About
I like building products that are useful and honest, the kind of tools people can actually understand and trust. For the last decade I've worked on digital platforms in a mix of settings, currently leading open-source infrastructure at UNICEF alongside engineering, policy and community teams around the world.
I'm comfortable in regulated, cross-functional environments, and I've worked across blockchain, fintech, SaaS and the public sector. I trained as a product designer at TU Delft, and I most enjoy the early, messy part, when you're still figuring out what's actually worth building.
Experience
Blockchain Product Lead Now
Lead product strategy for three open-source blockchain projects supporting Giga, an initiative to connect schools to the internet. I work in the open with global contributors and help coordinate distributed teams across a complex regulatory landscape. The wider Giga effort has helped reach tens of thousands of schools to date.
Chief Product Officer
Led product across 5 digital platforms and 4 brands, growing revenue 46% year on year and launching "Educademy," an online training product that found its footing in its first six months. Worked day to day with a team of 15 across product, tech, design and marketing.
Project Manager — Product Innovation
Coordinated 5+ EU- and UK-funded innovation projects totalling €900K+, designing and launching MVPs for fintech, education and smart-city initiatives through user research, iterative validation and stakeholder alignment.
Innovation Consultant
Designed a gamified proof of concept to foster sustainable behavior and civic engagement. It was nominated for the Young Innovator Award at European Utility Week 2015.
Strategy Consulting Graduate
Supported digital transformation and service innovation projects across the public sector and finance.
Selected work
Connecting every school to the internet
Product & blockchain initiatives turning school-connectivity data into funding and transparency mechanisms, at global scale.
Generative art that funds connectivity
1,000 procedurally generated NFTs created with artist Nadieh Bremer from Giga's school data. The sale raised around $700K that went directly to connecting schools.
An online training platform
Helped shape and launch an online education product, taking it from idea to a working business in its first six months.
Turning staking yield into school internet
On-chain mechanisms that route DeFi staking rewards toward real-world connectivity, funding impact without touching the principal.
Earlier projects
A few hands-on design projects from earlier years, back when my title read "product designer." Most were small, civic-minded experiments in using games and technology to nudge everyday behaviour.
Age of Energy
An award-winning mobile game that made saving energy fun for teenagers, co-designed with 200 young people and connected to home smart meters.
VR bicycle simulator
A VR exercise bike built on real laser-scan data of Manchester, letting people explore their own neighbourhoods and build confidence cycling.
BeeActive
A flexible behaviour-change app platform, first launched with the University of Manchester to encourage students to get more active.
Core competencies
Recognition
- ★Forbes 30 Under 30 — 2016
- ★3 international innovation awards & 3 further nominations for digital product excellence
Education & languages
- ◇MSc Strategic Product Design & BSc Industrial Design Engineering — TU Delft
- ◇English (fluent) · Dutch (native) · French (professional) · Swedish (conversational)
Say hello.
Always happy to talk product, open source, or tech for good. You can reach me at gerben@kijne.eu