I am a chemical engineer, born and raised in Belgium with Congolese roots. In January 2026, I will begin a new role as Compliance Manager Specialist at the Lego Group in Billund. I enjoy being creative, especially with photography and film, as well as crafts such as crochet, drawing or painting. I like learning new things, reading about new topics, and getting smarter with new perspectives. I am an avid reader of non-fiction books. I am passionate about female health and self-advocacy in healthcare environments.

Denmark was a bit of a cultural shock to me. Even though I come from Belgium, the environment felt vastly different. The biggest shock for me was how “empty” it felt, and how monocultural it is. A lot of green spaces, few people, and not much diversity, especially in Esbjerg. I was very often the only Black woman/foreigner in many rooms, something I had not experienced before. I often felt misunderstood. Luckily, I was not alone in this experience because we were a few internationals in my class. Being able to share my experience with similar people was very relieving. Finding a community where members have shared experiences or backgrounds is the biggest tip I would give to any newcomers to Denmark.

One of the things I am most proud of is tapping into my resilience to overcome a challenging situation and to develop a healthier relationship to work. About 18 months ago, I was fired from my startup. The heartbreaking part was that I did not want to be removed from my role as the CEO because I had put in so much energy and time into growing it to that stage of success. However, the life lessons I garnered afterwards, while being home for a couple of months, were life changing. Had I not been fired from that job, I would not have gained more clarity on what I want in my life, both personally and professionally, and understand who I want to spend time with or learn from. That time off the hamster wheel, really changed my relationship with work for the better. And I am so proud that I turned that “failure” into a win and a stepping stone for my growth.

I went through a divorce at age 26 and suddenly, I was all alone in a country where I did not speak the language. I was still a student at university with no job and a daughter to care for. This period of my life has made me so resilient and forced me to be accountable for my own journey and to bet on myself. I had to learn how to cut out the noise and get clear on my goals.

From a young age, I delved into reading and books were the best way I knew to spend the time. After my divorce, books were again a big part of my life. It is said that you are the average of the five people closest to you. In that period with limited time, I tried to make sure those five people were the people who inspired me and gave me hope in this difficult part of my life. Therefore, I read books about or by people whose achievements inspired me. I consumed their content and studied their mindset in hopes that it would rub off on me. Whether it was for health, finance, thriving in the workplace, I was deep into self-help books from authors like Emma Grede, Robin Sharma or Marie Kondo.