DNNL unAcademy · powered by School of Business and Economics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Leadership for
Start-up Growth
A 4-month hybrid executive programme for founders with traction — combining VU Amsterdam academic depth with proven DNNL community methodology. Your outcome: a new client, or a new investor.
In partnership with
The numbers.
They speak for themselves.
The DNNL × Social Enterprise NL Launchpad is now in its 5th edition — continuously tested and improved. The same methodology, same network, same intensity as the unAcademy. These are the numbers from our most recent cohort.
Source: DNNL × Social Enterprise NL Launchpad Track — funded by Google.org via the Social Innovation Ecosystem Fund. Now in its 5th edition. Programme structure, methodology and network are the direct foundation of the unAcademy.
5th Edition · VerifiedTwo DNNL Launchpad alumni made it to Het Financieele Dagblad — the Netherlands' leading financial newspaper: Ming Faraz Khan and Lennart Zielstra. This is what DNNL alumni do after Demo Day.
"Entrepreneurial growth is a journey of personal transformation — not just a checklist of skills."
The unAcademy is built on a simple conviction: founders who change the world don't just need better pitch decks. They need to become better leaders.
Structured around Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey — with Nesrien Abu Ghazaleh bringing this framework to life as a conceptual guide — the programme mirrors the actual arc of entrepreneurship: the call, the trials, the transformation, and the return as a stronger leader with a stronger company.
VU Amsterdam SBE academic rigour + DNNL community methodology = transformation with credentials.
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One shared curriculum.
Two optional add-on tracks.
The Core Curriculum — for every unAcademy participant
Every participant follows the same four-month Leadership for Start-up Growth curriculum. This is not a "track" — it is the programme itself. Outcome focus: land a new client, or start an investor conversation. The 67% success rate of previous cohorts proves it works.
The curriculum is structured to produce a concrete business outcome — not just certificates. Whether that's a signed enterprise pilot, a first investment term sheet, or a materially stronger company with sharper governance: every module connects directly to that goal. The Hero's Journey framework gives the journey meaning. The outcome focus gives it direction.
The Call & Crossing the Threshold
Phase 1Self-discovery, vision alignment, and commitment to the journey
Tests, Allies & Mentors
Phase 2Refining your business model and building your support system
The Ordeal & Seizing the Reward
Phase 3Funding, enterprise sales, and strategic positioning
Return with the Elixir
Phase 4Governance, integration, and launching into your next chapter
Deepen your focus — on top of the curriculum
These tracks run parallel to the curriculum — they do not replace it
Participants can choose to add one or both specialised tracks to their programme. They provide certified expertise in AI & digital skills or IP commercialisation. The core curriculum remains the foundation; the tracks extend your focus.
Also available as standalone — for professionals not enrolled in the main programme
Are you a professional, intrepreneur, or entrepreneur who wants to develop AI/digital credentials or IP skills — without the full four-month programme? Both tracks can be followed independently. You'll join shared sessions with the cohort, access the INCO Academy certifications, and participate in relevant community events. Contact us for standalone track pricing and availability.
Future-proof your digital edge
Four INCO Academy-certified modules running parallel to the curriculum. Self-paced with live sessions — AI fundamentals, data literacy, applied AI tools, and cybersecurity. Open to all participants and non-founder professionals.
Unlock and commercialise your IP
For founders and spin-out professionals leveraging academic intellectual property. Delivered in partnership with IXA-Go. Runs parallel to the curriculum, from IP audit through licensing strategy to deal structuring.
What Demo Day
looks like
The DNNL Demo Day brings together founders, investors, and corporates. This is where 67% of participants secure their first client or open a funding conversation.
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Five anchor events
Five major community events across Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Eindhoven connect you directly to investors, corporates, and the Dutch new economy ecosystem.
AI & New Economy @ Google HQ
Ecosystem introduction and cohort kick-off.
ISOC NL Digital Sovereignty Conference
Cloud governance, AI ethics, policy network access.
Founders & Funders Dinner
Curated investor matching and follow-up facilitation.
New Economy Cert Lab
Micro-credential presentations and employer panel.
DNNL unConference & Demo Day
Pitches to investors, exhibition, VU SBE certificate ceremony.
The team
behind your journey
Ruben Brave
Managing Partner, DNNL · Programme LeadInternet pioneer (Planet Internet, NL's first commercial ISP), serial entrepreneur (sold startup 2013), and Entrepreneur in Residence at VU Amsterdam. Founded DNNL following government-commissioned diversity research involving 400+ interviews. His work spans inclusive entrepreneurship, internet governance, and economic justice policy.
