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AI Pitch Competition is fueled by innovation, driven by passion, and guided by expertise. Meet the brilliant minds shaping the future of startups.

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Jury Members

Our professional jury brings together a diverse range of industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and visionaries. They possess the insight, experience, and dedication to recognize excellence in innovation and entrepreneurship.

Martijn van Gruijthuijsen serves as a Provincial Executive in North Brabant with responsibility for economy, talent development, and finance. His portfolio covers knowledge policy, innovation, and digitalisation.

Martijn van Gruijthuijsen

Provincie Noord-Brabant

Merwin de Jong is the founder of Repetive.ai and AnyID. He works at the intersection of technology and business, exploring how AI can be applied to make organizations more efficient and people’s work more meaningful. Through his ventures, he contributes to developing AI-driven solutions that bridge innovation and real-world impact.

Merwin de Jongh

Repetive.ai & AnyID

Rina Joosten-Rabou is the co-founder and CEO of Pera, an AI scale-up that predicts job performance through natural language technology. She advises the OECD on AI and the future of work and contributes to discussions on responsible innovation. She also holds supervisory board roles in Dutch organizations and has been included in the Inspiring Fifty list of women in technology.

Rina Joosten-Rabou

Pera

Anita Lieverdink coordinates the Startups & Scale-ups program within the Dutch AI Coalition. She is part of the Breaking Barriers initiative, which supports AI startups in scaling through better access to funding and collaboration. She also contributes to regional and national initiatives that connect AI stakeholders across the Netherlands.

Anita Lieverdink

AI Coalitie 4 Nederland

Lotte Smit van Ditshuizen is a partner at Arches Capital, an investment firm that backs early-stage B2B software startups. She works with portfolio companies on support and follow-on investments. In 2021, Arches Capital announced the first close of a €17.5 million fund dedicated to helping Dutch scale-ups grow.

Lotte Smit van Ditshuizen

Arches Capital

Ira Romy Alice Stoll is the CEO and co-founder of myScribe, a med-tech company developing AI-powered documentation software for healthcare professionals. With a background in medicine, she brings clinical knowledge into the development of digital health tools. Her work includes advancing AI-driven documentation to reduce the workload of medical professionals.

Ira Romy Alice Stoll

myScribe

Nathan Volkers is a business developer at MindLabs, where he builds collaborations between academia, research, and industry. Since joining in 2023, he has worked on partnerships and funding for projects in AI and interactive technologies. He supports in the MindLabs’ field labs, which test and apply new technologies in practice.

Nathan Volkers

MindLabs

Peter Brouwers is the founder of NextGen AI, an initiative that brings artificial intelligence education and workshops to youth and young professionals. Alongside this, he has launched several entrepreneurship and innovation platforms in Brabant, including ACT NOW, Dutch AI Week, and the Junior AI League. With a background in business administration from Tilburg University, he has been active in building platforms that connect innovation, education, and entrepreneurship.

Peter Brouwers

NextGen AI

Executive Board

Our executive members are esteemed leaders with extensive experience and a proven track record in driving strategic growth and innovation. They bring unparalleled expertise, visionary thinking, and a commitment to excellence in guiding AI Pitch Competition towards achieving its mission.

Erik Lammers is Policy Officer for Valorization and SMEs at the Province of North Brabant. He develops policies that connect the region’s innovation agenda with opportunities for startups and small enterprises. His work supports programs that turn Brabant’s knowledge and research base into practical economic growth.

Erik Lammers

Provincie Noord-Brabant

Liesje Goldschmidt is Marketing & Business Development Director at Erasmus Enterprise. She leads partnerships and programs that connect academia, entrepreneurs, and industry in Rotterdam and beyond. Liesje also helped shape the AI Pitch Competition, reflecting her role in building platforms that support entrepreneurship and new technology.

Liesje Goldschmidt

Erasmus Enterprise

Maddy Reijers is Digitalization Strategist at the Province of North Brabant. She works on regional policies that guide the digital transition in both business and public services. Her role emphasizes creating the conditions for responsible and effective adoption of new technologies.

Maddy Reijers

Provincie Noord-Brabant

Job Nijs is Director of Braventure, a Brabant partnership of universities, development agencies, and incubators. He oversees programs that provide startups with capital, coaching, and growth opportunities. Job focuses on strengthening Brabant’s startup ecosystem by linking public and private partners to support entrepreneurial growth.

Job Nijs

BRAVENTURE

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