Tilburg as playground for young entrepreneur Mirjam

Tilburg is an unpolished diamond. A typical piece of 'cold hands, warm heart'. But once you discover what the city has to offer, you never want to leave it. It is no coincidence that many young talents linger here. To work or do business, often after their studies. In this series we'll find out why they stick around in Tilburg. Meet Mirjam Slob, initiator of Rooftop Rumour - Tilburg's first roof garden to-be. 

On clouds

Mirjam's head has been in the clouds for over six months now. Literally. She is working on a professional, cool roof garden with catering facilities, which should bring nature and agriculture back to the city. After a trip earlier this year I thought: what do I have to lose? Fuck it - I'm just going to do it!"

Having her head in the clouds doesn't mean that Mirjam mainly dreams. The young entrepreneur is firm, loves to get down to business and she knows very well what she wants. When she started in April, she immediately arranged an office space at Theater de Nieuwe Vorst, and had her plans drawn up. This attracted a lot of attention, partly due to an article in the Brabants Dagblad. Laughing: "This gave me a flying start. Now I don't want it to fail. Certainly not because of me."

Fearless

From an organic farm in Noordeloos - a small village near Gorinchem - Mirjam ended up in Tilburg for the Brabant coziness and an education. Although studying business economics turned out not to be her thing, the city did fit her like a glove. During the TOP week she enrolled - 'on a Friday night at three o'clock' - at student rowing association Vidar. A choice from which she still benefits nowadays. Her time at the association - and especially the year that she, together with seven other students, managed the organization fulltime - she mentions as the most memorable time of her student life in Tilburg. "That was so cool. Together with other board members, you are fully responsible for an organization for a year - a role that is not self-evident for a brand new student. For me it was a kind of playground for entrepreneurship".

Meanwhile, Mirjam continued her studies. HBO communication at Fontys and a master's degree in Data Science at Tilburg University. Later on, during her working life, Mirjam still regularly thinks back on her study time. "As a student you have a kind of fearlessness. It's easier for you to do things, to get through things faster or something like that. That keeps your entrepreneurship light-hearted," she says. "I still miss that sometimes. As if you're not allowed to fail anymore. The thought of that time helps me further - don't think about it for too long - let's go!

Doing your thing

"After my student days I really got to know Tilburg even better", she adds. Precisely in that period, everything in the city changes. Areas like the Spoorzone and the Piushaven are developing faster and faster, and the city is becoming even more attractive than before. "In Tilburg everyone is just themselves, people don't care what the other person thinks. The atmosphere is very open. Many people, including strangers, say hi on the street," she says enthusiastically. "One has a crazy haircut and the other wears some strange clothes, but it doesn't really matter. Everyone can do their thing here.

Rumour has it...

While she was studying, Mirjam set up a sales line for her own meat packets line at her parents' organic dairy farm. During her master's in Data Science & Society she worked on a sustainability platform for Tilburg University. "Because I grew up on an organic farm, it was always normal for me to choose organic products. When I went to college I noticed that that doesn't make sense for everyone. There is still a lot of unfamiliarity about what organic means. I do understand that: how many people have family or friends with an organic farm like me? That's where the first seed was planted for the rooftop garden, she says. "I never thought: I'm going to be a farmer, just like my father. But I do want to work in a positive way for nature, agriculture and sustainability, because I believe that that is of added value".

Embraced and supported

It's not a coincidence that Mirjam's rooftop garden will rise in Tilburg. Of course, she admits, this is the city where she feels at home and where she will stay for a while. But what is also very clear, she noticed last year, is that many other organizations and entrepreneurs are open to cooperation. There is no showing off here. "In June I spoke with the alderman. He was immediately enthusiastic: 'Okay, let's do it. The same goes for Midpoint Brabant, Citymarketing and so many other parties in the city".

Despite the fact that setting up such a new initiative sometimes really costs blood, sweat and tears, it makes doing business here very pleasant. "Instead of approaching others with questions, it is now the other way around. Then I get an e-mail or a call: 'have you thought about this yet?' or 'can we help you with something? A good idea is embraced and supported here".

Mirjam started her company during the Covid pandemic. What does she notice about this?

"Despite all the uncertainties, I found five partners who wanted to support my plans financially. I am, of course, enormously grateful for that. And apart from that, I don't notice very much of it. I also only started in this period, that might make a difference. At the moment I'm mainly focusing on looking for a suitable roof. After months of planning it really has to happen now".