Coen Baars Email & Phone Number

Haarlem, North Holland, Nl

Build a more intuitive and efficient search experience, leveraging the power of vector search and LLMs to improve the understanding of user intent.Key Qualifications and Responsibilities;- Set Giftomatic’s technological product vision and strategy.- Established the initial design and development of the Giftomatic Giftfinder, our next-generation search engine.- Defined and drafted the Software Requirements Specifications (SRS) and supervised product design and development of Giftomatic's mobile apps (Android/iOS).- Sourced digital product agencies to build the first version of Giftomatic's cross-platform consumer apps.- Defined and developed a successful implementation process to ensure seamless integration of the Giftomatic toolset (Giftfinder and related tools) on partner sites.- Improve Giftomatic’s technical infrastructure and processes.- Sourced external investors, accelerator programs (incl. AWS Activate), and R&D subsidies (WBSO) to finance product development.Identify and initiate the implementation of new technologies (incl. NLP/Vector search/AI) to support business growth and innovation.- Led a team of engineers and designers (6 FTE) to scale production and continue to improve and innovate our products implemented by leading gift card and incentive companies.

Delft, Nl

Leading a cross-functional team of 10FTE to build a great product to help teachers deliver educational resources to students.About SymbalooSymbaloo started as a visual bookmarking tool in 2007 in the Netherlands, meant to be the homepage simplifying internet navigation. After shifting our focus towards education and our launch in the United States in 2010, Symbaloo grew in the following years from 1 million to over 10 million users (MAU) worldwide, which makes Symbaloo one of the leading navigation and supporting tools in education.

Delft, Nl

As part of a small engineering team at Symbaloo, I played a vital role in building the new platform from the ground up. Leveraging modern tools like JavaScript, React, CSS (Sass), and a RESTful Java backend, we created a robust-, scalable-, and user-friendly platform. Our efforts laid the foundations for the platform's future growth, which led to an impressive milestone of 10 million monthly active users in the following years. Additionally, I developed the Symbaloo app in Objective-C, which garnered over 100,000 downloads in its first year. Moreover, I actively contributed to the development of the Android app, further expanding our platform's reach. Throughout these years, I gained valuable skills and developed a passion for creating intuitive and visually appealing digital products.

Helping Dutch SMEs improve their online presence and provide web development services. These services usually consisted of- Build fully functional websites and custom web development in PHP, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.- Provide web hosting services and administer server configuration.- Web and landing page design.- Create content and implement SEO strategies to increase website traffic and improve search engine rankings.

Rotterdam, Nl

In 2011 we started a new community platform for the real-estate market. Based on an algorithm using previous behaviour and interests of the user, we gave advise about housing and neighbourhoods.

After four years of study and my first job, I took the opportunity to explore the world and the time to reflect on my first professional experiences in software development. During this period, I discovered in which direction I wanted to develop myself for personal and professional growth, which continues to serve as the foundation for my aspirations in life and career.

Rotterdam, Nederland, Nl

During my time at Atlantis Creative, I was part of a small team consisting of marketers, designers, developers, and content creators, with my primary focus on web development. In this role, I contributed to more than 30 fully functional web and e-commerce sites for Dutch SME clients. This experience has provided me with valuable insights for building a strong online presence, enriching my knowledge of IT services, and delivering effective digital solutions.Atlantis Creative is a Dutch agency offering digital services, including custom web development, building e-commerce websites, and app development.