Q: Can you tell us a bit about your background and your role in imπACT?
A: Thank you for inviting me to contribute to the MSCA COFUND IMPACT program newsletter. My journey in data-driven innovation and entrepreneurship was enriched by the IMPACT program, which aligns with my focus on entrepreneurship and technology. My expertise lies in data-driven innovation and entrepreneurship and has been shaped by my dedication to gaining real-world expertise and theoretical insights for academic contributions. This focus was reflected in my teaching and advisory role in the IMPACT program. As a teacher and advisor, my role involves elucidating the concept of impact and guiding participants on how it can be achieved through entrepreneurial endeavors. This role allows me to directly influence and shape the understanding of impact within the context of entrepreneurship.
Q: In your opinion, what are the strengths and the key challenges of our imπACT program?
A: The program’s strength lies in its holistic approach, offering a platform for researchers to develop their skills in entrepreneurship while focusing on creating societal impacts. This fosters a culture of innovation and practical problem-solving among the fellows. The key item being the peer-to-peer learning that can occur. The primary challenge lies in catering to a diverse group of participants, each with different backgrounds and interests. The solution has been to actively listen and provide individualized advice, ensuring that each participant’s unique perspective and requirements are addressed.
Q: Based on your expertise, how is AI influencing businesses, in terms of operations and skillsets required by employees?
A: On necessary skills I would say the following:
- Efficiency and automation: AI significantly enhances operational efficiency, automating routine tasks and analyzing large data sets quickly, allowing businesses to focus on strategic decision-making.
- Data-Driven Decision Making: AI enables deeper data analysis, leading to more informed and effective business decisions.
- Skillset Shift: Employees need skills in data literacy, AI understanding, and adaptability to work alongside AI-driven systems. Understanding how ChatGPT works is less important, than knowing how to ask it questions that improve your own productivity.
Q: If you could give 3 pieces of advice to young entrepreneurs, what would they be?
I would give the following advice:
- Build networks of people: that allow you to test ideas, and that allow you to exploit opportunities not when you need them but when they are most opportune. Think about your business ecosystem and approach all the stakeholders that you can identify.
- Embrace Failure: View failures as learning opportunities. Each setback is a chance to improve and refine your approach.
- Focus on Customer Needs: Always prioritize understanding and addressing customer needs. Success often lies in solving real-world problems effectively.
Geoffrey Aerts was born and raised in Antwerp Belgium, where he also currently resides. He holds a Master’s degree in European and comparative politics from the Universiteit Antwerpen, a Master after master’s degree in Diplomacy and international relations from the Universiteit Antwerpen and a master’s in management science from the Institute for Transport and Maritime Management Antwerp, ITMMA. In 2015 Geoffrey Aerts obtained a PhD title in applied economics from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Currently Geoffrey Aerts is working both as an academic, as well as academic director/entrepreneur. Prior to Rosa, Seb lead Medispring, an Electronic Medical Record software and co-founded Riaktr (formerly known as Real Impact Analytics), one of Belgium’s top scale-ups. Prior to Riaktr, Sébastien worked for McKinsey & Company and graduated from the Solvay Business School of the University of Brussels (Msc Business Engineering).