Norbert Kunz

Let's make social entrepreneurship the mainstream

Norbert Kunz is founder and managing director of Social Impact and a true authority in the field of social entrepreneurship. From the very beginning his professional activity has been characterized by the desire to bring about positive social change. He has received numerous awards for his work, including Ashoka Fellow, Social Entrepreneur of Europe, and the Federal Cross of Merit.

“We all bear the responsibility for social and ecological problems in this world and everyone can contribute to their solution. Stay true to your dreams.”

Megan Schaible

Linda Preil

The meaning behind relationships for rubber(s)

Linda Preil is responsible for Supply Chain Management at Einhorn. Einhorn produces sustainable condoms and hygiene products while focusing on sustainable business practises and the maximization of social benefits. Linda loves dancing. Sitting quietly is not really her thing as she is always eager to explore new things and listen to people and their stories.

“Just because things have always been done in a certain way, it doesn’t mean you can’t change it and I think social enterprises prove this!”

Lasse Rheingans

It's time to rethink work!

Lasse is a media science expert. In 2017 he introduced the 5-hour working day at his company while honouring existing salaries and holiday entitlements. He believes that ‘work’ should neither be a question of location, nor can it really be measured in time; it’s the result that truly matters.

“I wish for a world which is greener, with less conflicts, more togetherness, with people being closer to each other and being less afraid of something new.”

Kylee Potae

Sustainable business - A family-based mindset

Kylee Potae comes from the bautiful country of New Zealand (Aotearoa). Culturally she is of Maori descent, the indigenous people of Aotearoa. Whilst she is an accountant, she is first and foremost a member of a wide family tribal group.

“Lean into whatever feels right, and lean away from anything that does not. Trust your gut feeling, learn to feel it when it’s talking to you and listen to what it tells you. Be kind, be strong, and hold your values tight. All of this requires time to invest into yourself – take the time, life’s too short not to.“

John Strelecky

Does everyone have a purpose?

John Strelecky is a #1 Bestselling inspirational author. His books have been translated into over forty-one languages and sold more than five million copies worldwide.They have won bestseller of the year awards five times and collectively spent more than seven hundred weeks on bestseller lists, including more than two hundred and fifty weeks in the #1 spot.

“Life is not about trying to be better than anyone else. It’s about being the best version of yourself.”

Johannes Schwegler

Fighting climate change through reforestation

Johannes Schwegler is a pragmatic visionary, entrepreneur, craftsman and timber engineer. He grew up on a farm in Southern Germany and went to the tropical rain forests as a young volunteer and later as a professional. In cooperation with friends in Borneo, he developed a program for farmers to engage in forst landscape restoration.

“We promote solidarity and do business in a way that benefits everyone, so that greed for profit and exploitation of nature and people will cease to exist.“

Franziska Weiser

Driving for social change

Franziska Weiser is a Future Mobility Enthusiast with the desire to contribute to society. She believes that mobility – as one of our basic human needs – can help us to overcome a large variety of current hurdles.

“My ideal world 50 years from now includes strong, self-enabled regional networks (cells) with functional, caring neighborhoods and direct links to locally sourcing associations and businesses creating a transparent, empowering and sustainable network – with mobility as its clue and at its core.“

Eva Keretic

What was I thinking? Leaving the comfort zone

Eva is an American singer/songwriter who has lived in Germany for most of her life and who in more ways than one, through inspiration and passion for ideas and emotions, expresses her thoughts through songs and the support of meaningful projects. In the half century of her life, Eva has mastered to embrace an experience and to create an interesting story. Whether it be in song, a speech, or trying to save the planet, she is in it with her whole heart.

“So often our critical mind knocks us down before we let our true intentions and creative purpose out. It may take time and will surely not be a paved, easy road but rocky mountains offer the most beautiful views!“

Emmanuela Shinta

How can modern technologies keep indigenous cultures alive?

Emmanuela believes her life has a purpose and her time on earth is a journey to pursue it. She sees the rights of her people being violated, so she stands up and advocates for them. She sees a young girl lose sight of her self-worth, she reaches out and convinces her that she is perfect the way she is. She sees forests being cut down and land wasted, she mobilizes a movement for climate action.

“Today never happened before and it will never happen again in the future. Make the most of every opportunity and never be ashamed of who you are because from the beginning of creation until the last dot written on earth there is only one you.”

Dan Atkins

The humanistic approach to solving homelessness

Dan is a hardworking Social Entrepreneur from New Zealand living and working in London. He has built on his life experience to found the Buses 4 Homeless project which helps transform homeless people’s lives in a unique and effective way.

For Dan TEDx is a great platform allowing thought leaders and disrupters of their respective fields to come together and share their journeys, success stories and learnings in order to inspire a greater community.

“Being a Social Entrepreneur means you’re wired in a different way; concerned first and foremost with leaving people and the world in a better place; paying it forward to future generations.”

Armin Mesgaran

Learn, while leaving a sustainable mark

As head of INFINITY Deutschland Armin Mesgaran continuously builds up a nation-wide student initiative focusing on sustainability and social entrepreneurship. With INFINITY Armin and his team have established a platform which allows students of diverse disciplines to pursue sustainable projects entrepreneurially and learn by doing so.

“Social Entrepreneurship to me is the most sustainable means of social change. It positively impacts society in the long-term by being founded on an economically sustainable basis.”

Alexander Katzung