Team
Team (The Garage)
The Garage depends on the co-design of various stakeholders that come and go. Four HZ colleagues are the stable factor and form the management team. Jessica Rongen-Borgs, Charlotte Röhl, Carlien Nijdam and Marjoleijn Felius collectively operate the studio. Each has their own focus area and key responsibilities while decisions are made jointly.
Carlien Nijdam
Coach & Applied Research Expert
Carlien serves as a coach for applied research projects, bringing extensive experience from various HZ faculties and interdisciplinary minor programs. Her expertise in guiding students across diverse research topics allows her to provide valuable support throughout the minor. With a strong interest in real-life, nature-based projects, she is dedicated to helping students navigate their studies effectively. Her background in teacher training and coaching further enhances her role, making her a key asset to the team.
Charlotte Röhl
Project development & supervision
Charlotte has been involved with The Garage since its early days, helping shape its direction and focus on interdisciplinary and regenerative learning. She coordinates projects and supports student teams from both the Minor Applied Research and the Minor Design Thinking & Doing, ensuring the quality and alignment of both programs. With a reflective and approachable coaching style, Charlotte helps students navigate challenges, encouraging collaboration and critical thinking while fostering an environment of innovation and growth.
Jessica Borgs-Rongen
Management & organization
Jessica is the community, marketing, and project manager at the HZ Tower. With a background in vitality and tourism and experience in office and service management, she helps create a positive and professional environment. As project manager, she connects external partners and HZ research groups to the Design Thinking & Doing and Applied Research minors, ensuring students work on meaningful, real-world challenges. She also supports student and staff well-being, organizes social activities, and keeps stakeholders engaged through clear communication and collaboration.
Marjoleijn Felius
Coach & Design Thinking Expert
Marjoleijn is an Educational Developer and Lecturer at the Garage. She is known for providing and coaching students with tools to navigate and solve real-world challenges, using her specialties in system thinking, human-centered design, and creativity. As she delved deeper into Human-centered design, she realized that true innovation required more of a system approach connecting people, processes, and the world around. This approach led her to share her knowledge with the students at The Garage. As an individual, Marjoleijn thrives in spaces where creativity meets complexity by transforming ideas into cohesive, actionable solutions. In a world that often resists change, Marjoleijn is the facilitator who makes transformation possible.