When I joined Volta Ventures a few months ago, it was only a matter of time until I
would have the opportunity to tell you a little bit about the person behind the
Associate. So here we go ...
Q — Tell us a bit about yourself
I was born, raised (you might notice that when I pronounce the "rrr") and schooled in
Ghent. I got my master's degree in Corporate Finance and immediately started
working as a Management Consultant. A few years later, the entrepreneur in me
took over. That's when I founded jive.app. A real-time and dynamic ridesharing
application, "the uber for ridesharing". For 2 years, I took a ride on the so-called
start-up rollercoaster and learned many valuable lessons along the way. Which
brings us to the next question.
Oh and I love running half marathons, cycling, kitesurfing and walking our dog Pixie.
Q - What are some of the learnings you drew during your time as a startup founder that you hope to bring to VC?
When I am asked this question, my first response is to always: look for a complementary
co-founder from day 1. Not only because the journey can be tough and challenging,
but also to have someone to celebrate the highlights with. Plus, you can't have all
the necessary skills on your own. Unless you're Lebron James. And even he needs his
point guard.
Second: don't be afraid to run into the wall. In fact, I would go even further by
recommending that you run into the wall as fast and as quickly as possible. That way
you will lose as little time, money and other resources as possible. You may think you
know the market, but you don't until you get out of the building.
Q - What should we expect from you at Volta?
As an entrepreneur, I've learned to bring a duffel bag for all the different hats you have
to wear in a week. Whether it's researching, analyzing, networking, discovering, or
any other -ing, I do it with a smile on my face. That's why this job fits me like a glove.
I love having the opportunity to flatter passionate entrepreneurs on a daily basis. So
if you need someone to go to war with? Then I'm your man!
Q - What are some technologies you get excited about at the moment?
I am very excited about the potential and benefits of Blockchain in the coming years. Not
only the crypto space, but in all the spaces it can help us be more efficient and transparent.
And of course, since jive.app is a mobility tech startup, I am also very passionate about the
evolutions that are happening every day. Not only the EVs, AVs but also other means of
transportation (read: rockets!). What would we be without the evolution of our means of
mobility? We would still be sitting on our island, gazing at the stars and wondering what's
out there. That doesn’t sound so bad ...
Q - What influenced your choice to join Volta?
Ever since I wrote my master thesis on Venture Capital, it became my goal to work in this
industry. As an entrepreneur, I had the passion to build things, but as a master student in
Corporate Finance, I missed the financing aspect. Therefore, Venture Capital was the perfect
sweet spot of both worlds for me that I would love to build a career in.
Why Volta? Well, as a Gentenaar (i.e. someone from Ghent), Volta was always top of mind
when thinking about Belgian VC funds. And having sat in a founder's chair, Volta was the party I
would want to partner with. Not only does Volta have a lot of experience, broad expertise
and a huge network, but their no-nonsense way of working saves a lot of time and energy.
So if you're curious about how we work, feel free to contact me at stan@voltaventures.eu
and let's have a cup of coffee/beer or go for a run!
