TOPX Network

At the12th edition of Innovation for Health conference in Rotterdam on 3 April, the session "Building Diverse & Inclusive Teams to Drive Innovation" brought together leading voices in healthcare and venture capital to explore how inclusive leadership fuels progress in Life Sciences. Moderated by Laura Duran (Health~Holland), the panel featured Oscar Smit (CEO, Progress), Eleanor Price (Associate, Thuja Capital), and Professor Hanneke Takkenberg (Erasmus MC). Together, they shared practical strategies and personal experiences on fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within organizations, emphasizing the critical role these elements play in driving innovation and creating resilient, forward-thinking teams

Key Insights from the Panel

Breaking Bias in Hiring

Oscar Smit, CEO of Progress, shared his journey in recognizing hiring biases. Initially, he trusted gut feelings, but after reading about unconscious bias, he now practices a second round of evaluation. He suggests:

Asking employees for feedback on DEI efforts.
Proactively building a pipeline of diverse candidates, even before vacancies arise.
Expanding recruitment beyond existing networks by collaborating with global talent sources.

Hanneke Takkenberg highlighted the double bias in hiring:

Men are often hired based on potential, while women are hired based on past achievements.
A diverse hiring team is essential to counteract biases and ensure fair evaluations.

Creating an Inclusive Work Culture

Eleanor Price from Thuja Capital emphasized the role of company culture in DEI. She advised:

Establishing DEI policies from the start, even in small companies.
Writing flexible job descriptions to encourage diverse applications.
Actively reaching out to women and marginalized groups to apply.

Audience discussions reinforced the need to fix the system, not the women—ensuring that workplaces are truly inclusive rather than just opening the door to diversity without structural changes.

Addressing Resistance and Engaging Men

While discussing DEI, a key challenge arose: Men often feel excluded from diversity conversations.

Oscar questioned whether the current approach—one mixed-gender day and one women-only day at the TOPX summit—was effective. He suggested exploring ways to make DEI discussions more inviting for men.
Hanneke shared an analogy: Men have long benefited from a system designed for them, so any shift can feel like exclusion. The key is open conversations about the personal, social, and business incentives of diversity.
Eleanor recommended identifying pain points that cause resistance and addressing them through dialogue.

Equity Measures for Workplaces

The discussion also covered practical equity measures, such as:

Flexible work hours and childcare policies to support all employees.
Encouraging shared responsibility for parenting duties rather than framing childcare as a "women’s issue."
Avoiding rigid or aggressive language in job postings that may deter women from applying.

Investing in Diverse Leadership

A critical question was whether investors should specifically target female-led companies. Eleanor highlighted existing funding options such as the Borski Fund, which supports female entrepreneurs.

Furthermore, venture capital (VC) itself needs to diversify, as it remains male-dominated. If the investors shaping the healthcare industry lack diversity, the solutions they fund may not be inclusive.

Action Points for Advancing DEI

1. Assess Your Organization’s DEI Efforts

Conduct internal surveys to understand employee perspectives on inclusivity.
Identify gaps in hiring, leadership, and workplace culture.

2. Implement Inclusive Hiring Practices

Create job descriptions that encourage diverse applications.
Ensure hiring panels include individuals from different backgrounds.
Build a long-term strategy for recruiting outside of existing networks.

3. Foster an Inclusive Workplace

Establish clear DEI policies, even in small teams.
Encourage open discussions about biases and systemic barriers.
Provide flexibility in work schedules and parental leave policies.

4. Engage Men in DEI Efforts

Address concerns of resistance through education and dialogue.
Highlight business benefits, not just moral obligations, for diversity.
Make DEI conversations inviting and constructive.

5. Encourage Investment in Diverse Leadership

Support funding initiatives that back female founders.
Ensure investors consider DEI as a key factor in risk assessment.

6. Educate Yourself and Your Team

Explore recommended readings:

                 o The Exceptions by Nancy Hopkins
                 o Glass Walls by Amy Diehl & Leanne M. Dzubinski
                 o Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

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