Background

From 2007 until 2010 Simon was significantly involved in building up the School of Design Thinking at the Hasso Plattner Institute (HPI) in Potsdam, Germany. From 2009 to 2012 he set up and managed the Design Thinking Executive Education Program at the HPI. Before this, Simon was developing crossmedial formats for the Institute of Electronic Business e.V., Berlin. As an innovation facilitator, he benefits from both his studies in Applied Media Sciences as well as his studies in Strategic Communication in social and economic contexts (University of the Arts in Berlin).

Personal

On the one hand, Simon supports start-ups as a mentor and angel investor and on the other, the Berlin Chamber of Industry and Commerce as a member of the committee „Science - Industry“. Simon prefers working at inspiring locations; already in 2011, he has started Workation Week. Also, he enjoys acting out his visualization techniques. Playing drums in his band, Simon keeps up the beat.

Background

Simon has a background in strategic business consulting with a focus on innovative mobility. Over the past years, Simon has coached and trained numerous managers from a wide range of companies and cultures in the areas of Design Thinking, agile leadership, and innovative work culture. As a lecturer at the Leibniz University in Hannover, he holds seminars on new ways of working and meaningful work since 2012. He received his doctorate from Humboldt-University in Berlin with an interdisciplinary work combining the fields of Philosophy and Organizational Theory. Simon is a certified Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Systemic Coach and the founder of Pingplus, a network of Systemic Coaches.

Personal

Simon loves Berlin, especially in the summer. Dancing in the open air. And inspiring thoughts.

Background

Before Dheeraj joined launchlabs he was working in hotels, managing a garage and organising motorcycle tours.

Personal

 He loves everything with two wheels. When he's not meditating in the saddle, he does so on the yoga mat.

Background

Jana grew up in the Deutsche Bahn Group, where she gained her first consulting experience alongside her studies. After her master's degree, she joined KPMG's Innovation Hub, where she was responsible for trend analysis in the Blockchain & Big Data department. Before joining launchlabs, Jana worked for 2.5 years as an Innovations and Agile Coach at Deloitte. During this time she transformed large IT departments with the goal of strengthening the customer focus and establishing new agile working methods such as Scrum, Lean Change or Design Thinking.

Background

Very traditionally, Tobias completed a business management training and added extra-occupational the Bachelors Professional Degree of Technical Management as well as Certified Technical Engineer. At the same time, Tobias became a self-employed media designer and photographer. Working for approximately 13 years in a medium-sized company, he was finally responsible for product management. During this time, he has developed an analogue taskboard for agile project management as well as the ideaframe in co-creation with launchlabs. Moreover, he has assisted companies from all industries in introducing organisational tools.

Personal

Tobias loves creativity - and lives it in many different ways: apart from photography and graphic design, he plays the piano, the guitar and he sings. Additionally, he very much enjoys to discover new cultures.

Background

Her wealth of experience with economic and cultural change processes as well as the user-centric design of strategies, products and services is based on her work as a freelance design thinking facilitator for start-ups, NGOs and large companies. In addition, she developed games to make complex coherences tangible and travelled the (corporate) world for Lufthansa as a flight attendant. Before the agile culture and method of design thinking became ingrained, she studied International Business Administration in Frankfurt until her master's degree in Strategic Communication in Social and Economic Contexts led her to the University of the Arts in Berlin. Inspired by interdisciplinary thinking, she ended up at the HPI School of Design Thinking in Potsdam, where she completed the Basic and Advanced Track. 

Personal

In her spare time she likes to explore. She strolls through nearby and distant cities, likes cinema, art and culinary delicacies. Inspired by that she comes back.

Background

After studying politics, English and journalism, Maren worked as a freelancing editor and helped organising events in Berlin's gastronomic scene. Her last job as managing director in her favorite place tought her a lot of organising abilities and team spirit - as did the recent certification as Scrum Master & Product Owner.

Personal

Maren likes dinner with family and friends, fresh air, good music & watching the sea.

Background

Tassilo studied business administration in Cologne from 2012 to 2015, spending a semester abroad in Porto and writing his bachelor thesis on sustainability in the supply chains of the REWE Group. He subsequently moved to Berlin and Warsaw, where he completed a Master's degree in Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship as well as a Master's degree in Management. At the same time he was a working student at the Berlin startup unumotors and a student research assistant at TU Berlin. During his studies Tassilo got to know new working methods such as Design Thinking and was immediately enthusiastic. While writing his master's thesis on digital business models, he completed the Basic and Advanced Track at the HPI School of Design Thinking in Potsdam. He then worked as a product manager with a team of developers and designers to develop a digital product for MAN in Munich. During his last position before Launchlabs, Tassilo was able to gain experiences in the German "Mittelstand". As a business innovator, he supported the innovation team of the Stockmeier Group, an almost 100-year-old family run business in the chemical industry. In addition to new working methods, he was also involved in the development of new digital products. Tassilo is a certified Scrum Master.

Personal

Privately Tassilo likes to be out in nature and especially in the mountains. His hobbies include photography, website design, music and martial arts. Privately, Tassilo organises the ToolFest once a year: with the vision of mixing up the traditional working world with new methods and thus laying the foundation for new ideas and innovations.

Background

After studying communication and business administration in Nijmegen, