Workshops and Programs

Are your students prepared to translate innovative concepts into actionable ventures? Within this immersive accelerator-style format, students will explore critical facets of entrepreneurship, commencing with the identification of market needs, ideation and the crafting of compelling value propositions. Engaging in hands-on activities and direct interactions with potential customers, participants will work on achieving problem-solution fit, ensuring their offerings meet tangible market demands. Under the expert guidance of highly experienced coaches, participants will develop their business models and master the creation of initial pitch decks, proficiently communicating their venture's value proposition and effectively reaching out to potential stakeholders and investors. Through active engagement and commitment to the process, students will unlock substantial opportunities for both personal and entrepreneurial growth in this highly immersive workshop environment.

A transformative journey from entrepreneurial project to viable venture and investor-ready startup. Throughout the program, we establish personalized milestones and offer comprehensive support, while learning from each other (i.e., the other ventures in the program and mentors). Our aim is to empower aspiring entrepreneurs (students and faculty) to turn their innovative ideas into ventures primed for market entry, growth, and successful engagement with investors. Participants will not only benefit from invaluable insights into common misconceptions and pitfalls in startup development but will also be equipped with the knowledge and tools necessary to navigate challenges effectively. This program provides an ideal pathway for startups funded through initiatives like the EXIST founder's grant and comparable programs, offering a structured approach to propel their entrepreneurial journey towards success - especially when the funding period is about to end.

What is the art of the great pitch? The essence of effective business communication transcends mere information delivery. It is an art form that involves crafting a narrative. Not just any narrative, but one that integrates facts into a persuasive storyline. This storyline not only highlights the critical problems being addressed but also establishes a direct connection with the audience by underlining the relevance of the message. Our Pitch Workshop is designed as an immersive journey into the world of influential pitching. Through a blend of insightful best practices and hands-on exercises, we aim to significantly enhance your teams' presentation capabilities. Embrace this opportunity to refine communication skills and propel your teams to the next level. Join us and unlock the secrets to making every pitch not just heard, but felt and remembered. This workshop is ideally combined with our Storytelling workshop. For teams that have already developed a pitch deck: We recommend considering our customized consulting services.

This program is designed to guide aspiring entrepreneurs, or those supporting founders, through the complexities of launching a business within the German innovation ecosystem. This workshop is ideal for aspiring entrepreneurs in the academic or corporate/ SME setting, offering essential knowledge and skills for navigating the business landscape successfully. We will explore what different options there are to set up a business and address company formation, registration processes, and the regulatory environment including potential pitfalls. We will conclude with operational essentials, business planning implications and ideal first and next steps. Ideal for emerging companies supported by grants, such as those on an EXIST grant, and spinoffs and spinouts seeking to formalize their entrepreneurial initiatives, this program serves as a crucial stepping stone from innovative projects to full-fledged startups.

Prepare your students to turn innovative concepts into ventures. With this comprehensive and fully immersive program, we will guide them on a structured journey to conceptualize their ideas, products and services and lay the groundwork for launching their own entrepreneurial endeavors — whether individually or collaboratively as a team. They will explore critical entrepreneurship facets, identify market needs, and craft compelling value propositions. Through hands-on activities and expert guidance, they will refine their ideas, create and test early versions of their business models, and master early versions of their pitch decks to communicate their business ideas and concepts, unlocking lots of opportunities for personal and entrepreneurial growth. Despite its short time frame, this format format lays a strong foundation for ongoing entrepreneurial advancement. It forms an excellent preparation for our Student Accelerator programs.

Throughout human history, storytelling has been a fundamental mode of communication and a means of exchanging and passing down experiences. Effective business communication transcends simply sharing information; it involves weaving facts into a compelling narrative that underscores significance, engaging the audience in a dynamic exchange. This approach cultivates a deeper connection and mutual understanding. It helps participants discover how storytelling can illuminate their mission, vision, and objectives, enriching their persuasive communication efforts. Mastering the art of using stories to captivatingly convey ideas ensuring they resonate with your audience can be applied to entrepreneurial, corporate and research settings alike. We are happy to customize our workshop offering to your specific needs, target audience and desired outcome.

This dynamic workshop promotes a culture of innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship. Participants can dive directly into this interdisciplinary and fully immersive experience. No prior knowledge required. Structured into three phases — Ideation, Build, and Pitch — we follow a hands-on approach to understanding and applying the fundamentals of generating and nurturing innovative ideas. Participants will embark on a guided journey, from idea inception to creating basic prototypes and business models. We conclude with an engaging, brief pitch session, where participants showcase their innovative concepts to their peers. A key takeaway is that ideas can be systematically developed, tested, communicated easily to gain constructive feedback, and eventually brought to fruition. Idea discovery and successful implementation is hard work rather than to be left to chance. This format is highly encouraging to apply the insights and tools learned to other contexts.

Our teaching philosophy and educational style are profoundly student-centric, emphasizing the cultivation of both personal and academic excellence while ensuring the practical applicability of learned concepts. This pedagogical approach has been deeply influenced by extensive training in Problem-Based Learning (PBL), which underscores the significance of engaging students in real-world problems to enhance their learning experience. Our portfolio of potential offerings comprises the fields of Entrepreneurship (ENT) including all subdomains (e.g., ENT Finance, Lean Startup, Design Thinking, Corporate ENT), Business Administration (general/ universal approach), Management, and Family Business with special focus of succession and innovation. With more than 12 years of teaching experience at Universities, Business Schools and in various other settings, we understand that each institution and student group is unique. We thus tailor our content and teaching methods to meet your specific needs and goals.

This talk aims to spark change and drive innovation in Germany's economic scene, targeting organizational challenges in institutions. Despite Germany's diligence in science and research, a tendency towards endless problem-seeking meetings instead of constructive thinking in solutions prevails. Whether it is the pandemic and its aftermath, a shortage of skilled labor, or constant data security concerns, there always appear to be compelling reasons for inaction, which are then extensively debated. We propose infusing a dynamic startup culture and optimistic entrepreneurial spirit into German organizations to shift focus to value creation. Highlighting "can-do" attitudes and resilience, this session will offer practical insights and strategies for adopting an entrepreneurial mindset. Rediscover personal responsibility of the individual. We encourage a proactive, solution-focused approach to innovation and growth. Look forward to a guaranteed dose of humor with amusing anecdotes and examples.