Opening Show

This year’s And& Connect festival will kick off with an inspiring opening night, hosted no less by the well-known Belgian journalist and news anchor for Kanaal Z, Francesca Vanthielen. She has the honor of opening the festival and will present the exciting talks that follow as well as act as a debate moderator.

The perfect way to inaugurate a festival in Leuven? Giving the floor to the Mayor of the city, Mohamed Ridouani. A fierce promoter of start-ups and determined to make Leuven the perfect fostering ground for innovation. Highlighting how the city both shapes and is shaped by start-ups will be at the heart of this interview.

At And& Connect, we love to highlight ambitious, young founders. Buvana Lefevre, Ph.D., poured her passion for technology and practical application into an exciting new company: Alari Technologies. Its mission? To offer a smart software solution to energy producers that makes the most out of solar installations. But we won’t reveal everything. Listen to her pitch and get inspired! 

How are start-ups doing in Belgium? To answer that question, four experts in the field dissect the current state of start-ups by discussing four controversial statements on the state of the startup scene. Expect an engaging discussion by the founder and CEO of Start it@KBC Lode Uytterschaut, co-founder of imec.istart Sven De Cleyn, and CEO of KU Leuven’s research department Paul Van Dun and member of the Executive Committee at Capricorn Partners Katrin Geyskens.

Experimental artist Niels Orens explores the intersections between music, technology, and visual art with a boundary-pushing electronic live performance. His go-to instrument is the cello, which he masterfully uses to create sensitive loops and combine them with carefully constructed beats for a truly unique musical experience. Prepare yourself for an immersive trip into the unknown.

It’s never too late to shift gears. After over twenty years in marketing, Jan Verlinden waved his job goodbye and stepped into the old family business: Belgian lemonade. He dusted off a lost family recipe and breathed new life into the Ritchie brand. Now, Ritchie is hot and happening. But the lemonade journey was paved with many challenges. In this testimony, Jan will reflect on his career, struggles, and successes.

Winner of the Womed-award Maura Nachtergaele is only 28 years old and CEO of her company, Payflip. It all started with her invention of a smart tool that helps SMEs payroll even smarter.Listen to Maura’s pitch and discover how exactly Payflip can make a difference.

Discovering new music has never been easier. Whatever song is playing on the radio, it takes just one tap on your smartphone to identify that tune. The Shazam app is a true innovation, co-created by Belgian entrepreneur Philip Inghelbrecht. But where did the idea for the app come from, and how did it reach its worldwide success? Exciting questions that Philip will eagerly answer in this inspiring talk. 

Experimental artist Niels Orens explores the intersections between music, technology, and visual art with a boundary-pushing electronic live performance. His go-to instrument is the cello, which he masterfully uses to create sensitive loops and combine them with carefully constructed beats for a truly unique musical experience. Prepare yourself for an immersive trip into the unknown.