Ulrich Scharf

Ulrich Scharf is the Managing Director and Founder of Skilllab, a company he established in January 2018 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.1 Skilllab's mission is to empower people to turn their skills into careers by providing AI-powered solutions that help job seekers identify and document their skills, and explore professional career pathways.4

Background and Education

Ulrich holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics (cum laude) and a Master of Science in Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations from Maastricht University School of Business and Economics.1 He also completed a Bankkaufmann program at Commerzbank AG from 2005 to 2008.1

Professional Experience

Prior to founding Skilllab, Ulrich had a diverse career in sustainability and business:

• Director of IT & Analytics at GRESB (2012-2017)1
• Co-founder of rootAbility, a social business driving sustainability in European higher education (2012-present)1
• Sustainability Project Coordinator & Co-Founder at Maastricht University Green Office (2010-2011)1
• Bankkaufmann at Commerzbank AG (2005-2008)1

Skilllab

Skilllab, founded in 2018, develops AI-powered software that links a job seeker's past experiences to a taxonomy of skills, creating a skill profile.2 This profile helps career counselors and job seekers better identify skills and improve career path planning.2 The company operates across Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, and North America, with its solution available in 27 languages.2

In 2019, Skilllab was selected as one of 20 companies worldwide to join the Google AI Impact Challenge Accelerator.2 The company aims to contribute to over 150,000 marginalized job-seekers finding new jobs over three years.2

Vision and Impact

Ulrich is a believer in the power of innovation and social entrepreneurship to create an inclusive labor market.1 He sees Skilllab as a way to transform how labor and education markets work, focusing on using skills as a universal language to describe what a person can do, what they learn in training, and job requirements.3

Ulrich's experience at GRESB, where he was an early employee, greatly influenced his entrepreneurial journey. He credits this experience with giving him the confidence and motivation to tackle global challenges through innovative solutions.3