Rough Diamonds Inc

Making Promising Entrepreneurs Shine through Holistic Coaching & Social Impact Sponsorship 💎

We're here to support promising entrepreneurs, especially those from overlooked backgrounds, on their path to business success. 

Our goal is clear: we offer specialized coaching for six months, covering leadership, mental resilience, and business strategies. Partnering with socially conscious companies, we turn their support into opportunities for our entrepreneurs. 

It's more than just coaching; it's about unlocking potential and building a community where every entrepreneurial dream finds its wings.

Connect with us to explore how your organization can contribute to our transformative mission by becoming a sponsor!

Founded in 2023 with Frans Voskuil, Shirley-Ann Mathis & myself. 

www.roughdiamondsinc.com

Co-Founder & Business Coach 💎

TribeX

After seeing the need for entrepreneurs to come together and support each other, Lennart & I decided to create a tight-knit family of business owners. People who want to co-elevate each other personally and professionally. Not once, but by being true partners in each other's journeys...

TribeX is an international community of impact-driven entrepreneurs

A collective for:
- masterminding
- expertise sharing
- accountability
- collaborations
- business friends around the globe

Online-first but with 2 yearly physical gatherings in a European city 🏙️

Members are selected with great care based on Character & Integrity.

We believe those are the key factors for a supportive business family🫶🏽

We kicked off in September 2023 with 12 founding members spread across Europe!

If you want to join us (first session = free), go to www.growtribute.com/tribe

Co-Founder & Leader @ TribeX 

Growtribute

Helping business owners improve how they run their business, for business growth & personal enjoyment.

⭐  Operational Excellence: I specialize in taking businesses from a '4' to an '8', optimizing processes, enhancing efficiency, and driving tangible results. From tackling workflow bottlenecks to implementing scalable systems, I've helped clients achieve significant cost savings, boost productivity, and accelerate growth.

⭐  Strategic Leadership: As your Fractional Chief of Staff, I partner with you to overcome strategic challenges and seize new opportunities. Whether it's expanding into new markets, diversifying revenue streams, or navigating industry disruptions, I develop and execute tailored strategies that drive sustainable growth and competitive advantage.

⭐  Team Empowerment: Building high-performing teams is key to sustainable growth. I work closely with your leadership team to foster collaboration, enhance communication, and cultivate a culture of accountability and excellence. Together, we unlock the full potential of your team, driving innovation and delivering exceptional results.

⭐  Personalized Approach: No two businesses are alike, which is why I take a tailored approach to every client engagement. Whether you're facing rapid growth, organizational challenges, or market uncertainty, I craft customized solutions that address your specific needs and goals, delivering measurable results and long-term success.

Results while working with us:
✅ Feel completely in control of the business & your days
✅ Step into your CEO role - execute a clear vision, strategy, and momentum.
✅ Increase revenue by working smarter
✅ Be indistractable, less available & needed in the business
✅ Have more time for yourself, family, friends & sports by working smarter
✅ Truly turn off your head and be present on evenings and weekends
✅ Better communication with your team and co-founder(s)

Reach out in DM to discuss a collaboration.

Fractional Chief of Staff for Scaling Entrepreneurs

The Thriving Entrepreneur Podcast

On The Thriving Entrepreneur Podcast, founder and entrepreneur coaches David Foster and Rachelle Leerling discuss practical insights in order to run a thriving business.

Thought-provoking discussions about how to thrive as an entrepreneur. No fluff.

What is the best way to ask yourself in order to make real progress and find the path that is best for you?
What are the best questions to think about the challenges that you face as an entrepreneur while running the business that you started?

Rachelle and David use their decades of experience founding and running businesses to help other founders and entrepreneurs with how to think about those problems, so the answer and direction you take is right for you.

No fortune cookie wisdom, no one-size-fits-all listicles that every entrepreneur should do every morning before waking up, just ways to think about your journey in your business and personal leadership.

A new episode is published every Friday.

LINK TO THE SHOW ON SPOTIFY - https://open.spotify.com/show/1nZP93zRX2HQdKVX1eafYP?si=cb08aba996e047ef

Co-Host

Rachelle Leerling (f.k.a. Chelle Media)

Event Moderator for Business, Inclusivity and Tech events and conferences. English and Dutch spoken.

