Dorien Van Steenberge has earned her stripes in IT strategy, corporate consulting and scale-up leadership, and brought that baggage to Wintercircus. She was part of the team that built Wintercircus from the ground up and grew the Collective into a community of 1,500+ members.
Since the 1st of April 2026 (no joke), she's the new CEO of Wintercircus Ghent, ready to write the next chapter. Twice nominated as Young ICT Lady of the Year, she knows better than anyone how technology and people come together. Building ecosystems, driving innovation, thinking ahead – that's her thing.
No team, no Wintercircus. This crew keeps everything running smoothly behind the scenes, so you can fully soak in the magic. Every day, we work together to shape this vibrant place. Tap each picture to get to know them a little better.
So, you want to find the perfect venue for your event... Who you gonna call? These guy & gals! With an eye for detail and a LOT of energy, they'll take care of setup, catering, tech, and all those little last-minute fixes, so your event runs like clockwork.
Stefanie puzzles complex event plans together like it's nothing — preferably with a Bar Bougie cappuccino in hand. As Lead of Events, she steers team and clients alike and makes sure every event delivers a real wow experience. Her favourite moment? Taking clients on a tour of Wintercircus and making them dream about what's possible here... and that's a lot.
Amber is our very own queen of structure. She equips the team with the right tools, automates daily workflows and gets emails out the door like no other. Her job as a film genre? Action. Fast, unpredictable and full of moments where everything needs to come together perfectly. At the end of such a busy day she loves to unwind in Bar Bougie or Bar Bassie with her colleagues.
Maxim makes sure every event is not only well planned, but runs smoothly on the day itself. After his colleagues handle the first contact, he takes over coordination: keeping the overview, adjusting where needed and switching gears fast when necessary. Fun fact: Maxim studied Electro-Mechanics and Social Work. Safe to say he's good with both machines and people!
Thomas brings Wintercircus events to life for the wider public and Collective members: he translates ideas into event concepts and keeps the balance between creativity and — not unimportant — reality. A true sporty spice, you'll often find him at the gym or on the football pitch, but feel free to wake him up for a team dinner.
Henri keeps everything running smoothly behind the scenes so events go off without a hitch. Always with a roll of tape in his pocket, because you never know. If his job were a music genre, it would be techno: tightly organised, but always high energy. And for that extra boost? First things first: tracking down a cinnamon roll from Bakker Klaas.
These lovely faces make sure our community of changemakers stays connected, inspired, and challenged! With exceptional masterclasses and meet-ups that spark ideas, they turn Collective & Campus into experiences you don’t want to miss.
Enya is a true go-getter who made herself an indispensable part of the team in just a few months. Endless energy, a sharp nose for great content (and good wine), and a smile that lights up the room. On weekends she cruises through Belgium or heads abroad. Staying home? Never heard of it.
Lore keeps Wintercircus Collective running smoothly every day. From events and member support to planning and processes: she maintains the overview, always with a feel for what's alive in the community. She gets energy from moments when everything clicks: a flawless event, members who feel welcome, small details that make the difference. Within the team, Lore is also known as our resident bar-top dancer.
Noah is the matchmaker of Wintercircus — or as he likes to call it himself: the Tinder of our network. He knows exactly who should be talking to who and makes sure it happens. He's (almost) always the sunshine of the room. Known for how often he shares snacks with colleagues, notorious for how often he steals them.
Lorin is the commercial powerhouse making sure Collective doesn't just run, it grows. What really drives him? "The mission of Wintercircus! There are few places that make an impact on this scale – on a city, an ecosystem and the next generation of entrepreneurs. Being part of that gives me a serious kick." As you can tell... this man can sell.
Isa Elle — Isa for short — is the first (one-of-a-kind!) point of contact for Collective members. She makes sure people feel at home straight away and keeps everything running smoothly, frontstage and backstage. Her unofficial job title? Chief of Stuff. Outside work, she deliberately seeks out calm. No more stuff — just drifting along on a boat.
Keeping our spaces running smoothly and making sure everything behind the scenes is in order: no detail too small, no challenge too great for Operations! This team keeps the countless cogs of the Wintercircus turning and ensures that colleagues, partners and visitors can count on a strong operation every single day.
Kim is the quiet force behind our well-oiled organisation. She's kind of the juggler of the circus: leading multiple teams, keeping processes running smoothly and effortlessly holding up several balls in the air. Her favourite spot to work? Bar Bougie, for the Arena view and good coffee within reach.
If something starts making mysterious noises, call Simon. From maintenance and technical support to scheduling cleaning services and last-minute event fixes: he keeps the whole operation running. If his job were a music genre? Jazz. Unpredictable, creative and improvised – but always with a lot of heart.
