Oscar Kneppers, founder of Origen

Oscar Kneppers (Emerce, Bright, Rockstart) has been active in the tech world as a publisher and serial entrepreneur. Since we know him - for almost 30 years - as a person with a strong antenna for business trends, we were curious why he makes a shift into the world of craftsmanship.

During an interview-walk, he referred to his manifesto ‘Have we forgot’. In Tokyo, he wrote this critical reflection on the volatility of modern existence. A purpose-driven one-pager for a more humanized future. In which the power of our senses, our capacity to craft and the ability to learn from experiences will help us to rediscover things, places and people, that really matter. Kneppers wondered: ‘Imagine having a table made from the wood of a tree from the neighbourhood where you grew up. Would you ever get rid of such a table again’?

With his new venture Origen he wants to restore the connection between makers and users. He wants to empower manufacturing companies with their entrepreneurial skills and business innovation. Also, he wants to make these companies more visible and tap into new customer groups. His dream is to create a "family" of small-scale companies so that people can help each other where necessary.

Oscar’s focus on long term value creation by creating an ecosystem and slowing down the pace comes at a very relevant time now that more and more people question current business practices. His point of view resonates with the pivot into a new decade and his strength is to translate these trends into a new business venture. Because it matters. Now.

Could slowing down be a catalyst for your business innovation as well?