Rick Pastoor

Rick Pastoor is a Dutch entrepreneur and author who co-founded Rise Technologies in May 2021.4 He is known for his work in productivity and time management, having authored the bestselling book "Grip" in 2019.1

Career Background

Rick's entrepreneurial journey began early, starting a comic book production in primary school.1 He later co-founded a web development company while studying at Christelijke Hogeschool Windesheim, where he earned his bachelor's degree between 2005 and 2010.5

Experience at Blendle

Prior to co-founding Rise Technologies, Rick was one of the first employees at Blendle, a New York Times-backed journalism startup.2 At Blendle, he served as the Head of Product, where he developed his ideas on productivity and time management.

Author of "Grip"

In 2019, Rick self-published "Grip" in Dutch, which became an overnight bestseller in the Netherlands.1 The book offers a flexible collection of tools and insights to help people make smarter decisions about their time, drawing from his experiences at Blendle.

Rise Technologies

As co-founder of Rise Technologies, Rick has been involved in developing productivity tools, including the Rise Calendar Application.6 However, on January 22, 2024, Rick announced that he was stepping down from his role as co-founder and designer at Rise Technologies after a three-year journey.3

Current Focus

Rick currently divides his time between his young family in Amsterdam, giving talks on "Grip," writing a weekly newsletter titled "Work in Progress," and exploring new startup opportunities.1