Business & circularity
A practical perspective on procurement, market entry and the commercial decisions behind a circular business.
Lorenzo van der Spek / Circular economy
Building innovationfor the circulareconomy.
Connecting market understanding, commercial experience and applied technology to give products a longer, more valuable life.
10years
Working across the
consumer electronics industry.
A commercial instinct.A builder’s curiosity.
I’ve always been interested in how things work. And how they could work better.
A decade in consumer electronics has taken me across the full life of a device: sourcing it, bringing it to market, recovering it and finding its next use. That experience taught me to recognise the practical details that decide whether an idea will work.
Today, I bring that experience into AI, robotics and automation. I start with a question, spend time with the people closest to it, and bring together the expertise to turn an idea into something useful.
More on LinkedIn
Experience to draw on.Ideas to explore.
These are the areas where my experience can be useful, whether you’re exploring an idea or working through a challenge.
Get in touchAI & automation
Exploring where agentic engineering and automation can improve how a business works, and what it takes to put them into practice.
Speaking & mentoring
Lessons from building, selling and starting again. Shared through talks and mentoring on entrepreneurship, applied AI and the circular economy.
Stay curious.Move ideas forward.
Listen carefully. Make the next step tangible. Learn from what happens.
The foundation
It starts with people.
My background in social work left me with a lasting interest in psychology. Listening, asking questions and understanding what matters to someone still shape how I approach a market, a team or a new idea.
The momentum
Shorten the distance to doing.
I look for the smallest useful step between an idea and a real-world test. Bring in the right people, build something tangible and get it in front of those who will use it.
The learning
Test early. Learn quickly.
A small failure can answer a big question. Measure what happens, challenge the assumptions and change direction when the evidence asks for it. Carry what works into the next version.
Learn to ask better questions.Build useful things.
Good questions are a skill you develop by listening. Ask what people need, where the work gets difficult and what a better outcome would actually change.
Then make the answer tangible. Test it with the people who will use it, measure what improves and keep learning. That is how curiosity becomes something of value.
Ideas,made real.
AI · Robotics · Automation
Making device grading
more consistent.
When every business grades devices differently, trust and margin suffer. Proofen brings AI, robotics and automation to a problem I had encountered throughout my career.
I brought market insight, customer relationships and commercial direction, and helped guide the machine’s development alongside my co-founder and our team.From idea to production
in 12 months.
Distribution · Agentic engineering
The right people.
The pace to make it happen.
I joined iMint for the team and the speed at which they turn ideas into action.
I help develop European distribution and key relationships, while leading work in agentic engineering. I’m proud to be part of the team behind this growth.From zero to millions in revenue
in 12 months.
Circularity at scale
A longer life for products.A better way to make it work.
Keeping a product in use takes more than good intentions. It takes trust in its quality, a reliable way to move it through the market and a business model that makes reuse worthwhile.
That is where my work comes together: connecting people, technology and commercial thinking so circularity can become part of everyday operations.
Let’s connect
Good conversationsstart somewhere.
An idea to explore, a question to work through, or an invitation to share what I’ve learned. Send me a message on LinkedIn. That’s where you’ll find me.
Let’s talk on LinkedIn