Olympic champion Maarten van der Weijden speaks at Entrepreneurial Festival Growing So!
On Tuesday, November 18, 2025, the Entrepreneurial Festival Groien doe je Zo! will take place in Dekker Zoetermeer. The highlight of the evening program is the lecture by Olympic champion Maarten van der Weijden and the festive presentation of the Innovation Award Zoetermeer 2025. The festival lasts from 16:30 to 22:00. During the afternoon program, entrepreneurs can get inspired with interactive sessions, practical tips and there is room for new encounters.
Resilience and innovation
In his lecture, special guest and speaker Maarten van der Weijden, Olympic champion open water swimmer, takes the audience through his inspiring story of resilience, innovation and the courage to keep reinventing yourself. Innovation plays a central role in his life. His story shows how important it is to keep developing as a person and as a company. With his vision, experience and candid examples, Van der Weijden inspires entrepreneurs to keep moving forward with courage and flexibility.
Varied program
The entrepreneurial festival is all about progress, inspiration and collaboration. Visitors can count on a varied program including inspiring knowledge sessions on AI, financing, international growth, new talent, leadership and sustainability. In addition to Maarten van der Weijden's lecture and the festive presentation of the Zoetermeer 2025 Innovation Award, there will be plenty of networking opportunities.
Entrepreneurial Festival Growing This Way!
The Entrepreneurs Festival Growth is for all SME entrepreneurs with guts, ideas and ambition. The initiative comes from the municipality of Zoetermeer and is made possible by Rabobank, Ondernemers Netwerk Zoetermeer, Dutch Innovation Community, VNO-NCW West region The Hague, MKB Digiwerkplaats, Mijn Zaak Zoetermeer, SEBO-Netwerk, NLwerktaanwerk, nlgroeit and Bureau Citymarketing Zoetermeer. In cooperation with, among others, Innovation Quarter, Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland and Platform Veilig Ondernemen regio Den Haag. The festival is widely supported by local SMEs and intermediaries, including Zoetermeer Businesswomen, Open Coffee Zoetermeer and Stichting Ondernemersklankbord.
Sign up, this is the place
Participation in the entrepreneurial festival is free of charge, but a limited number of seats are available. You can order a free ticket at zoetermeerisdeplek.
