Willem L. Middelkoop

Experience

Professional experience

• jan. 2013 – now
  Lemmid B.V.

  Information Technology Specialist

  My primary company, founded in 2013. Through Lemmid I partner with businesses to build their digital backbone: the websites, apps and services they rely on every day.

• nov. 2011 – now
  dsd 164 B.V.

  Mobile App Publisher

  The official home for my own independent apps. The company behind Snake '97, downloaded millions of times and #1 across Europe, which led to working directly with the teams at Apple, Google and Microsoft.

• jul. 2009 – now
  Willem & Laurentz Holding B.V.

  Investor & CEO

  The holding company above the others. As CEO I manage the overall structure and strategy, and invest in and help other entrepreneurs with their new technology ideas.

• sep. 2015 – jun. 2020
  DigiDef

  Security consultant

  For five years, a specialised part of Lemmid focused on security: helping companies analyse their systems, find weaknesses and protect themselves from attacks.

• jan. 2005 – dec. 2012
  WMIT

  Self-employed IT specialist

  The business I started as a student. My first real company, it grew to ~150 clients before its work continued under Lemmid B.V. The foundation for everything that came next.

• sep. 2005 – jan. 2006
  Zarafa, Delft

  Product developer

  Diving deep into a large-scale open-source collaboration platform, learning how enterprise software is built and presented at international tech fairs like CeBIT.

• aug. 2004 – jan. 2005
  E-Commerce Parc, Curaçao

  Network Operations Center Operator

  Working in a modern data center in Curaçao, learning about the physical infrastructure and high-stakes monitoring that powers the internet.

• jun. 2004 – aug. 2004
  Ex Machina, Amsterdam

  Product documentation writer

  My first job in the industry, writing technical documentation for a multiplayer gaming platform, long before the App Store existed.

Volunteer

The ComputerBrigade

I believe that if you have a skill, you also have a chance to share it. For several years I volunteered at a community center in Amsterdam-Zuidoost, running a weekly drop-in to help neighbours with their computer and internet problems. It taught me a lot about the digital barriers our modern world creates, and the real impact a little help can have. It reinforced my belief in building things that are simple, strong and accessible to everyone.

Education

Education & certifications

• 2006 – 2009
  MSc Information Studies

  Universiteit van Amsterdam · Business Information Systems

  An emphasis on application contexts and the socio-technical side of ICT: the social, strategic and organisational implications of technology, and turning that knowledge into clear choices.

• 2005 – 2006
  Microsoft Certified Application Developer

  Microsoft .NET

  MCP & Certified Application Developer since 2005 (MCP ID# 3527257). Building Windows and web applications with C#, SQL Server and ASP.NET.

• 2002 – 2006
  Bachelor of ICT

  Hogeschool van Amsterdam

  Software engineering (Java, SQL, C++), system & network engineering (TCP/IP, Cisco, Active Directory), business engineering (Prince2) and service management (ITIL).

• 1997 – 2002
  HAVO, Nature & Technology

  Veenlanden College, Mijdrecht

  Dutch higher general secondary education, Nature & Science profile. Mathematics (B1+B2), physics, and management & organisation (how to run a business).

• 1998 – 1999
  Touch-typing diploma

  DOC

  Typing with ten fingers, at high speed, without looking. Sounds trivial, but a huge advantage ever since.

• 1991
  Swimming certificate A

  The first diploma of them all

  Swimming in clothes, breaststroke, backstroke, and treading water. Where it all started.