Interviews during the info-session on Wageningen University

Interview with Goddey Atitso

What is your study background?

"Aquaculture and marine resource management."

What is your motivation to join this challenge?

"We aim for a circular economy and I want to help to develop a more sustainable world. I want to help increase food security and do so in a sustainable way. This challenge gives me the opportunity to be actively involved in making food systems more sustainable."

Do you already have an idea how you can upscale your project or continue after the challenge?

"During the challenge I think it is important to focus on keeping your project feasible within the limited amount of time. However, afterwards I would like to expand the project and I am going to look for funding and other opportunities that would help me and my team do so. I would want it to be a big venture with a business, research, education and training components”

Interview with Pascal Spijker

What is your study background?

"I studied the bachelor Economics and Business Economics at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam and I am currently in the master Economics of Sustainability at Wageningen University & Research."

What motivates you to join this challenge?

"This challenge is the perfect opportunity for me to find the expertise I am looking for in a start-up team. I think it is key in this challenge to have a multidisciplinary team. I envision that I can support my team with my background in economics and similarly they can support me with their knowledge in for example crop growth or ecosystems. Furthemore, the challenge is the perfect addition to my thesis as my thesis also focuses on food system innovations. This challenge offers the opportunity to gain experience in the working field and extend my network. I expect to learn a lot from this challenge!"

Do you already have an idea on how you can upscale your project or continue after the challenge?

"I aim to write a feasibility study during my thesis and in combination with the challenge aim for a pilot site. I hope to find a motivated team during the challenge that also wants to continue with the project after the challenge. I also think this team is essential to be able to up scale the project but other than that I haven’t really thought about an upscaling project yet."