I am pleased to announce that as of August 2016 I will be engaging with the Digital Zurich 2025 initiative through its Kickstart Accelerator program, as a cross-vertical expert.
The Kickstart Accelerator program allows founders and teams from the best international early-stage startups across four verticals to live and work in Zurich, Switzerland for the duration of the 11-week program, giving them access to additional resources without fees. A couple of weeks ago, the finalists across all verticals – Food, Smart & Connected Machines, Fintech and Future & Emerging Technologies – have been selected. You can see all the finalists here: http://kickstart-accelerator.com/startups/.
I am making myself available to help these start-ups through their opportunities and challenges in specific areas, such as Marketing Strategy & Brand Creation or Managing Creativity and Innovation. I am personally pleased to see many of the finalists with a connection to some of the industries I have been involved with – healthcare, hospitality and food production. For me personally, this is a chance to support the local community in their endeavour to help to create new businesses and attract top talent. Having spent the majority of the last 10 years involved with starting or growing new businesses from Switzerland, I find it a great host country for international talent. I would like to help others benefit from my experience in both independent and corporate world entrepreneurship.
Four weeks from now is the official kick-off date for the Kick Start Accelerator program in Zurich. I for one am very much looking forward to this year’s return from summer break.