Laurence Dewaele, Chair Selection Committee 

Laurence was born in Kortrijk, Belgium (1982). She studied law at KUL (Leuven) and Universite Rene Descartes (Paris). After having obtained an additional Master in Laws (LLM) at King's College (London), she has worked for several years as a lawyer for the international law firm DLA Piper UK LLP in Brussels and Berlin, where she focused on contract law and litigation. Laurence is currently residing in Colombo, Sri Lanka, combining motherhood with an MBA at the Heriot-Watt University (Edinburgh). The idea to bring Stichting Angels to a next level with a team of young professionals having various backgrounds, attracted Laurence to join the Angels Selection Committee.

Frederik Vernede, Selection Committee Member 

Frederik was born in Laren, the Netherlands (1981). He studied Business Law in Leiden and completed an MBA at INSEAD. Frederik has started his professional career as a management consultant with Booz & Company. Currently he is heading a leading market research company in Kenya called Research Solutions, which operates in over 8 different countries in Africa. With a business plan for the Village Briquette Factories in the Virunga National Park in Congo, Frederik became one of the energy finalists of BidNetwork. It brought him a lot of exposure in the world of social investments. Frederik is one of the (annually recurring) lecturers of Masterclasses Global Changemakers at the NCDO for young professionals interested in becoming an entrepreneur in Africa. When Angels approached him to become part of its Selection Committee, he said yes because of the drive and passion of its founders to make lasting impact in the development of the African continent. 

Leila Bonichon, Selection Committee Member 

Leila was born in Decize in France (1981) and moved to Berlin in 2004 to finish her studies from the Toulouse Business School at the Berlin Technical University. Leila holds two Masters in Management from the two previously mentioned institutions. As a student and young professional Leila was very engaged in her sports, finswimming, and formed part of the French national team for 6 years. In 2006, she began working as an auditor for Price Waterhouse Coopers and later moved to an internal audit position at the scientific publishing house Springer. Next to living in Germany she has been brought to work in the Netherlands, France, Italy, U.S.A., India, Japan, China and South Korea and continuously enjoys discovering new locations and cultures. At Springer, Leila met Aldo and felt not only inspired by his personality but also by the entrepreneurial initiative of the Stichting Angels, which she is honored to support. 

Jakob Silas Lund, Selection Committee Member 

Jakob is a native of Denmark (1982). With a B.A. in Public Administration from Roskilde University and a Master in International Affairs from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, Jakob has concentrated on human rights and international relations throughout his studies. Jakob has worked for Amnesty International in Denmark, the Center for UN Reform and currently works on building the organization Play31, which he founded in 2008. Play31 uses football to bring people together in wartorn countries and his experience as a practitioner working in the field means he has experience with sitting at the "other side of the table" in terms of funding processes. This experience is one of the major motivators for Jakob to join the Angels Selection Committee. 

 Thijs Fleuren, Selection Committee Member 

Thijs is a native from the Netherlands (1980). He studied Dutch law and specialized with a Master in Tax Law at the University of Utrecht. In the spring of 2006 Thijs started his career at the international food retailer, Ahold. Today Thijs resides in Bratislava, where he is the Finance Manager for Ahold in Slovakia. After having completed a minor in Economics, Thijs is additionally finalizing an Executive Master Degree in Finance. When asked why Thijs is part of our team he answered: 'As part of the selection committee I would like to make sure to support those projects where we get the biggest value out of the resources donated' .