Today we have the honour of introducing you to a visionary entrepreneur who is revolutionising the world of student accessibility: Maxime, the CEO of Zerocopy. With boundless passion and determination, Maxime has turned an idea into an innovative solution for students. Let's dive into his inspiring world together and find out how Zerocopy is changing the game! 🌱
Can you introduce yourself briefly and share your role within Zerocopy?
My name is Maxime, originally from West-Flanders and now a so called ‘Dansaert Vlaming’ for over 10 years! I love Brussels! And guess what, I do live in the Dansaert area, I sold my car, I have no TV, nor washing machine, I buy my food in zero-waste bio shops, I try to eat healthy as much as possible, I have a Bromptom bike, I’m into self-development and spirituality, I go to retreats, only sourdough bread for me,…. So I guess I’m guilty as charged: a Dansaert Vlaming! Furthermore I am a very happy father of a 5yo daughter which I raise in co-parenting with her mother, I’m also a reserve officer in the only fighting unit of the Belgian reserve army and I do lots of sports!
In Zerocopy my role is that of a growth enabler. I see Zerocopy as a vehicle for professional and professional growth and I invite everyone in the team to share that vision. Please don’t do a job, don’t work for Zerocopy and for sure don’t work for me… This is your life, your career, your impact on the world, Zerocopy is the perfect environment to do so and my role is to help everyone advance. Next to that, I’m also responsible for the strategy, vision and culture. Most of my actual time goes to sales… As sales is the name of the game!
What inspired you to start/join Zerocopy, and what is the mission behind the company?
Zerocopy’s business model was pitched to me back in 2012 when it was founded by 3 Vlerick Business School students. One of these founders was someone I knew from my master year in history at Ghent University. I completely fell in love with the Robin Hood style business model: taking money from the big corporates and turning it into a saving for the students… How cool is that! So I started to advise the founders based on my master in entrepreneurship and my experience in B2B Sales…
How would you describe the team dynamic and culture within Zerocopy?
The culture of Zerocopy is quite progressive… We decide together, we give each other feedback in a direct, honest way, we are very transparent about the good, the bad and the ugly. I would not say our culture is for everyone… but for the people who fit, it’s a dream (based on what the team tells me). Together we are moving more and more in the direction of self-guided teams that can run the company on their own. Who needs a ‘boss’ to decide everything on his/her own?
Can you share some anecdotes or memorable moments from your journey at Zerocopy?
In 2013, at the age of 24, when only 1 of the 3 founders was still there, I decided to invest 250% of all my money and acquire 47% of Zerocopy. Exciting times! And everyone telling me I was crazy… And I can’t say they were wrong: I was personally virtually bankrupt, I had 150% of that money in debt, and the company was also virtually bankrupt. A few sleepless nights and hustling months later, we were on track making our first profits and all was good.
In 2014 the last of the original founders wanted to move to Africa, so I bought him out together with Duval Union, the investment vehicle of Klaus and Marc, two marketing experts.
Fast-forward to 2014, I’m still the happy captain of the Zerocopy crew, leading it to calm and rough, rainy and sunny waters!
What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs who are looking to make a positive impact (in the education sector or beyond)?
Why I became an entrepreneur? Quite cheesy actually: I want to make the world a better place… And from all the noble professions that are out there, I do believe that entrepreneurship fits my personality, mindset and skill set the most to realize positive impact. When I was a student, I believed I would contribute to a better relationship between humans and their natural environment. That was the high tide for everything clean tech. Yet, it turned out education would become my actual calling. Having combined two studies, I was an uber nerd back than and basically I still am… Studying and applying what I learn in practice to get a real understanding is part of who I am.
Thank you Maxime ! Would you also like to play an active part in making student life more accessible, and make your own contribution to the cause? 📚 Find the profile, and their job offers, here: https://www.meet-my-job.com/entreprises-impact/zerocopy