Tino Zwirs
Entrepreneur & Business Strategist
Tino Zwirs
Entrepreneur & Business Strategist
About Me
Hi! Thanks for dropping by on my website. My name is Tino Zwirs, but I figure you’ve already made it that far. I’m an entrepreneur with a passion for creating a lasting impact through education and innovation. My expertise lies in the development and implementation of business strategies. I enjoy solving complex business problems within growing organizations by finding new and innovative solutions to diverse problems.
Over time, I’ve (co)founded multiple businesses in various segments, including traditional media, events, retail and non-profit. Besides that, I’ve been active in education, journalism, product development in various start-ups and institutions.
In daily life, I strategically advise start-ups, corporates and foundations on complex problems in order to help them reach their fullest potential.
Awards
The Next Web
T500 - 2018
Definitive list of the Netherlands' 500 most inspiring under 26s across all fields of digital.
The Next Web
T500 - 2019
Definitive list of the Netherlands' 500 most inspiring under 26s across all fields of digital.
The Next Web
T500 - 2020
Definitive list of the Netherlands' 500 most inspiring under 26s across all fields of digital.
Education
Sep 2016 - Jun 2022
Amsterdam School of International BusinessHonours Bachelor International Business & Management
Graduated with honours from the Amsterdam School of International Business with a specialisation in Entrepreneurship.
Jul 2019 - Dec 2019
University of MiamiBusiness School
International Exchange Semester
Completed an exchange semester at the University of Miami Herbert Business School. (Forbes Top 100: America's Top Colleges)
Sep 2013 - Jun 2016
Regius College SchagenHigher Secondary Education (HAVO)
Graduated from Regius College Schagen, School of Higher Secondary Education with a specialization in Economy and Society.
Sep 2011 - Jun 2013
Regius College SchagenPreparatory Middle-Level Vocational Education (VMBO-TL)
Graduated from Regius College Schagen, School of Preparatory Middle-Level Vocational Education with a specialization in Economy and Society.
Certificates
Experience
Jan 2020 - Current
Young Creators FoundationBoard Member & Chief Events
The Young Creators Foundations strives to make it as easy as possible to live an entrepreneurial life in The Netherlands. The Young Creators community consists of over 33.000 ambitious entrepreneurs and makers between the age of 16 and 26. As a Board Member, my main task is to facilitate the ambition of the community on an organisational level. This includes managing general tasks, events, teams and partnerships.
Dec 2019 - Current
WhiskyWhyFounder & CEO
WhiskyWhy offers an all-in-one platform for whisky enthusiasts to get personal recommendations, keep track of their collection and receive discounts on whiskies that matches their personal preferences. As Founder & CEO, my responsibilities include overseeing general operations, exploring international partnerships, building a talented team and making sure that our ambitious vision becomes a reality.
Jan 2014 - Current
Zwirs ConsultancyBusiness Strategist & Consultant
With over a decade of experience in and with various start-ups, scale-ups, organisations and foundations, Zwirs Consultancy enables both small and large companies to accelerate their growth and reach their economic and societal potential. As a Business Strategist, I enjoy solving complex business problems within growing organisations by finding new and innovative solutions to diverse problems.
Feb 2021 - Current
Amsterdam School of International BusinessLecturer Entrepreneurship
The Amsterdam School of International Business provides students with a global perspective on business and entrepreneurship. Its purpose is to prepare and educate students to become the next generation of international business leaders. As an Entrepreneurship Lecturer, I actively coached over 60 students to push their limits and step out of their comfort zone while running their student startups.
Feb 2018 - Aug 2018
Amsterdam School of International BusinessAssistant Lecturer Entrepreneurship
During the Business Team Startup course as a part of the Honours Programme at the Amsterdam School of International Business, I assisted an experienced entrepreneurial coach while coaching over 60 students to push their limits and step out of their comfort zone while running their student startups. My tasks were to help with lecture preparations as well as students that have any entrepreneurial questions.
Dec 2017 - Apr 2021
LAYZERStation Manager & Shareholder
LAYZER is a commercial radio station located and was founded in 2003 as one of the first online radio stations in The Netherlands. As Station Manager, my main tasks included creating long-term strategies, maintaining technical excellence, setting up partnerships and growing and managing the rapidly growing the team. During my time at LAYZER, we managed to grow the team from 4 employees to 25+ employees.
Aug 2017 - Dec 2019
KaterfabriekFounder & CEO
KaterFabriek is an event agency that makes it easy for venues and event organisers to host a successful. With its unique approach to events, they enable people to organise high-quality events without unnecessary hassle. As the Founder and CEO, my main responsibilities were to oversee general operations, strategically reach out to potential partners and customers, build a network of freelancers to facilitate memorable events.
