The Elizabeth Holmes

MEETING ROOM:
Elizabeth Holmes (Washington D.C., 1984) developed a radically new type of blood test and by age thirty she had become the third-youngest billionaire on the Forbes list of wealthiest Americans. Only Mark Zuckerberg and Dustin Moskovitz of Facebook surpassed her. At age nineteen Holmes quit her studies at Stanford because she preferred to invest her tuition fees in her own company. Existing blood tests were inefficient so she developed a new one. This suddenly reduced the cost of a blood test from 2,000 euros per test to 35 euros. Her start-up, Theranos, is now worth nine billion dollars.

The distinctive black cube on the Johan Huizingalaan (next to the A4 and A10 ringway) was originally built as IBM’s headquarters. The adjacent hall served as a typewriter factory. After IBM left its premises, several developers prepared large-scale area development with offices as its main focus. The plan was to build an “extension of the Zuidas” (major business district along the ringway A10) in this spot.

Founders Guus, Ricardo and Bas decided to take action. The office building, with her excesses – large floors, accessibility, and robustness – afforded an opportunity to do things differently. Today, it is the lively center of B. where innovative entrepreneurs meet. ‘B.1’ houses 350 pioneering companies, rooftop restaurant Bureau, a rooftop park, coffee lounges, a cinema and gym.