Unknown Stories

In this episode, Jurgen, Dean of Unknown University, sits down with Adriana Cocerhan — founder of Eledi Corsets and current student at Unknown University — to explore her remarkable journey from financial hardship to building a purpose-driven fashion brand.Adriana opens up about working two jobs and living on just 50 euros a month, the moment she decided to bet on herself, and what ultimately led her to join Unknown University. She breaks down how she built Eledi Corsets from the ground up, why she’s committed to transforming the fashion industry through ethical and circular practices, and what it truly means to create with intention rather than ego.From overcoming limiting beliefs to building a mission-aligned company in a competitive industry, Adriana’s story is a powerful example of resilience, resourcefulness, and vision.If you’re a young founder, creative builder, or someone passionate about changing the world through entrepreneurship, this conversation will leave you inspired and energized.Learn more about the Unknown University Bachelor Program in Entrepreneurship here: https://www.unknown-universityas.com/bachelor

In this live‑recorded episode of Unknown Stories, the director of Unknown University sits down with Lex Hoefsloot — co‑founder of Lightyear, the Dutch solar‑car company that once raised over €200 million in funding.

Lex shares the full arc of the Lightyear journey: from the ambitious build of a solar‑powered family car, through the highs of massive investments and media attention, down to the painful bankruptcy and the tough decisions that followed.

Together, we dive deep into:

• The biggest lessons learned — what worked, what didn’t, and where they underestimated the challenges.

• The emotional and mental toll of a failed dream — and how resilience, honesty and honest reflection become powerful tools for future entrepreneurs.

• What this story means for European startups today — which conditions can help them succeed, and how failure can also be a step forward.

If you’re a founder, aspiring entrepreneur, or simply curious about what really goes on behind flashy pitches and “unicorn” hopes — this episode gives raw, real insight into the roller‑coaster of building a dream.

You can learn more about our Bachelor of applied sciences where you build your startup from day 1 here: https://www.unknown-universityas.com/bachelor

In this episode, Jurgen, Director of Unknown University, talks with Arnesh Jaikaran, the 19-year-old founder of Inta — a compliance software company for land-based casinos that uses facial recognition technology to simplify and secure identity verification.Arnesh shares how he discovered the problem that sparked Inta, how he and his team turned an ambitious idea into a working product, and what it really takes to build momentum as a young founder. From navigating the early startup grind to staying resilient through setbacks, Arnesh’s story is a testament to perseverance, curiosity, and execution.If you’re a young entrepreneur, builder, or just love stories of people who start before they’re ready, this episode will leave you inspired.If you want to learn more about Unknown University Bachelor Program in Entrepreneurship, you can check it out here: https://www.unknown-universityas.com/bachelor

In this episode, Jurgen, Director of Unknown University, sits down with Oliver Christodoulou, one of the university’s early student founders who started building his business from day one on campus. Originally from South Africa, Oliver shares his inspiring journey — from launching his first venture as a student to now leading Staunch Ventures, a venture studio focused on empowering and scaling businesses across Africa.They dive deep into what it takes to build in Africa, exploring the realities of entrepreneurship on the continent, the importance of iteration, self-development, and learning through failure. Oliver reflects on how each setback shaped his growth and why starting over is often the most powerful move an entrepreneur can make.If you want to learn more about Unknown University Bachelor Program in Entrepreneurship, you can check it out here: https://www.unknown-universityas.com/bachelor

In this episode, Jurgen sits down with Connor Burdett, a 20-year-old visionary from Zimbabwe and founder of Seed, a startup on a mission to give every African household access to clean energy.Connor is tackling one of the world’s most overlooked crises: 2.3 billion people still cook over wood fires, leading to millions of deaths each year, massive deforestation, and countless hours lost—mostly by women and children collecting firewood.His solution? A simple yet powerful innovation that turns manure into biogas for cooking and fertilizer for farming—transforming waste into life-changing energy.💡 Want to build your own business while earning a fully accredited entrepreneurship degree? Start from day one as a founder, join Connor and other student entrepreneurs at Unknown University, and turn your ideas into impact.You can understand more about our Bachelor here: https://www.unknown-universityas.com/bachelor

Join us for a groundbreaking episode featuring Chief Researcher Gabriel Mora at Real Deal Milk, where innovation meets dairy-free transformation! 🌱

Discover how Real Deal Milk is revolutionizing the dairy industry, producing your favorite dairy products without a single cow involved! Their animal-free cheese fights climate change and preserves food culture using precision fermentation.

Plus, get the scoop on the Desafía food tech program, landing innovative Spanish startups in the Netherlands and gaining recognition from industry giants like Rabobank and StartLife. 🌟

Tune in to explore the future of dairy, sustainability, and innovative food solutions! 🎧👇

From melon seeds to innovation in ingredients, we delve into Väcka’s journey of creating planet-conscious plant-based cheeses. 

Väcka is a Barcelona-based FoodTech startup that produces plant-based cheese alternatives. Founded in 2021 by Luz Sanz and Maxime Boniface, who were inspired to create vegan cheese alternatives after changing their diet to a vegan one. Väcka's cheese alternatives are made with fermented melon seed milk and extra virgin olive oil, and are available in more than 400 points of sale, including retail and foodservice outlets. 

In this episode we sit down with Luz Sanz, CEO and co-founder of Väcka, to discuss their journey, which has been all about experimentation, connection, and learning. 

Tune in to learn more about their story and aspirations on

Despite its lengthy decomposition time and difficulty to be recycled, over 300 million tones of plastic is produced each year. Would we ever be able to deal with the ever-growing amount of discarded plastic? Well, first believe that it is possible, and then you'll see🎙️

Hailing from Israeli, founder Tal Cohen developed a unique solution. Through PlasticBack, Tal Cohen and his team work alongside waste handlers and petrochemical companies to turn plastic back into its original form. Commercial plants with 20.000 - 30.000 tons per year capacity to tackle plastic waste — at a remarkable CapEx and OpEx — coming soon in 2025.

Hop on Tal's journey to making an impact via unknowngroup.com/podcasts, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

Through virtual reality, you are immersed into a different world. Through the use of SenseGlove, you can also touch it. 🎙️

Today, our host Jurgen Nieuwenhuijsen is joined by Gijs den Butter, Co-Founder of SenseGlove.

SenseGlove is the mouse and the keyboard of the future. Their haptic glove technology is enabling you to feel the touch and sensation of holding objects while being in VR. What started as a student company is now bringing VR in the hands of employees from companies such as Volkswagen, Netherlands Army, and Honda.

The combined use of VR and haptic technologies allows people to virtually experience the training areas and interact with objects by receiving direct feedback on shape, weight, and motion. Could their solution be the next step towards the success of the Metaverse?

Tune into the seventh episode of this season’s stories to learn more about their solution and the future of digital reality.

Did you know that the average edible insects have far higher protein content than the average protein source? To Daniela Arias, our next guest on the Unknown Stories podcast, this is no secret.