One of the Hub’s founders, Lin Pender, was selected as one of Eindhoven’s Top Ten Expats in June. The award was a collaboration between the High Tech Campus, Brainport Development, ASML, TU/e, Rabobank Eindhoven-Veldhoven, EHV365, the Holland Expat Center and E52.
Last night at the Hub, as she had been unable to attend the ceremony at the International Festival, Bas van de Kieft, chairman of the Hub committee, presented Lin with her award. A small group of original Eindhoven Expats members from 2007, later fellow Hub volunteers and friends came together to recognize Lin’s incredible impact on the expat lives of Eindhoven.
Lin started a MeetUp group for expats in 2007 called Eindhoven Expats who met weekly at different locations in town. In 2011 she met Joost van Dijk at the International Quiz and between them they came up with the idea of the Hub, a "living room" for the international community.
Lin has volunteered tirelessly for the Hub and "brokered" many expat friendships along the way with her friendly manner, she is, as Bas van de Kieft said, "the mother of all the Eindhoven expats." Lin was pleased to have her ‘work’ recognized but said, "It’s strange to get an award for something you love to do, and I love meeting people."