Dr. Emmanuel Agha
VU Leadership Academy · Programme LeadVertical leadership development specialist at VU Amsterdam, delivering the core leadership identity modules and coaching founders through the personal transformation arc at the heart of the programme's Hero's Journey framework.
Prof. Dr. Svetlana Khapova
VU Amsterdam SBE · Scientific LeadFull Professor at VU Amsterdam School of Business and Economics, specialising in career studies, leadership, and organisational behaviour. Scientific anchor of the unAcademy — ensuring academic rigour across the full curriculum, governance framework, and module design.
Arosha Brouwer
Co-Founder & CEO, Quan · Lead MentorReturning as lead mentor for the unAcademy cohort. Arosha opened and moderated the DNNL Demo Day at Amazon Netherlands, has guided multiple Launchpad cohorts, and coordinates the full mentor matching programme. Quan is a workplace wellbeing intelligence platform.
Teaching what
actually works
Prof. Joris Ebbers
Entrepreneurship & Business Models, VU SBE
Prof. Wouter Stam
Strategic Management, VU SBE
Prof. Arjen Siegmann
Finance & Investment, VU SBE
Eva de Mol
Venture Capital & Valuation
Claudia Hopmann
Leadership Assessment
Nkechi Runsewe
Culture, Diversity & HR Strategy
Jan Paul Grolle
Transformational & Servant Leadership
Darrell Rosenstein
Enterprise Sales & GTM Strategy
Marieke Sondag
Go-to-Market Strategy
Alison Klein
Financial Feasibility & VC Dynamics
Nesrien Abu Ghazaleh
Hero's Journey Conceptual Framework
S. Khapova & Agota
Corporate Governance & Compliance
Founders teaching
founders
Every unAcademy participant is matched with a seasoned mentor for monthly 1:1 sessions. The broader mentor community joins for Ask Me Anything sessions and peer panels — sharing the honest version of what it takes to build, scale, and raise.
Top performers access
real investment
Successful unAcademy cohort members are eligible for consideration by the New Narrative Fund — a co-investment syndicate designed to back high-potential entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities.
NNF Pilot — opened by:
60% of selected founders received funding within 2 weeks of Demo Day.
"Equal opportunities are not a given and we still have a long way to go. I'm proud to open this fund — access to capital for diverse founders is not just a social mission. It is an economic imperative."
What the NNF is
The New Narrative Fund identifies and supports high-potential entrepreneurs who build scalable ventures through diversity in founding teams. It operates as a co-investment syndicate — using its corporate and public partner network to validate real market demand before committing capital.
The NNF targets TRL 4–7 ventures seeking €100K–€1M in pre-seed to early Series A capital. B2B solutions with early pilot customers are particularly attractive. Selection draws inspiration from the Google Black Founders Fund and is supported by KplusV, which screens 1,000+ entrepreneurs annually.
Focus domains
Fintech for Good
Inclusive lending, alternative credit scoring, financial access solutions.
Healthtech
Mental health, well-being, and preventive care technologies.
Circular & Digital Infrastructure
AI-driven platforms for sustainability and digital transformation.
Community impact is a requirement. NNF expects at least one founder to play an active role in the inclusive entrepreneurship community — mentoring, sharing knowledge, opening networks. The unAcademy is how you demonstrate that commitment. Learn about Founding Partners →
Quality over quantity.
Independent, fair, and transparent.
Admission is not first-come-first-served. Selection includes self-assessment tools and an independent admissions committee — ensuring every cohort member is genuinely ready.
Application & Self-Assessment
Application form, 2-minute video, and a structured self-test covering growth readiness, coachability, and startup stage. Your first reflection tool — not just a filter.
Independent Review
Applications assessed by an independent admissions committee against core criteria: market traction, team diversity, growth ambition, and sector fit. No commercial conflicts.
Intake Interview
A 30-minute conversation with the programme team assessing coachability, commitment, and whether the unAcademy is the right fit for your current stage.
Cohort Announcement
Selected participants announced publicly. All applicants receive personal feedback. The committee's decision is independent of any commercial consideration.
The admissions committee draws from:
What DNNL alumni
say
DNNL gave me more than a programme — it gave me a community of founders who genuinely understand the challenges of building while being underrepresented. The investors I met through the Founders & Funders Dinner changed the trajectory of my company.
The combination of academic depth and practical founder experience is something I hadn't found anywhere else. I came in with a good idea and left with a scalable business model, a mentor I still call regularly, and enterprise conversations in the pipeline.
