AirHub, a drone operations software company with a Sales and Marketing office in The Hague, has appointed Jon Craven as Head of Sales.
The appointment is relevant in the context of The Hague’s wider role as a city for international security, justice, public safety and technology. Drone technology is increasingly being used by police forces, fire services, port authorities, infrastructure operators and security organisations, raising important questions about safety, coordination, regulation and responsible use.
Craven brings experience from both aviation and software. Before moving into software sales, he worked as a military air traffic controller. This background gives him practical insight into complex airspace, operational safety and the kinds of systems needed when technology is used in high-pressure environments.
In his new role, he will lead sales across AirHub’s main sectors, including public safety, national security and critical infrastructure.
“After years of experience in complex airspace, I know how much depends on the quality of the systems supporting you,” said Jon Craven, Head of Sales at AirHub. “What AirHub is building is genuinely changing what is possible in the field. I am here to make sure the right organisations know about it and are able to use it.”
Stephan van Vuren, co-founder and co-CEO of AirHub, said Craven’s experience in aviation was closely connected to the needs of the company’s customers.
“Jon has experienced first-hand that critical operational systems in aviation simply cannot fail,” he said. “That experience is exactly what our customers recognise, and what makes him the right person to lead our commercial growth.”
AirHub develops software to help organisations manage drone operations, including flight preparation, real-time mission execution, compliance and data analysis. The company says its technology is used in sectors such as public safety, critical infrastructure and security.
The appointment follows AirHub’s recent €4.4 million Series A funding round, as the company continues to expand in Europe and the Middle East.
Win up to €15,000 for the development of your business
For the twelfth consecutive year, The Hague is opening the search for entrepreneurs working on innovative solutions to societal challenges. Registration for The Hague Innovators Awards 2026 is now officially open. This annual competition is an initiative of ImpactCity, part of the Municipality of The Hague, and offers start-ups, scale-ups, and students the opportunity to present their innovation to a broad and relevant audience.
With cash prizes of up to €15,000, coaching, media attention, and access to a powerful network of investors and partners, The Hague Innovators Awards has grown into a valuable springboard for entrepreneurs who combine doing good for society with doing business. Names such as Droppie, North Sea Farmers, Seepje, and Naïf Care have been able to call themselves The Hague Innovators in recent years.
New generation, fresh perspective
The challenges of our time, from climate change and food security to energy transition and social justice, call for fresh perspectives and scalable solutions. The Hague Innovators Awards focuses on entrepreneurs who contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with innovative products or services. Since last year, one of the award categories has been specifically for student entrepreneurs from The Hague who want to make a societal impact with their ideas.
A stage full of opportunities
Nominees go through an intensive program including pitch training, one-on-one coaching, and a video shoot in the Binckhaven, the beating heart of The Hague’s impact economy. Experts from Rabobank, DOEN Participaties, Unknown Group, and InnovationQuarter, among others, are part of the jury and guide the participants throughout the process.
The final takes place this year during Schaal je Impact (Scale your Impact) in November. Finalists present their innovation live on stage, after which the winners are announced.
Previous winners, such as Droppie, Solvoz, Feelou, and Rator, have been able to take a significant step towards scaling up, recognition, and new investments thanks to The Hague Innovators.
“Thanks in part to the support of ImpactCity and the Municipality of The Hague, The Hague grew into our best-performing city. Residents have already handed in hundreds of thousands of items, accounting for over 129,000 kilos of material for reuse or recycling. Great proof of how powerful collaboration can be between residents, the municipality, and entrepreneurs who really want to make an impact.” – Stef Traa, co-founder of Droppie and winner of 2025.
To register
Are you, or do you know, a Hague entrepreneur with an innovative product or service that contributes to a better future? You can register for The Hague Innovators Awards 2026 until September 1 via www.impactcity.nl.
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ImpactCity is the ecosystem for impact-driven entrepreneurs in The Hague. Under the motto ‘doing good and doing business’, ImpactCity helps entrepreneurs start and scale up their businesses with access to financing, knowledge, networks, and publicity. www.impactcity.nl
Students and professionals gathered at The Hague University of Applied Sciences (THUAS) this week for the Talent for Good Forum, an event focussed on careers for social impact under the theme “Shaping Trust in The Future”.
Organised by The Hague Humanity Hub in partnership with THUAS, the event transformed the university’s Atrium into one of the Netherlands’ largest impact-driven career fairs. Students, young professionals and career changers had the opportunity to connect directly with organisations working in areas including peace and justice, human rights, sustainability, governance, humanitarian action and technology for good.
At the career fair, attendees could meet representatives from more than 60 organisations. NGOs, government bodies, educational institutions and mission-driven businesses were on hand to discuss internships, volunteering opportunities and future careers. Workshops throughout the day covered topics such as networking, negotiation skills, leadership, entrepreneurship and careers in emerging fields.
The keynote session explored the forum’s theme, “Shaping Trust in the Future”. Emma Wedner, Chairperson of the Council of Europe Advisory Council on Youth, shared a youth perspective on rebuilding trust in communities, institutions and international systems during a period of rapid technological and social change.
HRH Princess Laurentien van Oranje shared some of her extensive experience and challenged attendees to consider how they can contribute to a more inclusive and sustainable future.
The afternoon programme featured breakout sessions on topics including climate action, international law, artificial intelligence, governance, international trade and disinformation. Participants were encouraged to explore how trust can be strengthened within organisations, communities and society more broadly.
The event concluded with a networking reception, allowing attendees to continue conversations with employers, speakers and fellow participants.
