a board

In the Netherlands I have been a board member of the largest independent political youth party. As a board member I have been a treasurer, PR Officer and I have led a digital innovation committee and events committee.

  • My enthusiasm and excitement to make this a success!

I am very excited to work with an exciting team and build further on the EIT Digital alumni community. Furthermore, I would like to use my enthusiasm to deliver concrete deliverables and progress.

Tell us more about your past experience and involvement with the EIT Digital Alumni

During and after my time as an EIT Digital student I have been involved in several EIT Digital alumni events

  • EIT connect event 2018 in Budapest (first encounter with EIT Digital Alumni)
  • EIT Digital ambassador 2019 and the representative for the KTH ICT Innovation programme
  • EIT Digital alumni coach at EIT Digital kick-off in Trento 2019
  • EIT Digital alumni co living Fuerteventura 2022 participant
  • And countless unofficial and spontaneous meet-ups with fellow EIT Digital alumni all around the world :)

And I cannot wait to add being a board member of the EIT Digital alumni to this list