Special: International Women's Day at SMARTKAS

SMARTKAS is celebrating International Women’s Day. To mark this special day, we’d like to shine a light on one hard worker in particular. No, not Bernie the dog. This time we looked up towards her pet mama to find out what it takes to be a female leader at SMARTKAS.

Our head of Marketing and Communications, Tess Potharst has been a part of SMARTKAS since the very beginning. With an academic background in International Communication, she had previously worked on EU projects on the EIP-SCC, Eurocontrol, European Commission, IASA, and various national and international projects related to Smart Cities and sustainable projects.

Tess currently heads the team of 7, and is also part of a group of vertical farming experts in City of Amsterdam's Trade & Innovation department, that aims to develop the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area.

We asked her some questions on what it means to be a woman in the AgTech industry.

What does being a woman and working at SMARTKAS mean to you?

Working at SMARTKAS (as a woman) means everything to me. We have more female employees than males. My team is the prime example of it and I hope this can empower other women to join the AgTech industry as well.

What opportunities does SMARTKAS have for women in business?

What I find extremely important is that we hire based on merits, skills, and knowledge; not looking at gender, age, or country of origin. Even though it was accidental that most of the team ended up being female, it is interesting to see that, when you are given the option to hire young, bright minds in creative positions, the majority can end up being female. At SMARTKAS we encourage diversity, which fosters innovation and creativity on all levels of the organization.

What are you most proud of (doing) so far at SMARTKAS?

Certainly of the fact that I got to see SMARTKAS develop into the company that it is today. At SMARTKAS we are going through such rapid changes that it is sometimes hard to believe the steps we have taken. It’s wonderful that I get to build my team and work on massive (international) projects. I am most proud of my team, who get bombarded with a lot of information in their first few weeks and need to follow a crash course on SMARTKAS, and are all such fast learners!

Leadership comes with your role, but it is also part of your personality. What do you think it takes to be a good leader?

A good leader understands her team members, is able to work alongside them, communicate a clear vision and stay focused. Empathy and accountability are two important traits for me. Ultimately, a leader needs to lead by example. 

Which powerful women do you admire the most?

Powerful women I look up to are definitely the women in my family: my mother, my grandmother, and also my sisters. We are all known to be hard workers and have a no-nonsense mentality. This is also why I like working at SMARTKAS so much, as this is a very dynamic company in which there is never a dull moment. One moment you are meeting influential people in the sector, the next you are unloading the dishwasher. Not because you need to do it, but because we all want to create a successful company.

As a little girl, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to work for an international organization, travel the world, and have my own office/team. Mission accomplished, I would say. 

The fact that I can combine my job with bringing my dog Bernie to the office as well is simply amazing! What’s interesting is that having a dog at the office is always met with positive surprise; she is our ray of sunshine and is always there for some cuddles and entertainment.