Ruben Brave
Group Lead, Tech Netherlands Advocates
Ruben Brave (1974) is a Dutch internet pioneer, media professional, serial tech entrepreneur, investor and Multi-Board Member. Since 2004, also the founder of the academic business incubator Entelligence, in which startups of professors are kick-started (spin-offs) in the media, ICT, health and education sectors. Recently, he initiated the Dutch New Narrative Lab Foundation (DNNL), after conducting a Diversity Exploration in the Dutch startup ecosystem commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs & Climate, for which he personally interviewed 350+ underrepresented founders and professionals. In 2021, he was elected by 500+ members as the first black President in the 25 years of existence of the Dutch Chapter of Internet Society, the NGO founded by the “technical founding fathers” of the Internet. Also, he is a board member at various impactful tech, business or media-related organizations, such as the Social Economic Council (SER Diversity in Business), the Dutch Chamber of Commerce, the Cultural Participation Fund in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Open State Foundation, Vrije Universiteit van Amsterdam, the Dutch Review of Books and various entrepreneurship-related innovation groups. Ruben is often approached as an innovation jury member, such as recently the Amsterdam Science and Innovation Award, the Renew the Book Innovation Award, European Women in Tech Awards, and the Deloitte Fast 50 – Rising Star Innovation Challenge.