photographer: carly wollaert © | make-up artist: violeta marinova from art of colors
barbara boid(she/her)
founder at next hire
about
born in suriname, i sometimes feel like a dinosaur in tech, having started my career alongside the first generation of professionals, from cobol programmers to system engineers with fresh mcse certifications.
after years in permanent roles across various agencies, i chose to focus on creating true value. together with my team, i create meaningful matches and help it teams grow and thrive.
alongside this, i co-founded a separate entity focused on investing in high potentials from amsterdam zuidoost.
in a market where ai increasingly dominates recruitment, we deliberately choose transparency and personal contact as the core of our business.
why do you think it is important that role models need to be visible?
visibility of role models matters because it shapes what people believe is possible. as a woman of color, there are moments when you can feel alone, as if the road to your goals is longer and less obvious.
seeing someone who shares parts of your background can change that. it sends a simple but powerful message: you matter, you belong, and there is a path for you. the journey still takes hard work, often a lot of it — but visibility helps people understand that the effort is meaningful and that their presence truly counts.