For many students, doing business alongside your studies feels like a big step. For Sam van Braam, an entrepreneurship and commerce student at MBO Rijnland, it actually became his daily practice. What started with a workshop at PLNT grew into a role where he mentors startups, talks to investors and works on his own venture. “I ended up being here more often than at school,” Sam says, “and then I actually never left.”
“If you are serious and keep your commitments, people really don’t care what level you did.”
Doing an internship at PLNT
His first introduction to PLNT came through a workshop with school. He was soon excited about the environment and the people who worked there. He also met Sander, activation manager at PLNT, with whom he began working more and more frequently.
Shortly thereafter, Sam began an internship at PLNT. During that internship, he organized and facilitated workshops and events. His role quickly grew: first he helped run sessions, then he gave workshops himself, and eventually he started mentoring startups as well. Today, he collaborates within PLNT’s program, where he supports startups and holds discussions with investors and partners.
According to Sam, that environment changed not only his career, but also his self-confidence. “I used to not always be very confident,” he says. “I often thought what I was doing was just basic.” Through his experiences at PLNT, he learned to stand more firmly in his shoes, to speak in front of groups and to approach people more easily.
An important lesson he learned there was about educational attainment. As a high school student, he sometimes felt he would be taken less seriously. In practice, that proved different. “At events or meetings, people really don’t care where you studied,” he says. “If you are serious and do what you promise, they just take you seriously.”
Coaching startups
Meanwhile, Sam is working with several startups from PLNT’s network. For example, he coaches a startup from the Startup Play program that is active in the digital twin sector. For example, he helps them prepare for a pitch at the Life Science Café, a networking event at Leiden Bio Science Park where entrepreneurs present their idea.
He also works with other startups on sales, marketing and business development. At one of the companies, he is conducting interviews with potential investors, with the goal of securing a major investment later this year. He is also involved in projects with his school and PLNT partner MBO Rijnland, where collaborations with startups are being established.
In addition to his work with startups, he continues to organize workshops and events. Soon he will lead a session where three startups pitch their stories to about 50 students. The students rotate between different rooms so they get to know each company.
“Building a startup alongside your studies is sometimes puzzling with your time.”
Combining own startup with school
Meanwhile, Sam is also working on his own startup. The idea came about because he noticed he was good at connecting people and businesses. Together with entrepreneurs in the building, he began exploring whether a business could be built around that.
His startup therefore focuses on connecting the right people and organizations so that collaborations and deals come about faster. He also wants to help startups grow, for example by getting them into the right events, networks and platforms.
Combining all these activities with his studies was not always easy. Because his situation was quite unique within the program, he had to have many conversations with teachers and the program. In the end, he was given a customized program, which allowed him to complete his studies in an accelerated manner and reduce his attendance at school.
His mentor played an important role in this. “He basically said: I don’t want to slow down his development,” Sam says. “As long as I get my assignments, I get to follow my own path.”
He says that practical experience has also influenced his learning. His education is relatively new and he is in the pilot class. Although the degree gave him a foundation, he learned the most by actually doing business. “By just talking to people and throwing yourself into the deep end, sometimes you learn more than from books,” he said.
“Don’t wait too long. Just start.”
Advice for other mbo students
To other mbo students who dream of starting their own startup, Sam therefore gives a simple piece of advice: start. Don’t let doubts about your studies or level stop you, but start talking to teachers and find an environment where you can experiment.
For him, PLNT was one such place. “There are always people here who want to spar with you,” he says. “Often just with a cup of coffee. That helps tremendously.”
But in the end, he stresses, it comes down to action. “The most important thing is not to wait too long. If you have an idea, just go with it.”