🐶 Jacco van der Kooij

Do you know a large Midwest family? Well, if you do, then you know me.  I am the youngest of eight, raised in a small farmers'​ village in the Netherlands. If I picked an apple from the wrong tree on my way home from school, my parents would know about it before I got off my bike.

The family name is like a bank account, and my family has put their savings in it for over 50 years.  We are not rich, but the van der Kooij's are known for our hard work, and willingness to help others. So we never needed a lot of money. For my family, our reputation is the most valued asset and trust is the currency we trade in.  Every day.

Fast forward to today, a time where the subscription (SaaS) business model is impacting organizations big and small.   Why?  Because in the subscription business you MUST make a client successful!  You have to earn an honest word-of-mouth reference by exceeding a client's expectation. You have to work hard and build a reputation. I recognize this as these are the norms and values I was raised on, and I know exactly what to do.

Welcome to my village. Pop. 12,000. Established 2005.

Founder

Winning By Design helps customer to design, build and scale their sales efforts.  With offices in San Francisco, Amsterdam, Sao Paulo, Antwerp, Shanghai and Sydney we help clients big and small with a process driven approach to sales.  The right process executed by trained professional will help you earn more business from the right customers.

Jacco van der Kooij

Ayhan K. Isaacs

👋🏾  I’m Ayhan. I work with governments, universities, and ecosystem teams to design accelerator and SMB programs that drive real economic outcomes—jobs, revenue, and investment. 

My background is in GTM, sales, and commercial operations, so I look at economic development through an operator’s lens, not a policy deck. For the past few years, I’ve focused on startup and SMB acceleration, ecosystem building, and working with global startup hubs to support local economies. 

I also run a boutique GTM agency, which keeps me close to founders and the day-to-day of building companies. I try to give back  by participating as a mentor in different startup programs.

Feel free to connect if you want to chat about anything related to startups, GTM, startup acceleration or economic development.

Investor

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Ayhan Isaacs

Want to build an innovation hub in 2026?

I’ve spent the last 12 months speaking with 100+ economic development specialists and innovation hub managers from around the world.

Here’s what you need to know.

Step 1: Get clear on the goal.
Are you trying to create jobs?
Or commercialize and scale innovation?

Those are two different games. And they need two different support systems.

Step 2: Stop treating startups like small businesses.
Governments have spent nearly 20 years backing startups using programs designed for SMBs.

That’s the trap.

SMBs are building in proven markets:
restaurants, barbershops, agencies, ecommerce, local services.
They can launch fast because the playbook ALREADY exists.

What they need:
- grants and interest-free loans
- practical support from local business owners
- basic ops and cashflow mentoring

Startups are venturing into the unknown.
They’re validating problems, iterating quickly, and surviving on limited resources for years.

What they need:
- access to venture capital (or investors who think like VCs)
- credits/perks to subsidize technical costs and hiring
- consistent programming + coaching (not “office hours”)
- help getting customers, pilots, and distribution

Here’s the gap:
Traditional programs prioritize stability, credentials, and risk avoidance.

Startups require uncertainty, experimentation, global mentors, and educated early-stage investors.

No surprise most government-backed programs look great on paper…
 …but don’t produce fundable or scalable companies.

What actually moves the needle?

Find the talent: entrepreneurial people are everywhere; most regions just don’t know how to spot them.

Build real mentorship: founders need accountable, experience-based guidance.

Educate investors: if local investors think like bankers, nothing gets funded.

Strengthen social infrastructure: buildings depreciate. Relationships compound.

The regions that win will focus on people, not programs:
 • More founders
 • Better mentors
 • Smarter investors
 • Stronger systems

What else is missing?

At the Intersection of Global Startup Hubs & Local Economies | Ecosystem Development, Accelerators & SMB Growth 🌎

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Jacco van der Kooij

Ayhan Isaacs

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The Battle

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Ayhan Isaacs

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Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Ayhan Isaacs's LinkedIn Performance

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