photographer: carly wollaert © | make-up artist: chelitha zugten from art of colors
liline arends
innovation manager at nlmtd
about
i grew up in a warm, happy family. my father was an entrepreneur, always working, always taking risks, often away from home. i admired that drive. my mother held everything together, raising three children with love and quiet strength. i admired that too. two completely different roles, both equally valued. that taught me something i still carry with me: equality isn’t about doing the same things. it’s about being equally seen for what you bring. now, as a single mother to anthony, i understand both sides more than ever.
why do you think is important that role models need to be visible?
growing up, i didn’t need a campaign to understand equality. i saw it at home, in two parents with completely different roles who were both deeply respected. that image stayed with me. today, as an innovation manager at nlmtd working on the energy transition, i operate in a world that still needs more women at the table. visibility matters because it makes the abstract tangible. when women in leadership and in tech are seen, they give others permission to believe it’s possible too.