Hi! My name is Iris.

As a product leader, I help teams build technology responsibly. I also work independently on responsible AI—through consulting and my own projects.

My path hasn’t been linear, and that’s by design. I started with a BSc. in Artificial Intelligence and MSc. in Cognitive Neuropsychology, spent 12+ years as a product manager, and also became a yoga teacher, digital wellbeing coach, and briefly an entrepreneur. Looking back, I see what connects it all: a deep curiosity about the intersection of technology and human experience, and a drive to make sure tech is built in a responsible, humane way.

I’ve led product teams across B2B SaaS, fintech, energy, and gaming—across Europe and Africa—always with a focus on solving complex problems in ways that genuinely serve users. I also care about how my team operates and put real energy into making that work well. I’m analytical, technically fluent, and unafraid to push back when we’re solving the wrong problem. Now I’m focused on responsible AI, combining my product expertise with my conviction that AI systems need to be developed thoughtfully and ethically.

Some keywords

curious, analytical, creative, honest, open, rational, sensitive, spiritual

Quote about me:

“Iris’ talent is modesty, calmness, focus, an open-inquiring mind, and determination to iterate as long as needed to achieve goals. She can make whole teams shine, easing through difficult decisions, without anybody on the team noticing the complexity they just went through.”

Responsible AI

In 2024, I heard about Rutger Bregman’s book Moral Ambition and the corresponding “School for Moral Ambition”. This really resonated with me, as I have always felt the urge to be more impactful with my work. I am an empathic person and strongly feel I want to contribute in a positive way to the world, while making best use of my talents. I started a so-called Moral Ambition Circle, a group which challenges individuals to shift their careers towards more morally ambitious goals—endeavors that can make a substantial positive impact on society. During this process I have come to be interested in working on responsible AI and started a role as a responsible AI strategy consultant.

Product Management

In school, college and then work, I’ve always been interested in STEM, but also subjects such as psychology. This broad interest is what lead me to study artificial intelligence back in 2003 (combining computer science and psychology) and then to a career in product management. When I learned that product management combined technology, user experience and business, I knew this was the career for me. I love designing and developing software products. In particular, I am interested in sustainable and ethical technology.

More about my product management work.

Digital Well-being

Around 2019, I added digital well-being to my professional interests. I have become aware how technology can get in the way of our humanness, our creativity and our focus. This has lead me to not only be interested in making technology work for people, but also in helping people figure out how to manage technology in their lives. I see how important it is for us in modern times to have techniques like breathing and mindfulness to stay in touch with our bodies, intuition and creativity.

Learn more about my digital well-being company Waives.

Yoga, consciousness, spirituality

I started practicing yoga already while studying in San Diego back in 2002. At first it was simply a nice relaxing class once a week, but in 2013 it became a daily practice. This is when I started clearly noticing the effect yoga was having off the mat: feeling more relaxed, more connected to others and more in touch with my body and feelings. In 2017 I did an immersive yoga teacher training, which was very transformative. It brought home a deep sense of connection, the need to not only be present in the head but also the heart. I learned that changing my breathing completely changed how I felt and being more in touch with my body and emotions made me feel much more fully human. Since then I have been on a path of not only intellectual but also spiritual curiosity and am eager to share with others the profound impact this has made on my life.

I am also very interested in consciousness and how both eastern traditions and western science view this phenomenon.