A fascinating and complex story. How can one be admitted to the University of Amsterdam as student Law Science, become president of the Faculty’s Student Counsel and university teacher, combining all of this with setting up an internet company from the age of fifteen, without finishing high school?
Not without merit: Danny Mekić was named the most successful young entrepreneur of The Netherlands by the magazine Sprout, part of Management Team, one of The Netherlands biggest talents by the magazine Elsevier and besides that, the magazine Quote came to the same conclusions while they warn the eminences grises that this autodidact is ready to meet their chair legs to saw them. Sometimes he still tries to do that, sawing, but most of the times the wise women and men choose to embrace him and listen captivated.
He wrote columns for the Dutch Financial Times, during his study the book ‘Recht en Web 2.0’ (Law and web 2.0) with teachers of the competing Amsterdam Vrije Universiteit and got the chance to work at a reputable law firm as paralegal and is now a weekly demanded guest lecturer, speaker and internet expert in the Dutch media.
Was raised in the poorest part of the Dutch capital, where he learned to use simple words for complicated issues. And if he doesn’t succeed using words, he plays the grand piano without any doubt in a stuffed Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ or he grabs his photo camera to express himself. All the pictures showed in the background of this website are made by him. His library is not only filled with laws, but also contain half psychologists, economists and communications scholars in the form of articles and books. Is spending the nights on writing his first solo book Entrepreneur in a week. Cannot means don’t want to. And if it can’t be solved, it’s not a problem. It’s a fact.
Founded his first company when he was just 15 yo, and is now founder and Strategy Director of NewTeam. Weekly present on radio and television and publishes regularly in Dutch newspapers NRC Handelsblad and nrc.next about his passions. In October 2010 he was installed in a ministerial advisory board for the minister of Education, Culture and Science. Advisor of Neelie Kroes and StartupDelta. ICT and internet expert.
Educational background
- Law Science (University of Amsterdam);
- Mediator (Centre for Conflict Resolution, Haarlem);
- Summerschool Teaching skills (University of Amsterdam);
- Media training (Media Academy, Hilversum).
Awards
- Most requested expert on television from the business industry (NRC Handelsblad);
- Most successful young entrepreneur of The Netherlands (Sprout, Management Team);
- One of the fifty largest Dutch talents (Elsevier);
- One of the fifty largest Dutch talents (Quote);
- Juridical award ‘Hoge Raad-bef’ (National Moot Court Competition).
Public appearances
NewTeam-partner Danny Mekić is the most sought Dutch business expert on radio and television, and speaks weekly in private circles and small to large public events. He is also an enthusiastic presenter who enjoys playing a musical note on stage when a grand piano is available.
A small selection of public appearances:
- ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament;
- The Entrepreneurship Development Conference;
- Startersdag Chamber of Commerce;
- Theme day Landelijk Aktie Komitee Scholieren (LAKS);
- New Venture awards ceremony;
- ‘Jong Ondernemen’ (Young Entrepreneurial) awards ceremony;
- Big Improvement Day;
- St. Gallen Symposium;
- FD Summit 2012 (Cloud Computing, with Werner Vogels (Amazon));
- General Meeting of Members Rabobank Amsterdam;
- Agri Masters-day, Rabobank Netherlands;
- Dean symposium University of Amsterdam;
- 25-year celebration Thorbecke Academie;
- Police Women network day;
- Product launch Kaspersky;
- France 24;
- TEDxSaxion (Cupid Facebook: From Advertisements to Singularity);
- TEDxRoermond (Why the Facebook riots should not be called Facebook riots);
- International Pearls in Policing.
Quotes
- If it can’t be solved, it’s not a problem. It’s a fact.
- I want nothing, I try nothing. I just act.
- Doesn’t that feel safe?.. A whole world protected by $1 safety-switches.
- Power is the capacity to exert influence. Its strength is measured by intelligence, and its greatness by morality.
- Tonight you are the youngest person you will ever be.
-
The evidence of true beauty? e^(π i) = -1
- When light and darkness come together, contrast helps us to see the world.
- The problem with newspapers is that most of them give a summary of things you’ve read online the day before.
- Power is the capacity to exert influence. Its strength is measured by intelligence, and its greatness by morality.
- You must try to see and understand: real beauty takes of took her time. That is because beauty is rare by definition and doesn’t want to be worn out by majority; she wants to be left for the few that are willing to put a lot of effort in life.
- Question the world, don’t question yourself. Because, if you lose yourself, you will be lost.