The Board Impact Award

It is not easy being a great board member — and those who truly make a difference deserve recognition.
That’s why ScaleUpNation, together with the ROMs and InvestNL, proudly hosted the third edition of the Board Impact Award on October 2, 2025.

This year’s event brought together founders, investors and board members from across the Dutch scale-up ecosystem to celebrate impactful, future-focused governance.
Through inspiring conversations, vibrant exchange and the signature Board on Speed sessions, the afternoon showcased what great board leadership looks like in practice.

We proudly celebrated our five outstanding finalists:

Anne-Marie Rakhorst
Entrepreneur, investor and sustainability advocate, known for her leadership in advancing a future-proof economy.

Jacqueline Pieters-Zetsma
Non-executive and impact finance expert with extensive experience in sustainable finance and purpose-driven governance.

Nancy Kabalt-Groot
Independent board professional in the sustainable energy sector, recognised for her transparent leadership and commitment to the energy transition.

Robert Jan Galema
Managing Partner at INKEF Capital with board experience in tech and life sciences, focused on scaling impactful ventures.

Birgitte van Haaren van Duijn
Non-executive director and advisor in the public-private domain, specialising in sustainability, energy and governance.

Each of them is making a real difference by strengthening the quality of governance in the scale-up ecosystem.
As we like to say: everyone nominated is already a winner — but this year, one stood out in particular.

 

Congratulations to Nancy Kabalt-Groot, winner of the Board Impact Award 2025!
Nancy serves on six independent boards in the sustainable energy sector and is known for her open, transparent way of communicating and her deep commitment to building a greener economy.

Winners of the Board Impact Award

  • Nancy Kabalt-Groot

    Independent board professional in the sustainable energy sector, recognised for her transparent leadership and commitment to the energy transition.

  • Jeroen Cammeraat

    Chairman of Plasmacure | CXO | Chairman of Cassini Technologies

    ``Thank you ScaleUp Nation for championing the role of impact-oriented scale-ups and the importance of board effectiveness. Propelling venture teams instead of controlling! Thank you all alongside the jury and ROM's for making this a great event.``

  • Eline van Beest

    Supervisory Board Member LivAssured BV | CEO Hybridize Therapeutics |Venture Partner Thuja Capital

    ``Nothing but gratitude ... not just the award but most importantly the awareness creation around how a great board functions and what it does for a company. Thank you!``

  • Anouk ter Laak

    Non-Executive Chairman at OneThird | Interim CEO Boer & Croon

    ``Thank you (ScaleUpNation) for the great event, highlighting the importance of a well-functioning board to help a scale-up company grow and prosper. I am proud to be part of the journey of OneThird.``

  • Daan A.J. Kersten (honourable mention)

    Supervisory Board Cadac Group | Co-Founder Spino Technologies | CEO Include Industries

“

In a board meeting, I always think 'How can I contribute to making the CEO and this company successful? Am I following the process or driving an outcome?' I had to consider my contributions carefully.

That involved listening more than speaking, asking questions more than making statements, and letting others take the lead in conversations that are going in the right direction.

On the other hand, I sometimes had to learn how to challenge assumptions. Instead of being in the role of CEO and shining [the light] on yourself, you are in the role of empowering others by creating opportunities, sharing insights, or doing proactive suggestions to make the company and team more successful.

Eline van Beest LivAssured & 2023 BIA Award Winner

Jury of the Board Impact Award

  • Beau-Anne Chilla

    Impact investor and advisor focused on sustainable innovation and founder support.

  • Leo Holwerda

    Investment director at Invest-NL with expertise in governance, finance and scaling mission-driven companies.

  • Jos Burger

    Experienced board professional and former CEO of Ultimaker, supporting scale-ups in strategic growth and governance.

  • Jeroen Cammeraat

    Chairman of Plasmacure | CXO | Chairman of Cassini Technologies

  • Dr. Natalia Blagburn

    Venture Capital Investor, Mercia

  • Matthijs Ingen-Housz

    Venture Capital M&A, Ingen Housz

  • Pauline Wink

    General Partner, 4impact capital

  • Rob Becker

    Supervisory Board Member and Advisor

About the Board Impact Award

The Board Impact Award was founded by ScaleUpNation, InvestNL and the Regional Development Agencies (ROMs) to recognise board members who play an exceptional role in helping start-ups and scale-ups grow responsibly.
The Award aims to highlight the importance of good governance and the lasting value of engaged, forward-looking board leadership.

 

It was an honor to be among the best board members, entrepreneurs, and investors in the scale-up ecosystem in The Netherlands. We hope you all were as inspired by our speakers and winners as we were!

Board Impact Award: How to get everybody on the same page !

Once again a special thank you to the Regionale Ontwikkelings Maatschappijen (ROMs) and InvestNL for their support of The Board Impact Award.

 

Looking Ahead – Board Impact Award 2026

The next edition of the Board Impact Award will take place in autumn 2026.
Interested in the 2026 edition? Learn more about the Board Impact Award and the ScaleUpBoard Program.

Learn more about the ScaleUpBoard Program →

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