The Humanities Venture Lab is part of the Impact team of the Faculty of Humanities. This team strives to reduce the gap between society and the university. Together with his colleagues, Hernamdt does this by redefining and fostering entrepreneurship within the faculty.

Before becoming programme lead at HVL, Hernamdt worked as a cultural entrepreneur, supporting various start-ups and initiatives. Among other projects, he helped the founders of Fairphone set up their company, introduced the FabLab concept in the Netherlands and abroad, and served as programme director of an innovative humanitarian coalition involving ministries, universities and aid organisations. These experiences have shaped his perspective on entrepreneurship. 'Entrepreneurship is often used to pursue commercial profit. For me, entrepreneurship means something else. Real innovation starts with seeing the world differently, thinking about how you can contribute to that change and then truly taking action.'

Entrepreneurship in the humanities

According to Hernamdt, knowledge from the humanities is essential for taking an entrepreneurial approach to major societal challenges. With his team, Hernamdt encourages researchers and students from the faculty to reflect critically, challenge existing systems and set up culturally diverse and socially driven initiatives. Post-growth and service-oriented solutions that are embedded in a regional context are central to this approach. 'Whether we are talking about monetary, social or cultural value, creating it does not have to come at the expense of the planet', Hernamdt explains. 'I see the Humanities Venture Lab as an empowering force that advocates for this insight.'

It starts with daring to imagine a better world, is how Hernamdt summarises his view on entrepreneurship. This definition matches the innovators who receive support from the Humanities Venture Lab. For instance, with LitLab, Feike Dietz is renewing reading and literature education by putting reading for pleasure front and centre, while Julia van der Krieke and Bart Wallet contribute to mutual understanding with De Joodse Stad by sharing the story of the Jewish community in Amsterdam in innovative ways.

'I am still amazed every day by what is possible within our faculty', says Hernamdt. 'In both research and teaching, there are many opportunities to create social impact through entrepreneurship. Unfortunately, many researchers and students are not yet aware of this. I am determined to help them explore the possibilities.'

Accessible support and guidance

The Humanities Venture Lab can support aspiring entrepreneurs in many different ways. 'We offer coaching, training and advice, provide workspaces and tailor our support for various courses. We also connect partners and experts from outside the university to the entrepreneurs in our community.'

According to Hernamdt, it does not matter how far along you are with your idea or venture. If you are a humanities scholar, student or alumnus who wants to start an initiative to make a difference, the Humanities Venture Lab is the right place for you. 'Taking the first step towards entrepreneurship can be quite difficult and daunting. That is why we try to be as open and inclusive as possible at the Humanities Venture Lab. Everyone is welcome.'

Do you have questions about entrepreneurship or would you like to know more about the activities of the Humanities Venture Lab? Visit the website to find out more or contact the team via humanitiesventurelab@uva.nl.