Highlights:
- TEDx Amsterdam Women Startup Award
- Lean Innovation Summit 
- YES!Delft UNconference (2x)
- EBF Conference Groningen
- SDG House x Fashion Amsterdam
- Rijksuniversiteit Groningen Career Webinars
- Odyssey Connect Deep Tech Conference
- Emerce NEXT Digital Conference host
- Shell Energy Hackathon host

Event Moderator in Tech, Entrepreneurship, Startups, Innovation & Diversity

FRGRND

FRGRND specializes in Generation Z (1995-2015) and work. We help organizations connect to and retain the new generation of employees and freelancers, Generation Z. We do this by facilitating the conversation between organizations and Generation Z - call it a premium youth panel for your organizational issue regarding the youngest generation in the workplace.
>> We sold the company to /LAB Service Design in 2020. <<

Founder (exit)

Rachelle Leerling

I help organizations in digital & entrepreneurship realize new initiatives. 

Kick-starting new initiatives by brainstorming and sharing my ideas, setting project targets, aligning the project team & setting out the tasks is what I do without hesitation. I get things going, up to speed & moving fast. 

I care for the project team and will make sure everyone is on board, briefed & motivated. I never lose stakeholders out of sight, I tend to proactively communicate so that all parties are on the same page. When things do not work out as planned or need extra attention, I escalate quickly.

Oh, and I also love to present the project outcomes and/or host the (launch) event.
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Until 2018, Chelle Media mainly offered services in communication strategy, online marketing (SEO/SEA, social media) and LinkedIn trainings. Running several projects for corporates (a.s.r. and Utrecht University) and SMEs (e.g. Young Mavericks, Jong & Fris).

Project Lead in Digital 

Connext Lab

As Product Owner at Connext Lab, I help our customers to implement their innovations faster and better. Unburdening and results are our mantra. Do you want to know more? Go to www.nextpo.nl

Product Owner @ NextPO

Lean In

I co-started the Lean In Rotterdam circle & moderate the meet-ups. The circle is for all women, from internationals to local, from student to entrepreneur and corporates to come together to learn from each other. 

Lean In is an initiative by Sheryl Sandberg, COO at Facebook.

Rotterdam Circle Team | Event Moderator

YES!Delft

HackWeek is 5-day hackathon for students and early stage startups to find a solution that optimizes the total energy consumption of a Norske Shell upstream facility. 

In only 10 weeks’ time, in my role as (Integral) Project Lead and Host of the week, I:

•	oversaw scouting, led the selection process
•	managed the promotion & external communication
•	managed collaboration and communication with stakeholders and participating teams 
•	with the Events team, I made sure we had a well rounded program
•	acted as Host, making sure the teams knew about the program of the day, answered their  questions & motivated them
•	managed the communication with the experts (Shell & YES!Delft) monitoring the quality of teams' work and progress
•	moderated the event, introduced the pitchers & announced the winners on Demo Day

Results:
- 10 participating startup and student teams during 5-day program
- 5 winning teams of which 2x accelerated access to GameChanger Program and 2x ticket to YES!Delft Validation Lab.
- Made a big impact on the lead generation for and awareness of tech innovation within Shell.

Project Manager & Event Moderator - Shell GameChanger Hackweek 

In my role as co-founder and initiator, I was Product Owner for the platform. I worked with 4 different tech agencies and managed stakeholders within corporates, startups and investors. Also recruited & led the team of 4 (Community, Marketing, Design & Sales) as Manager, initiated new partnerships, created vlogs and co-organized partner events.
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Startup Corner is the single-point-of-contact for tech startups and industry experts, powered by MRDH, StartupDelta and YES!Delft. We provide support for all building blocks of a startup in order to grow. By creating a profile, you gain access to information on essential startup-related themes, knowledge and personal advice - peer to peer or from big players in the tech industry. Use the knowledge and experience of the community to accelerate your startup.

General Manager Startup Corner | Co-Initiator | Product Owner

Focusing on the customer journey, content, SEO and tech development of the corporate website of TU Delft’s tech startup incubator YES!Delft.
 
