The Heels Forward Podcast powered by Montea - Episode 12

In this episode of The Heels Forward Podcast powered by Montea, host Francesca Vanthielen speaks with Pauline Van Ostaeyen — co-founder of Dock Flow and one of the youngest guests at the Heels Forward table. At 29, she operates in the heart of the maritime and logistics sector, a world where she is still very often the only woman in the room. 

From student consulting to Dock Flow 

Pauline and her co-founder Michiel first entered the maritime world during their studies at the University of Antwerp. What started as academic research into blockchain and supply chains quickly turned into student consulting for companies in the Antwerp logistics sector. 

Those early years taught her two things: how closely intertwined the sector is, and how essential trust and reputation are. Out of that hands-on experience, the idea for Dock Flow was born. After launching a proof of concept with a first customer, the platform was built in 2020 and officially launched in 2021. 

Today, Dock Flow operates in more than ten countries and has already tracked around 16 billion euros in cargo value on the platform. 

What Dock Flow does 

Dock Flow is a logistics enablement platform that helps maritime and supply chain teams track shipping containers worldwide and bundle complex information into one clear overview. With dozens of parties involved in a single shipment, data is often fragmented. Dock Flow brings that information together so teams can focus on what really matters. 

Freight forwarders — the coordinators between all those parties — became their first and primary customer group. 

A sector still catching up on digitization 

According to Pauline, the maritime sector still has a lot to gain in terms of digitization, especially in communication and data sharing. The COVID crisis accelerated that need for change, and innovation is now moving faster. Blockchain entered her world through her studies, but the core challenge remains: getting data, standards, and global collaboration aligned. 

Being the only woman in the room 

Pauline is very open about the fact that in most meetings — both in maritime logistics and in tech — she is still the only woman. Early in her career, she tried to adapt her behavior to fit into that environment. That changed after receiving an award for female entrepreneurship. 

That moment made her realize that what she brings to the table is enough, without having to imitate anyone else. She hopes other women and young entrepreneurs can reach that realization sooner. 

Recognition, ambition and perspective 

Pauline was twice included in the Forbes 30 Under 30 and selected as a Top Innovator by the World Economic Forum. While such recognition is nice, she noticed it didn’t change how she felt the day after. 

What did matter is the network: meeting ambitious people from all over the world and continuously raising the bar for what comes next. 

Entrepreneurship, setbacks and risk 

Entrepreneurship, Pauline says, comes with daily setbacks. One of the hardest moments was when a co-founder left shortly after Dock Flow’s launch. After a weekend of doubt, she and Michiel rebuilt their focus through a concrete action plan. 

Since then, she has learned to ask herself one key question in difficult moments: What is the worst that can happen? That mindset helps her keep perspective, even when decisions carry financial and human responsibility, especially now that Dock Flow is raising institutional funding. 

Focus, life choices and outsourcing 

Pauline consciously chooses to fully focus on Dock Flow. For now, that means not having children and keeping her social circle small but intentional. She strongly believes in outsourcing — both in business and, conceptually, in private life — so energy can stay focused on what you truly want to build.