Access Twente: One Alumni Connection Away

Joe Laufer

Join Joe Laufer as he explores the global alumni network of the University of Twente, one conversation at a time. In each episode, he connects with an UT'er somewhere in the world, often found through a simple LinkedIn search and message, to hear their story, career journey, and insights. Whether you're a current student, a recent graduate, or have been away from campus for a while, this podcast from the University of Twente Alumni Office aims to inspire you to also start accessing your worldwide UT community - reach out, make a connection, and start a conversation! Comments or Suggestions? Reach out to us! alumni@utwente.nl

Episodes

  1. Jun 11

    S01E01 Enschede to Zurich: Michelle Geerlings on Visual Thinking and Taking Initiative

    In this episode, Joe speaks with Twente alumna Michelle Geerlings, now Country Director Switzerland at Flatland.  Starting from her time studying Industrial Design Engineering at UT, where she was actively involved in S.G. Daedalus and Bedrijvendagen Twente, she went on to gain international experience at TU Delft, including projects in Kenya and Japan. Michelle shares how she transitioned afterwards from a 2020 internship into opening her company's first international office in Zurich. Along the way, Michelle reflects among other things on visual thinking, her work on human-centered AI policy, and the value of volunteering. Here is the video version (00:00) - Introduction & podcast concept (01:08) - UT experience: Industrial Design & student life (03:20) - Organizing Bedrijvendagen Twente (04:37) - TU Delft journey: global experiences (07:01) - AI thesis: shaping policy for real-world impact (09:24) - Entrepreneurship: starting Studio Mies (11:57) - Building Flatland Switzerland (13:50) - What is visual thinking? (15:36) - Volunteering & personal motivation (17:02) - Hiking project & personal interests (18:49) - Advice for students & graduates (20:37) - LinkedIn & reaching out

    22 min
  • 1 Episode

About

Join Joe Laufer as he explores the global alumni network of the University of Twente, one conversation at a time. In each episode, he connects with an UT'er somewhere in the world, often found through a simple LinkedIn search and message, to hear their story, career journey, and insights. Whether you're a current student, a recent graduate, or have been away from campus for a while, this podcast from the University of Twente Alumni Office aims to inspire you to also start accessing your worldwide UT community - reach out, make a connection, and start a conversation! Comments or Suggestions? Reach out to us! alumni@utwente.nl

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