April 22, 2026
Speakers and workshop hosts Upstream 2026 - Part 2
At Upstream 2026, we have a mix of speakers and workshop hosts. Here are some of them - including our openig act :)
Her latest entrepreneurial landmark is Co-founding HERA United, the first professional women’s football club in the Netherlands, through which she contributes to the structural professionalization and advancement of women’s football.
For her commitment to LGBTQ+ acceptance, social cohesion, and media, Barend has received multiple awards. Together with Marlies van Cleef, she co-authored the book Dromen van succes (Dreaming of Success). She is also an ambassador for the Johan Cruyff Foundation and the Children’s Remem.
Frank is Managing Partner at Arches Capital, a VC with a group of business angels investing in early-stage tech companies. With a background in finance, business and startup scaling, he leads investments in B2B software and helps founders succeed through capital, operational support, and network access. Frank co-founded Arches Capital to bridge the gap between angel investing and VC investors.
Sharon Klaver is the Co-Founder & Managing Director of Builders Studio, a venture studio that builds and scales companies alongside bold founders. She works hands-on with early-stage teams on positioning, fundraising, and growth strategy. With a strong focus on clarity and execution, Sharon helps founders turn ideas into investable, scalable businesses.
Ties is an investor at Arches Capital, where he focuses on early-stage B2B software companies and active portfolio management. He works closely with founders on fundraising strategy, positioning, and navigating investor conversations, while supporting portfolio companies on growth, follow-on rounds, and strategic decision-making.
Liselotte is a leading force at Weheat, a Dutch clean-tech scale-up redefining the energy transition by bridging high-performance hardware with advanced software solutions. Under her leadership, the company has achieved consistent triple-digit growth, proving that scaling integrated physical and digital technology can be done at high speed. By putting her entrepreneurial spirit and hands-on Dutch mentality to work, she has dedicated herself to building a sustainable future through smart, interconnected energy systems.
Gaston leads The Incredible Time Machine, a storytelling agency helping deep-tech and sustainability scale-ups turn complex innovation into clear, compelling narratives. Formerly he led Google’s Innovation Lab for Marketing across Northern Europe and now helps founders raise capital, launch brands and align teams through powerful stories.
Jort co-founded The Incredible Time Machine, a storytelling agency helping deep-tech and sustainability scale-ups turn complex innovation into clear, compelling narratives. Formerly at Google, he brings over 15 years of experience in digital design, creative technology and rapid prototyping. Today, he helps founders create better stories, build impactful brands and accelerate growth. Explaining technologies that people don't know or understand (yet), into ones that resonate with customers, teams and investors.
Dominic is a Senior Energy Consultant at Bax, in Barcelona, working with clients from major public authorities, energy utilites, social housing developers, and research institutes. He currently leads strategic management of "BRAVE", a collaborative EU-funded innovation project focussing on overcoming the "scale-up trap" through financial, governance, and partnership innovation, involving partners from 15 organisations across 7 EU countries.
Leonor Zubillaga is a Project Manager at Cleantech Scandinavia, in Stockholm. She specializes in bridging the gap between high-growth startups and strategic investment. She currently leads the "Growth Track" accelerator, where she supports scale-ups in achieving investment readiness. Leonor also has a background in connecting public sector actors and city leaders with entrepreneurs, notably through the annual Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona. Her work focuses on navigating the complexities of scaling innovation through strategic partnerships, financial preparation, and international networking.