Numbers, budgets, forecasts,... these two don't just handle them, they excel (pun intended) at it. Behind every smooth operation, this team makes sense of the spreadsheets, tracks every euro, and keeps everything in perfect balance.
Ellen keeps everything in check across finance, legal and HR. Damn! She may call herself the party pooper – finance and legal don't always play – but actually she's the one keeping this whole party going. From numbers and contracts to everything in between: she sinks her teeth into it. And when it's a team effort? Even better.
Lorenzo is our business controller, but thinks even bigger and loves to turn data into insights that make finance the engine of growth – not the brake. Outside of work, you'll find him at a great concert or in the kitchen, where he cooks chicken every single day. Yes, every single day.
At Wintercircus, something amazing happens every day. But who makes sure you hear about it? That’s right: team Studio. Our creatives capture the magic and turn it into stories meant to be seen and heard.
Stijn was there when Wintercircus was nothing but an idea — and he's been shaping it ever since. Today, he oversees everything creative. Catch him if you can, because this man is busy! He leads team Studio, curates the events in our Arena and is the idea generator that never hits pause. And when he finally takes a holiday? You'll find him at Burning Man. Go big or go home.
For all things design, Susanna is your person. From our in-house screens to posters across the streets of Ghent, she makes it happen. Outside work, you'll often find her in her workshop, because this Italian creativo cannot for the life of her sit still. Pssst. Please don't tell her to "break a leg" – she already broke two at the same time!
Nele manages the content calendar, writes captions, web copy (like this one, meta!) and newsletters, keeps the website up to date and runs ads – making sure the outside world knows exactly what's going on in here. Want to lure her to your event? Put some pastries on the table and Nele will be there before you can say "croissant."
From photo to video, with a side of graphic support... Julien does it all. For him, the magic doesn't stop after the event: that's when he disappears into his editing bubble and conjures up a slick aftermovie. Secretly a total camera nerd — feel free to ask him about his favourite lenses!
Ours makes sure our digital infrastructure is always ready for what's next. From day-to-day maintenance to bigger challenges, they keep our tech sharp, stable, and one step ahead.
Leading this team is Dorien, who also happens to be our CEO. Not the most obvious combination, but then again, Dorien is not your most obvious person. There's a reason she has a centipede tattoo: many legs, much multitasking. Also, almost certainly the most fashionable CTO in Europe.
Emiel makes sure everything runs smart and efficient on the software side. His mission? As little monkey-work as possible: less repetitive tasks, more impact. Outside work, he makes a different kind of impact by playing two brass instruments in multiple orchestras and even competing in national championships!
Some colleagues don't need a whole squad to make things happen — they just get it done. Flying solo doesn't mean flying under the radar though: these powerhouses bring so much energy, skill and drive that they single-handedly make their mark on the Wintercircus.
Bruno is a real OG at team Wintercircus and has been building its transformation since day one. He guides around 40 leading startups and shapes the next generation of tech leaders in the Academy. His days revolve around building, connecting and inspiring. And he does it all in the same building where he used to roam as a student. Coincidence? We didn't think so.
Another OG! Bert made sure the most beautiful building in Ghent (the Wintercircus, duh) gets to shine for both users and visitors. He helped turn it into the architectural gem it is today, makes sure it stays that way and leads the renovation of the neighbouring buildings. But it's not always about bricks: Bert can also appreciate a nice long walk in nature.
At Bar Bougie, it's all about great coffee, spontaneous connections and a touch of apéro. From informal meetings to cosy coffee breaks or afterwork team drinks: these legends set the vibe, serve the perfect flat white and pour that extra drink to wrap up the day.
Jelle runs Bar Bougie from A to Z: day-to-day operations, events that draw a crowd, a motivated team and the right vibe. Outside the bar, he's a dedicated dad to his son Raphaël – and he has yet another baby named... Kitsch Club!
Amber keeps the day-to-day operations of Bar Bougie running smoothly. For her and Jelle it's a happy reunion: they go way back via Kitsch Club, and she even helped him create a signature cocktail for a competition. Photos from that era? Best left unseen.
What drew Louis to Wintercircus? The learning opportunities and chance to be part of something bigger. He's the care bear of Bar Bougie — and like attracts like, because Louis once found himself 10 metres from a wild bear while hiking in Romania!
Basiel is the baby of the team. He doesn't just shake kick-ass cocktails at the bar — he also serves up serious beats behind the decks as Brasel. The rising DJ & producer has already played sets at Full Circle and Amigo. Proud? Absolutely.
Do you want to be part of the magic behind the scenes? Check out the open positions.