After working as an architect and urban consultant until 2001, I pursued having a career with more in-depth and academic research and teaching. I started this new career path in 2001 as a visiting associate at Harvard University (USA), with a research grant that I wrote myself and that was awarded by Delft University of Technology. Since 2001, I have combined academic research and publishing in top academic journals with running my own company Denkbeeld - Ruimte voor economie for economic-geographic research and consulting. In addition, I carried out academic teaching projects.

In 2012, I obtained my PhD degree in economic geography and spatial sciences. In 2012 - 2013, I was visiting the Boston area for a research project on the app industry in collaboration with researchers of MIT in Cambridge, Mass, USA. Currently, I am working as a senior lecturer (Hogeschooldocent) at the Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen. My main task is integrating applied research into educational programs.