Innosuisse trainer Naomi MacKenzie: ‘You’ll have really high highs and really low lows, so surround yourself with people who believe in you’

31.08.2021 07:30, Isabelle Mitchell

The Innosuisse Start-up Training in Business Growth and Business Creation equips entrepreneurs with the tools to build a world-class start-up. Around 30 times a year, the Innosuisse trainers—more than 160 entrepreneurs, investors, and experts—share their expertise and provide hands-on experience in tailor-made workshops for ICT, advanced engineering, medtech, and biotech start-ups. One of these trainers is Naomi MacKenzie, the co-founder of KITRO, a Lausanne-based start-up that develops an AI-driven imaging solution that allows restaurants to mitigate food waste and recuperate losses. Find out more about Naomi’s training sessions and her entrepreneurial journey.

The Innosuisse Start-up Training comprises accomplished entrepreneurs, investors, and experts who help young companies accomplish their missions. Many of the Innosuisse coaches have built start-ups themselves, and all of them know the challenges and opportunities entrepreneurs face. To learn more about the experts who support the Swiss innovation ecosystem, we ask them to complete a short profile and choose at least eight questions from a questionnaire about their training session and their personal and professional life.
 

About Naomi

Name: Naomi MacKenzie 
Location: Zürich 
Born in: 1993 in Houston, Texas 
Graduated from: Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne in 2016  
Job title: Co-founder of KITRO – Focus: Partnerships, sales, and product development 
Number of employees: 12
Money raised: CHF 2.7 million
First touchpoint with Venturelab: An Innosuisse Business Concept training at EPFL in 2015
 
“KITRO is addressing the issue of food waste in the hospitality industry by applying a high-tech solution to simplify the quantification, analysis, and reduction of wasted food.” 
 

About Naomi’s Innosuisse training 

How are you involved in the Innosuisse Start-up Training? 
Before starting KITRO, I attended d CTI training in 2015. In 2018, we won Venture Kick Stage 1 start-up funding. I also attended a Venturelab session as an entrepreneur before becoming a full-day trainer in 2019. I teach Business Creation Day 2: “Identify your Market and Convince Customers.” 
 
What is your motivation to join the workshops as a trainer? 
To give back to the community and learn from the brilliant entrepreneurs that make up the Swiss ecosystem.  
 
What is the best advice you can give to start-up founders? 
You will have really high highs but also really low lows; for both, make sure you surround yourself with people (co-founders, teams, and personally) who believe in you, believe in your idea, and will be there to celebrate the highs and lows. There is a great African Proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”  
 
What do you like to see from participants?  
A high level of engagement—with cameras on during virtual sessions, for example—and personal contributions. Vulnerability and acceptance of feedback, inputs, and a high level of exposure or expressing their ideas.  
 
What do you hope to accomplish with the participants? 
That everyone walks away at the end of the day feeling motivated, challenged, and fueled for the long journey. An engaging exchange with like-minded individuals that can continue to grow together and learn from each other. I hope everyone walks away with honest feedback and learnings of what pitfalls to avoid and what others have done in the past that worked well. 
 

About Naomi’s professional life
 

Where and when are you most productive? 
Depends on the day, time, and task at hand. Favorite place for a strategy ideation session is in my or my co-founder’s living room or a cool bar—with a beer in hand regardless.  
 
How and where do you clear your mind? 
Sports—either running, swimming, or roaming the Swiss winter and summer mountains.  
 
What made you decide to start your business?  
It kind of picked us: We couldn’t stop thinking about the idea of KITRO! I had the perfect co-founder to kick it off and didn’t really think about it too much—it came naturally.  
 
What is the most rewarding aspect of being a founder? 
Building something from scratch that I believe in and can see the impact. That, in combination with being able to work every day with my best friend. I couldn’t ask for a better setup.  
 
What are your three favorite apps? 
Spotify: Music or podcasts helps to boost my mood and productivity. Love it!   
Too Good To Go: Great deals on delicious meals and groceries. Perfect for entrepreneurs’ starting salaries!  
Slack: On the phone or computer, this is the best tool, in my opinion, for communication with the team.