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Internationals in Leuven - Lea Sophie Suhr and Nicole Wedell-von Leupoldt

Together with our partner organizations, Leuven MindGate is committed to spreading the word about the fantastic opportunities our region has to offer. We’re here to tell you - and to show you - all the reasons you should consider becoming a Leuvenaar. And who better to tell you all the reasons than international Leuvenaars themselves?

These inspirational German women found each other in doing business

Lea came to Leuven two years ago as her husband started a position at KU Leuven, together with their small child. Originally from Germany, she has lived and worked abroad before coming to Belgium, in places including Australia and Washington D.C. Lea used the momentum she found as a traveling spouse to co-found (with Nicole) Talent Interlock, which offers dual career services as well as career coaching and empowerment for expat spouses to help them maintain and grow their own career in their new country.

Being a founding member of a university back home in Germany instilled Nicole with a “you can do just about anything” mentality. Her motto, “Embrace it if you can’t beat it,” led her to develop the pilot dual career program for the University of Leuven, which was highly appreciated by the participants. Nicole is also a city guide in Leuven.

  • They also recommend you check out job fairs, like this one
  • At the end of the video, we see Lea and Nicole with their friends and families at Hal 5
  • Lea lives in the Groot Begijnhof, a stunning example of the women communities that were popular in 13th-century Belgium. You can find out more about its history here. The 13 Flemish beguinages still preserved are a combined UNESCO World Heritage site, and Leuven's is the largest of the group.

How can we help?

The Leuven MindGate team is at your disposal for any questions about the Leuven Innovation Region. Do you want to invest, work or study in the region? We can help you find your way.

We also facilitate collaboration and innovation between companies, knowledge institutes and government within the Leuven Innovation Region, and we are happy to guide any of these stakeholders towards innovation.