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A leading complex tech incubator that brings your product to the market as fast as possible. We breathe technology.

We are passionate about tech startups in the fields of Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, CleanTech, MedTech, Aviation, Robotics and  Complex Technology. We are always (and only) looking for startups that can solve real-life problems. Problems that the world faces now, and ones to be tackled for future generations. We’re not a pizza-delivery-app kind of incubator ;-).

We offer the right circumstances, timing, methodology, focus, an iteration mindset and connections in the form of programs and an ecosystem in order to accelerate. We guide you through the whole life cycle: pre-acceleration, acceleration and growth. By offering the right resources, we help technology startups faster towards their market/product fit, faster to a launching customer and faster towards investment. We are one of the most time-efficient tech incubators out there.

Product Owner & Content Writer

I'm on a mission to empower entrepreneurs to break free from the daily grind, get back into their best role, and ENJOY their business again. 

1️⃣ Fractional Chief of Staff @ Growtribute

My passion lies in supporting high-achieving entrepreneurs who are too involved in day-to-day operations and don't do enough of what truly matters to get back to the work that moves their businesses forward. 

I help them get back into their zone of genius & full leadership through tough love coaching & accountability. My secret sauce is Personal Mastery - because your business can only be as thriving as you are. Over the past years, I’ve helped dozens of entrepreneurs achieve more revenue, headspace, enjoyment… All while working less & more efficiently. 

2️⃣ Co-founder & Leader @ TribeX

On top of coaching, I co-founded an entrepreneurs community called TribeX. It's more than a community; it's a tight-knit family of like-minded entrepreneurs across Europe. At TribeX, we're all about mutual support and growth - all by operating on deep trust & vulnerability. Together, we tackle challenges, celebrate wins, and co-elevate our businesses through masterminds, expert talks, and much more. 

For me, my work is all about (re)calibration – positioning you and your team for holistic success. My approach ensures that you're not just working hard but working smart, creating an environment where everyone can shine and mutually bring the business to where it belongs.

If any of the above resonates with you and your business situation, just reach out in DM 🙏🏼

Sunwing

Director, Brand and Integrated Marketing

The Simple Company®

Strategic Growth Consultant

simplexity

• Founder-led, simplexity is a brand-building consultancy that helps founders of Canadian Scaleup firms kickstart growth through the Growth Ignitor program.

• Growth Ignitor is designed for Scaleups and offers a step-by-step process to help founders build brands that connect with core customers, leaving competitors in the dust.

The approach provides access to experience, processes and proven branding methods usually reserved for large established brands.

Founder, President, Certified Brand Consultant

Rogers Communications

• Recruited to oversee massive consumer launch of new IPTV platform while driving growth in the $3.7B residential consumer portfolio.
•	Managed $50MM marketing budget.
•	Successfully planned and executed $18MM, 360° launch of Ignite TV, overachieving brand KPI’s.
•	Used data and testing to drive new and existing customers to higher-priced packages, resulting in both EBTIDA and margin gains.
•	Launched insights-based initiatives that led to 2 consecutive quarters of record-breaking customer acquisition.
•	Led direct reports in annual planning with focus on media efficiency, brand re-positioning and regionality.

Director, Rogers Residential Brand, Cable

Cineplex

• Hired to manage, develop and promote multiple Cineplex brands to create demand, enrich customer engagement and drive profitable growth. Led a team of marketing professionals to do the same.
•	Led strategy and planning to build quarterly/annual marketing plans for multiple lines of business.
•	Developed & executed insight-led marketing campaigns, optimized performance, provided post analysis.
•	Leveraged data and research to inform the marketing and pricing decisions to launch new initiatives.
•	Brought fresh thinking and best-in-practice principles to the broader marketing organization, resulting in true collaboration, efficiencies, and tighter campaign and program executions.

