
ACE Connect
ACE Connect want to inspire Amsterdam students to become entrepreneurs.
Job Rietvelt (22) is a fourth year student of the Production and Stage Management programme at de Theaterschool. In addition to graduating, he is a board member of ACE Connect this year. Job: 'That is the student board of the Amsterdam Center for Entrepreneurship. We make students enthusiastic about entrepreneurship.'
Emeline Bakker (22) is in her last year of the Bachelor in Production at the Netherlands Film Academy. Last year, she was a board member of ACE Connect; she still likes to visit the event. Emeline: 'They are there for all students of the AHK, HvA, VU and UvA, but also other interested young people are welcome. As the name suggests, ACE Connect wants to connect people.'
ACE Connect organises the following events:
Ondernemerscafé (Entrepreneur’s Café)
There is an Ondernemerscafé (Entrepreneur’s Café) four times per year with three speakers and a networking drinks party afterwards. Emeline: 'It is very accessible. It is not only intended for people who have already got far with entrepreneurship. They are also simply enjoyable and inspiring evenings. So, come along one time with your friends'
Babypitch
At the Babypitch, you are given one minute to convince a professional jury of your entrepreneurial idea. You can earn €500 with it and get the chance to write a business plan under professional supervision. Emeline: 'Even if you only came up with the idea in the bar yesterday, you can pitch it!' Job: 'If there is a group of students with ideas, then the AHK students are that group. This is also a good opportunity to express them.' The Babypitch took place at the beginning of December.
Amsterdam Student Entrepreneur Awards (ASOP)
The ASOP in April offers students and recent graduates a platform to pitch their start-up and have it evaluated by experienced entrepreneurs.
‘Exchanging ideas and helping each other progress’
What’s the benefit of ACE Connect for AHK students?
Emeline: 'More AHK students should come to these events.' Job: 'I want to introduce AHK students to business people, who they would normally not meet. You learn more from that than staying in your own bubble. Challenge yourself! Successful start-ups are often set up by creatives, not necessarily by business administration students. Moreover, we must also teach the arts and culture sector to be more enterprising now that many subsidies are disappearing.'
Emeline: 'Students are looking for practical information or – if they already have their own company – more depth. ACE Connect meets this need. In the world of entrepreneurs, people speak another language than in the artistic world. But don’t let yourself be scared off by the vocabulary of entrepreneurial terms, because you’ll get the hang of them.'
What did you personally gain from ACE Connect?
Emeline: 'I met a lot of new people via ACE. I learnt about the business world and about applying entrepreneurship in practice. As a member of the board, I could also invite speakers that I wanted to see myself. For example, there was a Ondernemerscafé (Entrepreneur’s Café) about advertising, for which I invited Bas Welling from Wefilm as speaker. I wanted to learn about how they make commercials.'
‘I have been an entrepreneur since I was four years old’
What is your connection with entrepreneurship?
Job: ‘I was already an entrepreneur when I was young. I sold my own newspaper at primary school. And I am still interested in entrepreneurship. When I attended a lesson as part of the minor in Entrepreneurship at VU University Amsterdam, someone asked me along to the ACE Entrepreneurship Summer School. You spend a week writing a business plan there under the supervision of fascinating people. I won the second prize with my plan for a central sales system for theatre, concert hall and concert venue tickets in Amsterdam. I am now receiving coaching from ACE and trying to establish the idea among theatres.
I am also graduating by writing a business plan for the production of a theatre performance, in addition to my graduation production.'

Site ACE Connect

Group ACE Connect