Scaling with diverse Talents

An interactive keynote by an experienced talent consultant in high pace (tech) environments followed by a panel talk on how to secure diversity as a key driver for scaling. In the panel will be founder, recruiter, talent, amongst others to highlight every angle on the topic. There will be time to pitch for talent / recruitment.

The program

Walk-in and Networking 03:30 PM - 04:00 PM

Opening by the moderator, Voor Goed Agency and 42Workspace 04:00 PM - 04:15 PM

Keynote speaker Vivian Acquah. Are you a startup founder or leader looking to turn your team's diversity into your greatest asset? Join us. 04:15 PM - 04:45 PM

Panel: The conversation will bring together a CEO, a Founder, a Tech Talent, and a Thought Leader, who will share their knowledge, experiences, visions, and strategies 04:45 PM - 05:30 PM

Closing by the moderator 05:30 PM - 05:45 PM

Drinks 05:45 PM - 18:00 PM

Closed Closed

The panel talk

The panel talk will deepen the understanding of effective and substantial scaling strategies through diversity. Collecting a range of viewpoints of different company roles, the panel will engage in a meaningful conversation spanning topics such as the benefits of diversity when scaling your company, what is unavoidably necessary to survive as a scale-up, blind spots in the ecosystem, and why Rotterdam te most diverse city in the Netherlands still lags behind Amsterdam (and what we’re going to do about it). We’ll also explore how to create strong role models and leaders, and how diversity drives revenue.

The conversation will bring together a CEO, a Founder, a Tech Talent, and a Thought Leader, who will share their knowledge, experiences, visions, and strategies and hopefully, their unvarnished opinions.

Points of interest

Event information:

Location: 42workspace
Schiedamse Vest 154
3011 BH Rotterdam
The Netherlands
Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Time: 03:30 PM – 06:00 PM

Photos and video recordings will be taken at this event.

These recordings and photos will be published online. By attending the event, you consent to the taking of photos and video recordings and their publication by us as the organizers and by the attendees.

This event is organized in collaboration.

Between Zwarte vrouwen voor Technologie (www.zvvt.nl), Digitale Glans (www.digitaleglans.nl), Voor Goed Agency (www.voorgoedagency.nl), Upstream Festival (www.upstreamfestival.com) and 42Workspace (www.42workspace.com/). This event is part of the Upstream Festival.

Transportation

Come by public transport. If you come by car, paid parking is required.

The Speakers

Keynote speaker Vivian Acquah

Are you a startup founder or leader looking to turn your team's diversity into your greatest asset?

Join us for a focused, high-impact 30-minute session designed to dismantle these obstacles and reveal the competitive advantage hidden within your diverse workforce.

Learn more about Vivian's talk

Panel speaker: Tine Bakia

Tine Bakia has worked in software and technology for 13 years. After roles in sales at a food delivery platform and in business design & strategy at a blockchain and IoT consultancy for corporates (including BASF Canada and Glencore), she founded several startups. She is currently the CEO and founder of PackBack

Learn more about Tine

Panel speaker: Cindy Steward

Cindy Steward works at the intersection of technology and neuroscience. She worked as a Software Engineer and AI Guild Lead at ING Bank, and is currently pursuing a Research Master in Neuroscience at Erasmus Medical Centre, where she develops inclusive machine learning models to detect motor and speech impairments during awake brain surgery.

Learn more about Tine

Panel speaker Marianne Dorder-Servet

Marianne is an IT professional and founder of Zwarte vrouwen voor Technologie and Digitale Glans. Looking for opportunities to (re-)train and break into tech as an employee or entrepeneur?
Are you a startup founder or leader in tech looking for solutions to solve the IT expertise shortage and make your tech products or services more inclusive? Come to this event.

Learn more about Marianne's talk

Panel speaker: Info to follow

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Organized by

Zwarte vrouwen voor Technologie

Zwarte vrouwen voor Technologie (ZVVT) is a strategic partner for organizations investing in diverse talent, innovation, and a future-proof IT labor market. Are you interested in retraining and further training in IT? Are you looking for a job in IT? Do you want to grow in IT? Do you want to switch to a different IT role? Contact us through our website or by emailing info@zvvt.nl. ZVVT is partner of Digitale Glans.

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Voor Goed Agency

Voor Goed Agency: Drivers of social entrepreneurship in Rotterdam. Do you want your business to make a positive contribution to society? Do you want to grow your current social enterprise? Do you want to start a business with a social mission? Contact us through our website.

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Digitale Glans

Digitale Glans offers digital expertise, talentmatching and training, workshops and masterclasses to organizations. Do you want to teach IT workshops at your company? Do you want to expand your team with IT expertise? Are you looking for IT talent on a project basis, as a secondment, or as permanent staff? Contact us through our website.

Learn more

42workspace

42workspace is Rotterdam’s leading coworking space and community for innovative tech startups, scale-ups, and freelancers. With its unique location in the heart of Rotterdam, our workspace provides the perfect environment and network to take your business to the next level.

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Upstream Festival

Upstream is where early-stage startups find capital and opportunities. Founders and investors are invited to join us to spark growth through funding opportunities, strategic partnerships and peer-learning. Upstream brings in some special focus on three industry tracks being, Port & Maritime, Health & Wellbeing, and Climate & Energy, while continuing to welcome innovations from all sectors. Whether you’re raising, investing, or looking to connect with peers, this community-driven festival is your gateway to meaningful connections. Save the date: May 21, 2026.

Learn more