Society College exists in a space that's easy to overlook. DNNL understood our mission from day one and opened doors to partners and funders who had never seen what we're building. That visibility is priceless.
Working through the same challenges alongside other founders who hold you accountable — and who you hold accountable — accelerated my thinking in ways that no solo course could have.
I came for the business model workshop. I stayed for the community. Zeefier is in a completely different place now — better governance, stronger investor narrative, and a network that actually wants to see us succeed.
Demo Day was one of the best days of my entrepreneurial life. Pitching to investors in a room full of people who genuinely want you to win — that energy doesn't happen by accident. DNNL builds it deliberately.
Why this matters
beyond business
"Geen enkel ambitieus Nederlands techbedrijf kan zich veroorloven om geen beleid te hebben met betrekking tot diversiteit, gelijkheid en inclusiviteit. Initiatieven als Dutch New Narrative Lab kunnen daar een bijdrage aan leveren, alsook fondsen die gericht investeren in bedrijven die geleid worden door ondernemers uit ondervertegenwoordigde groepen."
"DNNL shows that entrepreneurship thrives when we remove the invisible barriers — the networks you weren't born into, the capital you can't access, the rooms you were never invited to enter. This programme opens those rooms."
When Kings Meet — I Have a Dream 2.0 · Rabobank Amsterdam, 24 January 2026
"The funding gap is real — but so is the potential. And together, we can change that. That's why I'm excited about the collaboration we're exploring with VU Amsterdam and the Dutch New Narrative Lab — to build programs that support diverse founders and help close that gap."
— Martin Luther King III · DNNL 5th unConference 'I Have a Dream 2.0' · Watch the full message →
The unAcademy is anchored to the 60th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s honorary doctorate from VU Amsterdam — connecting the dream of economic justice to the reality of building businesses that matter.
Become a Founding Partner of this movement →Built to be
accessible
Teams of two or more show significantly higher success rates. We reward collaborative participation — and the Founder Launchpad Scholarship Fund ensures cost is never an absolute barrier.
Early-bird pricing. Full curriculum, all community events, mentorship, alumni network, and NNF eligibility. Add-on tracks priced separately.
For two co-founders. Best value and highest-impact path — founding teams consistently outperform solo participants in measurable outcomes.
Add a 3rd or 4th founding team member at a fixed rate. No ceiling on your team's participation in the cohort.
Standalone Track Access — for professionals & non-curriculum participants
The Digital Skills Track and IP & Valorisation Track can be followed independently — without enrolling in the full four-month curriculum. This is designed for professionals, intrapreneurs, and entrepreneurs who want to develop specific certified skills or IP knowledge. Contact launchpad@dnnl.org for standalone track pricing, availability, and requirements.
Founder Launchpad Scholarship Fund
Developed in collaboration with Haik Pogosian — entrepreneur, pitch deck expert, and former TechLeap Bolt programme — the Founder Launchpad Scholarship Fund provides financial support for underrepresented and first-generation founders. If cost is a barrier, reach out confidentially. We will do our best to find a path forward. launchpad@dnnl.org
Maximum 30 startups per cohort · Limited seats available
All curriculum participants receive
- 4-month hybrid curriculum — all modules included
- Access to all 5 anchor community events
- VU SBE attendance certificate (70%+ attendance)
- Monthly 1:1 mentor matching — Lead: Arosha Brouwer
- DNNL alumni network membership
- Demo Day participation & investor introductions
- LinkedIn badge + reference letter upon request
- Eligibility for New Narrative Fund consideration
Digital Skills Add-on (optional / standalone)
- AI Fundamentals — INCO Academy Certificate
- Data Literacy & Analytics — INCO Certificate
- AI Tools for Growth — INCO Certificate
- Cybersecurity Fundamentals — INCO Certificate
IP & Valorisation Add-on (optional / standalone)
- IXA-Go 1:1 consultations
- IP audit and valorisation roadmap
- Deal structuring support
We're looking for
founders who are ready
Application timeline
- → Application form with background & growth ambitions
- → Pitch deck or business summary
- → CV (standalone track or non-founder applicants)
- → 2-minute video explaining your why
- → Structured self-assessment tool (provided upon application)
- → 30-minute intake interview with programme team
Frequently asked
Can't find your answer? Email launchpad@dnnl.org — we respond within 48 hours.
Your next chapter
starts 31 August.
Maximum 30 startups. One cohort that will change the trajectory of your company — and yourself.