Peter De Paepe leads VRT Sandbox, an accelerator that collaborates with startups and scale-ups to boost media innovation at VRT. He is also a partner in STADIEM, a top Pan European Media Accelerator, and a member of the 'Media Invest Flanders' VC fund, investing in media scale-ups in Brussels and Flanders, a collaboration between VRT and PMV.With over 20 years in media production, Peter studied Radio and Audiovisual Arts in Brussels and has become an expert in open innovation, digital strategy, corporate acceleration, and venturing.Currently, he leads the VRT Sandbox team in running STADIEM, a world-class Pan European Accelerator for Media, with a 10 month program that connects startups with some of the best media-houses and investors and mentors in Europe. The aim is to develop 'Next Generation Media Products' focused on web3, youth formats, gaming, countering misinformation, automated content flows, and synthetic voices. The program is a strong partnership with Next Media Accelerator from Germany, Media City Bergen from Norway, Storytek from Estonia, and EBU (European Broadcasting Union). In addition, he is coordinating an incubation track "Seeds & Growth For Media", dedicated to Flemish and Brussels startups in media, together with Medianet Vlaanderen, Thomas More, and Future Media Hubs. He is also a member of the investment team of Media Invest Flanders, a 10 million Euro CVC fund where VRT and Participatie Maatschappij Vlaanderen collaborate to invest in promising companies within the Flemish media ecosystem. Peter played a key role in establishing this venture. The initial investments were made in Cyborn, a 3D animation studio; Cybernetic Walrus, a game studio; and THEOtechnologies, a universal video player used by BBC, Telenet, KPN, NBC, etc.Peter began his career as a reporter, presenter, and producer at Radio 2. After eight years, he transitioned to one of VRT's youth channels, Studio Brussels. He hosted programs like ‘De Maxx’ and ‘Was het nu 80, 90, 2000’ and served as the Final Editor. Later on, Peter became the Program Manager of MNM, overseeing the station's sound and hosts. He contributed to its growth, transforming MNM into a powerful youth radio station, focused on ages 16-35 with a diverse audience.While Peter's heart remains devoted to radio, he excels at the intersection of media content, entrepreneurship, and media technology.During the winter, you can find Peter skiing in the Alps. In his free time, he enjoys exploring small mountain bike trails or playing spirited games of mini-football on Sundays.