Creating impact through sustainable product design is what drives me.Trained as an industrial design engineer at Delft University of Technology, I wanted to combine my idealistic drive with a commercial business.In 2013, I co-founded Better Future Factory (BFF), a product design agency focused on helping companies accelerate sustainable product innovation.I became the CEO and with our talented team we work for top-tier clients like LEGO, IKEA, and BMW. But I started missing the startup energy and creating tangible products myself. Time for a change? I couldn’t walk away from my BFF’s, so I started thinking of a spin-off using the network, experience and superpowers of the team. The idea for this new spin-off was sparked by seeing a trophy we created years ago from recycled materials.The corporate trophy industry stayed the same for decades. Outdated, unsustainable products celebrating innovation. Strange, right? I saw the potential for change. Trophies could do more than celebrate; they could turn people into ambassadors for sustainability.Now, through Upstream Trophies, we’re setting a new standard. With sustainable trophies that deserve to be seen. 🏆 Upstream Trophies achievements• Preferred trophy supplier of Schneider Electric (World’s most sustainable company 2024 - TIME)• World’s first material passport for trophies• Trophy return program for old trophies• Unique production process which can transform specific waste streams of our customers into new trophies • Delivered trophies in over 79 countries❤️ Better Future Factory achievements• Global impact with our work for consumer goods, automotive and packaging design• 150+ sustainable product innovations• Multiple patents on recycling innovations⭐ Startups initiated by Better Future Factory:• Refil: World’s first recycled 3D-printing filament (2015)• New Marble: Certified wall tiles made from 100% recycled PET bottles (2014)• Perpetual Plastic Project: Interactive recycling machine, inspiring 1M+ people (2012)• Upstream Trophies: Sustainable trophies that deserve to be seen (2023)🤙 Shaping a sustainable future through innovative design is my passion and mission. I’m always eager to connect, learn from others, and help support their journey toward more sustainable practices.