Gert Kerkstoel is an entrepreneur/investor with participations in a few consumer businesses, amongst which Lockwood-Avenue (skateboard and sneaker stores) and oona (lifestyle communication agency) in Antwerp. He had a long and diverse run of 20 years - mostly outside Belgium - in corporate marketing and business functions of which 12 years at Nike and specifically Nike SB, followed by 7 years in Private Equity at Gimv Consumer Investments with focus on digital business models and e-commerce in particular.

The original approach of the Nike Skateboarding division - based on a mix of independent distribution, collaborations, limited edition product and a global community - is still at the heart of today’s go-to-market strategies of many fashion and lifestyle companies. His broad and global experience combining the corporate, the financial and the entrepreneurial angle on branded lifestyle business, is today the basis for a strong point of view on - and a strong belief in - the very local: Antwerp in his case.