Feb 2017 - Dec 2019
Stichting Brainstorm SchagenFounder & Chairman
Brainstorm Groep Schagen is a non-profit foundation that enables young and local entrepreneurs from in and around Schagen to network and brainstorm with like-minded individuals. As Chairman of the foundation Stichting Brainstorm Schagen, my responsibilities were arranging partnerships, negotiating sponsorships, finding event locations, and hosting and facilitating brainstorm sessions on different topics.
Dec 2017 - Apr 2019
Allround360Founder & Technical Director
Allround360 (acquired by Alpha & Omega) is an innovative media agency that specialises in all aspects of video graphing and editing 360-degree virtual and mixed reality videos. With productions for IKEA and Efteling, Allround360 is a pioneer in its field. As the Founder and Technical Director of Allround360, my responsibilities were customer engagement, marketing and technical development.
Feb 2017 - Jul 2017
PLOID SCMarketing Manager
PLOID SC was a student company founded during the course Co-Creative Entrepreneurship at the Amsterdam School of International Business. Its core product was the Organiser, a neatly produced organiser that fits inside any existing backpack. My role within this student company was to create and execute a comprehensive marketing strategy to attract and retain customers.
Dec 2016 - Mar 2017
Innovation in MotionResearch & Development
Innovation in Motion is a Dutch start-up that was founded to build towards a future with autonomous homes. With its core product, Slide, a modular IoT system that makes existing curtains smart for just a fraction of the price of competing systems. My tasks involved researching and implementing IoT (Internet of Things) protocols as well as supporting and assisting the successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter.
Apr 2014 - Apr 2015
Quality ContactsSales Consultant
Quality Contacts is a contact centre located in Schagen, The Netherlands, that specialises in high-quality acquisition, customer service and lead generation. Quality Contacts facilitate (inter)national corporates that want to outsource their inbound and outbound sales processes. During my time within the company, my portfolio included organizations like Ziggo, UPC, HBO, FOX SPORTS, Algemeen Dagblad.
Jan 2014 - May 2018
DNP.NUNews Reporter & Videographer
DNP.NU is one of the leading press agencies in The Netherlands and has been so for over two decades. As a Freelance News Reporter and Videographer at DNP.NU, I was responsible for capturing newsworthy moments for (inter)national and regional television. I have worked with various media outlets over the years, including NOS, RTL, SBS, Talpa, Noordhollands Dagblad, RTVNH and numerous local news outlets.
Jun 2012 - Dec 2015
Noordkop CentraalRadio Host & Producer
Noordkop Centraal (formerly SchagenFM) is a local radio and television station in Schagen, The Netherlands. Its purpose is to foresee the local community of relevant news and entertainment. As radio host and producer, I was responsible for the preparation of the radio show and the management of a small dedicated team. Besides the weekly radio show, I assisted in maintaining the technical wellbeing of the station.
Okt 2011 - Jul 2014
Strogoff Fresh FoodProduction & Distribution
Meatstreet (previously Strogoff) is one of the key players in the national distribution and packaging of meat, poultry and fish in The Netherlands. During my time at Meatstreet, I learned what it means to motivate and retain motivation in a team, streamline processes, spot and correct bottlenecks and maintain a high level of quality throughout the production and packaging process.
2005 - 2007
A bit of historyWhere it all started...
Is this a real experience? Yes! Resume-worthy? Not by a longshot. But it felt odd to leave out such an essential part, namely, where the entrepreneurial adventure began.
The journey first sparked when I started selling flower bulbs in a neighbourhood of my hometown, Hippolytushoef, at the age of 8. The flower bulbs were purchased from my grandpa, who got them from a local agrarian. I packaged, distributed and sold the flower bulbs by driving around on a pedal-powered go-kart. Even though I very well knew that my young age and smile did all the talking when ringing the doorbell, I managed to sell out time and time again.
This moment in time is what blossomed my entrepreneurial curiosity and desire to grow and develop ideas and companies. Looking back after more than a decade, it continues to amaze me to notice how comparable my strong urges to grow and develop are with the blossoming phase flower. A famous quote by Robert Louis Stevenson became an important intrinsic saying in my life. It goes as follows:
“Don’t judge each day by the harvest that you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”
News
Brainstormgroep Schagen wordt een stichting
Bij de TNW T500 van ‘meest getalenteerden’
Contact
Amsterdam
+31 640 969 809
hello@tinozwirs.com
Freelance Available
Tools
Over the last couple of years, I’ve frequently received the question of how I remain productive and focussed whilst managing multiple teams and companies. The truth? It’s a carefully selected set of tools that I’ve refined over the years. You can find my toolset below. Just keep in mind, whatever works for me, doesn't have to work for you.
Communication & Messaging
Slack
Gmail
Planning & Scheduling
Google Calendar
Calendly
Automation & Workflow
Integromat
Zapier
Productivity & Multitasking
ToDoIst
Shift
Documents & Storage
Coda
Google Drive
Accounting & Finance
