Jo Martens
Founder & Co-owner of Moose Projects
Young Leader, Edition 2026
Taking ownership, every time
Jo Martens (37) lives in Beringen with his partner Ingeborg and their sons, Seb and Vik. Together, Jo and Ingeborg run Moose Projects, an execution partner for complete B2B interior projects and specialist joinery installation.
Jo describes himself as driven and direct, with a strong sense of responsibility. When he commits to something, he does everything he can to make it happen. Mistakes are part of the process, but what matters to him is owning them and finding a solution.
His high standards go hand in hand with a genuine sense of responsibility for the people around him. That same drive to take ownership can also make it tempting to solve things himself rather than step back and let someone else take the lead.
Learning to slow down
Running a growing company taught Jo that leadership takes a different kind of energy than he expected. Over time, he has learned to slow down, listen first and take the time to understand another perspective.
He has also discovered that not everything is equally urgent. Being able to say, “I’ll look at this tomorrow,” helps him protect his focus and make better decisions, even when something feels urgent to someone else.
What keeps him going is the variety in his work. No two days are the same. Jo enjoys that unpredictability and the constant challenge of finding solutions and moving things forward.
Building something together
What Jo is most proud of is what he and Ingeborg have built together in just seven years. They met, built a home, became parents to two boys and now run their business side by side. A lot has happened in a short time.
Working together as a couple comes with its challenges, but they have learned to find their way through them together. In 2026, UNIZO Limburg named Moose Projects Beloftevolle KMO van het Jaar 2026, a recognition of what they have built as a team.
Time with his children gives Jo more energy than anything else. It also shapes how he thinks about having impact.
Growing with Ben Jansen
Within YL-IM, Jo is paired with Inspiring Mentor Ben Jansen. For Jo, inspiring mentorship means having someone who challenges him on a personal level: someone who holds up a mirror and asks the right questions, including the difficult ones.
It is not about having ready-made answers. Sometimes, the right question can lead to an insight you would never have reached on your own.
Through this journey, Jo hopes to become better at stepping back, giving others more ownership and expressing himself more clearly. He also looks forward to exchanging experiences with other leaders who face similar pressures and challenges. Knowing that others are navigating many of the same questions is part of what makes that exchange valuable.
