Dr. Linda van de Burgwal is an academic entrepreneur (80% academic and 20% entrepreneur). She co-founded several successful companies in the life sciences that find new approaches to knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship (Triall, Genewity) and offer consultancy in the field of strategic financing of life sciences companies (ttopstart, FFUND). As Director of the VU Demonstrator Lab she offers a pre-incubation sand box environment for entrepreneurial academics to build their business proposal. Her academic research addresses how scientists, industry, government and societal partners can collaborate to overcome innovation barriers and achieve a broad societal impact of knowledge.