30.01.2025

Inside the Circular Factory Program: The human side of scaling up your business

Last week marked the final deep dive of the Circular Factory Program, focusing on the pillar of Team & Impact. An essential capstone to the deep dive series, in which we explore the human side of scaling—a shift from the technical topics of plant design & technology, feedstock and finance to the personal and team-driven foundations necessary for sustainable growth.

Morning inspiration: site visit to ChainCraft

The day began with a visit to ChainCraft in Amsterdam, a scaleup actively preparing for funding and the construction of their first commercial plant. Participants toured their demo plant and learned firsthand about the company’s progress from Marc den Hartog, CEO, and Maurice Oltheten, Head of R&D. ChainCraft upcycles organic waste streams into sustainable fatty acids, providing a bio-based alternative to traditional fossil and palm oil-based chemicals. It was inspiring to see a circular business that is successfully advancing toward its goals, offering the participants a tangible example of what’s possible at this stage of growth.

 

Afternoon: leadership and team scalability

The afternoon featured two expert-led sessions that focused on essential aspects of personal leadership and team dynamics.

 

Session 1: Leading with intention. In the first session, participants explored the importance of grounding their entrepreneurial journey in clear intent. The facilitator guided them to reflect on their personal “why”—the core motivation that fuels their work. Key take away: scaling a circular business is a marathon. Staying connected to your intent strengthens your resilience and helps you navigate the inevitable challenges, such as stress and setbacks, along the way.

 

Session 2: Team fit for scaling. The second session offered an introduction to a framework for assessing how team members align with a company’s scaling phase. This model helps think critically about achieving the right balance and preparing for the next growth phase by building a team that fits the journey ahead. A helpful tool for participants to evaluate their current team’s strengths and identify gaps, considering the evolving needs of their business.

 

 

Key take-away: scaling up a circular business is about more than just technology or finance

Scaling a circular business is about more than just having the right strategy or funding. It demands a team that evolves with the business and a leader who is deeply connected to their purpose. “Which is why this pillar is an essential capstone to the deep dive series, shifting from technical topics of plant design & technology, feedstock and finance,” says Bart van den Heuvel, Learning & Development Manager at Circular Factory

 

With this deep dive, we want to encourage participants to think about the human side of scaling and provide practical tools for their next steps. One of these steps is developing a Hiring Plan, to prepare their teams for the next stage of growth. Besides practical tools, the sessions also provided the space to have more personal conversations, creating a solid foundation for the next phase of the program: intervision.”

 

Next up: operational roadmaps and peer intervision

With this final deep dive complete, participants will shift their focus to operationalizing their OKRs and roadmaps. Regular peer-to-peer intervision sessions, led by Lindy Hensen and Petra Beris from TransitionHero, will help them reflect on their progress, share challenges, and learn from one another.

 

Stay tuned for more updates! In the meantime, check out the profiles of the participants and learn more about their stories.

 

 

The third edition of the Circular Factory program is made possible thanks to our financial partners: Gemeente Rotterdam, Stichting Ondernemersbelangen Rotterdam, the Rabo Foundation and Invest-NL.

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