Verlinden started her career at Exxon Chemical in Diegem, Beldium, where she worked on membrane technology. She then joined BASF Antwerp as project manager of sustainable investment projects, production manager of the ammonia plant and innovation coach. In 2010, she switched to KH Leuven and subsequently to Innovatiecentrum Limburg. There, she supported companies across all sectors with (inter)national innovation projects and increasingly focused on innovation in the construction sector. Since 2015, she is CEO of Belcare, which initiates and facilitates open innovation and transformation projects in the construction sector, with an emphasis on sustainability and circular construction.

Verlinden graduated at KU Leuven as a civil engineer in chemistry with a specialization in environmental technology. She obtained her PhD at the University of Leeds-Bradford, UK, where she focused on powder technology.