The Talent for Good Forum reflects The Hague’s unique position as an international city of peace, justice and innovation. By bringing together students, professionals and organisations committed to positive change, the event offered both inspiration and practical opportunities for those looking to build careers with impact.
Photos and LinkedIn profile photography were provided by Holland Park Media, one of the event’s supporting partners, giving participants the opportunity to refresh their professional profiles while networking with potential employers.
This is an annual event and planning will be underway soon for a 2027 edition. For more information, visit:
Join us for our regular monthly meeting – it’s online this month!
Date: Thursday 27 August 2026 Location: ONLINE via Zoom – the link to join will be sent before the meeting via email
Agenda: 19:30 Welcome, say Hi to each other! 19:35 Introduction 19:45 Member Highlight, one of our members will introduce her business 19:55 Virtual session with our speaker begins 20:30 Q&A 20:45 Networking via breakout sessions for those who want to connect! 20:55 Share our thoughts 21:00 End
Our topic this month: A Guide to AI: Top Tips on bias and gender
As women building our own businesses, we deserve technology that reflects our voices and values.
This session shines a light on gender bias in AI and offers practical, accessible ways to navigate it.
Together, we’ll explore how to use AI with better awareness of gender outputs , creatively, and confidently — so every woman in the room can better use these tools without losing her power or perspective.
About our speaker:
Digital Liz is dedicated to helping people have more control over the technology they use so that we can navigate digital environments. The aim is to make better informed choices of how to use or not use the technology.
Our topic this month: Broodfonds and some information on the proposed legislation on the BAZ (Basic Insurance for Disability for the Self-Employed)
In this online meeting you’ll discover how a Broodfonds works, how it fits into the Dutch social security system, and what upcoming legislation means for you as a ZZP’er.
In just 15–20 minutes, you’ll gain practical insights to make smarter decisions about your financial safety net.
Date: Thursday 25 June 2026 Location: ONLINE via Zoom – the link to join will be sent before the meeting via email
Agenda: 19:30 Welcome, say Hi to each other! 19:35 Introduction 19:45 Member Highlight, one of our members will introduce her business 19:55 Virtual session with our speaker begins 20:30 Q&A 20:45 Networking via breakout sessions for those who want to connect! 20:55 Share our thoughts 21:00 End
About our speaker: Dymphna Elsink
Former vice-chair of the WBII, and formerly known as Jouw Assistente, Dymphna Elsink is now co-partner at De Sprank. A steward owned company providing Waldorf childcare for children from 2 years old up to primary school.
Social Capital and Mammoet Oude Bouwmaterialen are this year’s winners of the Haagse Parel. The Haagse Parel is a municipal award for companies and individuals who make a special contribution to the Hague economy. There are two categories. Social Capital, a social staffing agency that helps people with a structural need for guidance find sustainable paid work in the hospitality sector, is the winner in the ‘Exceptional Contribution’ category. In the ‘Sustainable Enterprise’ category, Mammoet Oude Bouwmaterialen, where authentic building materials are given a second life, took home the entrepreneur award.
Alderman Nur Icar (SMEs, Employment and Participation) announced the winner of the ‘Exceptional Contribution’ category. Alderman Arjen Kapteijns (Energy Transition, Mobility and Raw Materials) presented the award to the winner of the ‘Sustainable Enterprise’ category. In addition to the Haagse Parel, both winners were presented with a cheque for 5,000 euros, which can be used to grow their businesses.
“The Hague has a huge number of entrepreneurs who are significant to their neighborhood, contribute to employment, or make a social impact in other ways. Social Capital is a wonderful example of this: they make a difference for people by giving them a chance to develop towards employment. It is wonderful to reflect on this today with the presentation of the Haagse Parel!”, says Icar.
Kapteijns: “Many entrepreneurs are active in our city who demonstrate that sustainability is simply possible. Mammoet Oude Bouwmaterialen truly stands out. They give used building materials a new life and show that circularity doesn’t have to be complicated, but rather smart, creative, and absolutely necessary. Through what they do, we save raw materials and energy, and they inspire other entrepreneurs to also pay attention to sustainability. That is why this Hague Gem is more than well-deserved.”
Three nominees
There were three nominees per category. They were announced at the end of April, after which the public could vote for their favorite company. The three contenders in the ‘Exceptional Contribution’ category were Apotheek Pillen en Praten, Eye Security, and Social Capital. Hubbel Stadslogistiek, Seepje, and Mammoet Oude Bouwmaterialen were nominated in the ‘Sustainable Enterprise’ category.
Public and jury votes
The final result was determined for 40% by the more than 3,500 public votes. The remaining 60% was determined by the expert jury. This consisted of Harry Wientjens (Economic Board The Hague), Pieter Scholten (MKB Den Haag), Karima el Bouchtaoui (VNO-NCW region The Hague), Stefan Baecke (Yespers, winner of the Haagse Parel ‘Impactful Circular Enterprise’ 2025) and Daan Krijger (Nelis Company, winner of the Haagse Parel ‘Exceptional Contribution’ 2025).
The Hague Inspires!
The Entrepreneurship Award was presented during Den Haag Inspireert!, the entrepreneur and employer event organized by the Economic Board The Hague and the Municipality of The Hague. In addition to the presentation of the Haagse Parel, the program consisted of bringing together entrepreneurs, government officials, educational institutions, and other organizations from the region. During the event, themes such as AI, labor market development, and entrepreneurship took center stage, featuring inspiration sessions, discussions, and networking opportunities.
Photographer: Michel Mees
Photo caption: Aldermen Icar and Kapteijns with Social Capital and Mammoet Oude Bouwmaterialen, the winners of the Haagse Parel 2026
