Photographer: Carly Wollaert ©
Make-up artist: Sharmila Vooren
BIT ACADEMY
“A diverse workplace is an important asset, since it acknowledges the individual strengths of each employee and the potential they bring. Valuing the differences of others is what ultimately brings us all together and can be the secret to a successful, thriving workplace and a fair work culture.”
Nadine Lenten & Annelotte Hofland
Part of the Team at the Bit Academy
About
Nadine – ”I worked in (social media) marketing in the media & entertainment industry for a while. I then realised I find it way more interesting to help with the growth of my team and the company, and not necessarily with that of the brand. Time for a change! I ended up at Bit Academy and I love it here. We’re a tech educator with two types of education: an online program for adults focused on reskilling and upskilling, and a fulltime secondary vocational education (MBO) for young students. I now am head of operations and part of the management team. I’m responsible for making the daily operations run smoothly and efficiently. ”
Annelotte – “Passionate, a little awkward sometimes & full of energy. Those words describe me completely. Creativity and an eye for detail go hand in hand for me – I love to paint in my free time and close the day off with a good old sudoku puzzle. I have an open view of the world and love to be amongst people. The digital world has my interest, at the same time I love history, printed books and nature. At Bit I have found my ideal workplace – we walk the fine line between cool & nerdy. We like to give it our all on complex projects, always striving for better. Yet at the same time, you can find us playing a classic game of Mario Kart and have a beer and a laugh together. I love it.”
What qualities do you think are essential for success?
Nadine – “It’s easy to state qualities here, but they only matter to a certain extent. Opportunity is probably the most essential. Not everyone’s getting the same opportunities in life. For example; studies have consistently shown that a child’s socioeconomic status has a significant impact on their access to quality education. Research also indicates that this relationship is not equal for all children, with children of color and children from immigrant families often facing greater barriers to obtaining a quality education, compared to white children from similar socio-economic backgrounds. Since it all starts with education, this will highly impact what most people define as ‘success’. The simple fact of being born somewhere already influences the ability for you to be ‘successful’. I got really lucky and am very privileged; my qualities only played a minor role in my ‘success’. ”
Annelotte – “A combination of determination, positivity and courage. Going for what you want, doing it with a smile and (sometimes, not always) dare yourself to get out of your comfort zone and see how great life there is too.”