Thijs Koolen

I’m Thijs — a business professional with hands-on experience in startups and growth-focused organisations. At Advanced Tomorrow and Obsidian, I work across business development, data management, and event strategy, helping build scalable systems and meaningful communities.Alongside this, I study Business and Management at the University of London (LSE Academic Direction), combining academic insight with practical experience to help purpose-driven ventures grow sustainably.

Business Operations Analyst

At Advanced Tomorrow, I coordinate the strategic execution of high-level global forums, managing logistics for elite healthcare and longevity leaders.I maintain and optimize CRM systems to enhance member engagement and data integrity, conduct business research to support strategic growth, and collaborate across teams to expand a prestigious network of innovators and experts.

Marketing and Events Specialist

At Obsidian, I lead logistics and operations for high-profile fundraising events, coordinating vendors, schedules, and attendee services to ensure smooth delivery.I develop and execute marketing strategies across social media channels, creating targeted content campaigns that enhance audience engagement and brand visibility for our quarterly guest speaker events at Roger Gracie Academy.

Active Roles

Experiences

I had the privilege to help deliver Obsidian’s men’s mental health retreat at Gilmerton House, Scotland.This opportunity allowed me to work closely with co-founders Vartan Sarkissian and Roger Gracie, to coordinate standout experiences such as a Scottish kilt dinner, whisky tasting, driven shoot, and jiu-jitsu seminars by Roger Gracie, and to facilitate meaningful discussion among accomplished guests.It was a unique chance to connect, contribute, and grow in a dynamic, purpose-driven setting

Obsidian Scotland - Gilmerton House

I helped coordinate a men’s mental health event at the RGA Academy with 70-80 attendees and a discussion panel featuring Jon Truett, former British Special Forces.I managed event logistics, registrations, and social media promotion, and led the post-event content strategy - producing and distributing video highlights across various distribution channels to extend engagement.

Obsidian Panel with Jon Truett - RGA