Director, Brand Strategy & Communications

shomi™

• Joined Roger’s-led Joint Venture to launch new, competitive product in Subscription Video on Demand space. Pre-launch, led consumer segmentation, stakeholder management, loyalty program and research projects.  Post-launch, led planning and execution of all mass and integrated (mass, digital, social, PR) demand marketing campaigns.
•	Worked hand-in-hand with external firms and internal groups to help build and successfully launch all aspects of a new brand (name, logo, position, personality, tone of voice, vision, reason to be).  Reached an unprecedented 80% Brand Awareness within first year. 
•	Directed agencies (creative, media planning/buying) to develop creative assets and tactics for all mass and integrated campaigns. Achieved aggressive launch KPI goals: Awareness, Conversion.  Surpassed initial financial goals.
•	Accountable for $40MM marketing budget; ensured spend was forecasted, actualized and tracked appropriately.
•	Led all consumer research, ensuring insights guided business decisions.

Senior Manager, Brand and Product Marketing

• Hired to bring practical marketing experience to Wireline Internet Product Management team.  Responsible for product improvements and positioning; tasked with increasing revenue on $1B portfolio and growing market share.  
•	Spearheaded large-scale, multi-departmental project designed to analyze the changing market and to provide solutions to protect market share of this $1B portfolio
•	Led a team of marketing professionals, ensuring their development and success.
•	Planned and presented influential product education sessions, designed to help Channels sell with confidence, overcome objections and to increase close and save rates.

Senior Manager, Product Planning

Research In Motion

• As part of a new department, helped develop and articulate an understanding of current and potential consumers in the Mobile Phone and Tablet space; provided actionable insights to inform RIM marketing and business decisions.
•	Leveraged multiple research sources to create unique consumer profiles of various BlackBerry devices to shape go-to-market initiatives.
•	Delivered projects based on current and forecasted consumer behaviours that impacted the design and functionality of future RIM devices.
•	Acted as a liaison between Consumer Insights and RIM’s creative agency, preparing briefs and giving presentations to ensure the voice of the customer (VoC) resonated in global advertising initiatives.

Consumer Insights Analyst

Universiteit van Amsterdam

Initiated, planned and delivered a course titled Effective Presenting Made Simple after recognizing a skills gap in presentation among MBA students. The resulting training garnered praise from the school director and students.

MBA Lecturer (Presentation Skills Course)

Tele2 (Netherlands)

• Recruited by CEO to provide individual counsel to attain profitable and sustainable growth for the wireless division.  New strategies to increase ARPU, decrease Churn and reduce SAC were delivered.
•	Analyzed the current market position, comparing competitors and gauging market trends to synthesize a 3-pronged approach to new marketing and operational initiatives.
•	Spearheaded the creation of strategies that increased company market share from 2.5-5% in a fiercely competitive and rapidly changing environment.
•	Defined and identified unseen opportunities in sales channel optimization, value proposition and Subscriber Acquisition Cost reductions, providing timelines.  Delivered project findings to Executive Team Members.

Wireless Strategy Consultant

Passionate about the transformative power of brands and the magic of travel, I am the Director of Brand & Integrated Marketing at Sunwing. With over 20 years of expertise in strategic brand development, marketing, and team leadership, I thrive on driving breakthrough strategies that captivate audiences and create unforgettable experiences.

In my journey as a brand master, I've realized that a brand's true essence lies in the hearts and minds of its customers. 

Our brand is not what WE say it is; it's what THEY say it is. (Thanks, Marty).

That's why I'm dedicated to understanding the pulse of our customers and crafting brand experiences that resonate on a profound level. By putting the customer at the center of everything we do, we can move the needle on business outcomes and build lasting connections.

One of my guiding principles is the pursuit of simplicity. In a world filled with noise and complexity, I believe that simplicity is the key to capturing attention and creating meaningful interactions. By distilling complex ideas into clear and compelling messages, we can cut through the clutter and make a lasting impact.

As a maverick in the industry, I continuously challenge the status quo and seek innovative ways to elevate brands. I believe in pushing boundaries, embracing creativity, and fostering a culture of curiosity. My talented team and I will explore new horizons and chart paths that lead to remarkable brand experiences.

Let's connect and embark on a journey of exploration and innovation. 

Whether you're a fellow brand enthusiast, a travel aficionado, or simply curious about the magic of brand and travel, I invite you to join me on this exciting adventure. 

Together, we can uncover new possibilities, inspire others, and create extraordinary moments that leave a lasting imprint.

taplio

The Battle

Rachelle Leerling

Patrick Boydell

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