A Walk With.. Marijn Bom
When he was studying in 1994, Marijn got a high-speed internet connection as a gift from Erasmus University Rotterdam and KPN. And if you spend a lot of time on the World Wide Web, you must know the technology behind it. Right?
Well, that's what the people surrounding Marijn Bom, alumnus of EUR and founder and director of Hoppinger, thought. Because of his fast(er) connection he spent more time online, and when someone asked him if he could build a website he said yes - even though he didn't really know how to. One thing lead to another and in 2001 he founded Hoppinger, a company that today focuses on helping other businesses deal with the digital transformation.
Within the domain of digital transformation Marijn is currently focusing on building platforms for his clients. Recently he helped Youth Services build a platform on which foster parents can privately and safely chat with each other and he automated the manual processes of student housing. Not because he doesn't like personal contact, quite the contrary: he loves helping companies and institutions generate more time and resources for personal interaction by automating dull tasks.
Societal impact
Moreover, these two projects are not just random: they are both projects that contribute to a positive societal impact, an element of his work that Marijn values very much. He and his fellow Hoppingers - a cute nickname for his almost 100 employees - have a strong preference for clients or projects that contribute to a better society. It's those projects that make them the most proud of their work.
Another societal element that is very topical is the regulation of the use of datasystems for companies and governments. We speak to Marijn about discriminatory algorithms and ask him what direction policy should guide us. Find out more about Marijn's insights by watching the full video.
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