Anaïs Leuridan - Participant 2018-2019
“This experience challenged me to be self-reliant, self-motivating and come up with creative solutions.”
Role
Anaïs’s project focused on the business development of Iristick in North America, out of New York City.
Responsibilities
One of the first challenges was to find ways to engage leads and learn how to quickly identify the best opportunities for the company. The next step consisted in selling smart glasses to clients, but more importantly in setting up proof-of-concept projects and managing them, as Anaïs searched for the first U.S. reference customer. Finding American software partners was also a crucial aspect of the business. She also did all the preparatory work to set up the American subsidiary company and coordinated the whole process.
How she benefited
The Prince Albert Fund project taught Anaïs how to better understand clients’ needs and use this to better manage client relationships and gain a competitive edge. “My project management skills improved and I become more self-reliant, self-motivated and more creative in the solutions I provide”, she says.
It also gave her the unique opportunity to attend major conferences in Pittsburg for large manufacturing companies, in San Diego for the pharmaceutical/health care sector and in San Francisco and Dallas for the augmented reality sector.
The company – Iristick
lristick is a Belgian start-up company that is based in Antwerp and manufactures smart glasses that are specifically designed for industrial needs and applications. Its products, which are fully compliant with eyewear safety requirements, are specifically designed to operate reliably for an entire shift in harsh industrial environments.
“Sending Anaïs to the USA, gave our company the opportunity to scout the potential for its smart glasses in our biggest market at an early stage of our start-up existence with a limited budget.”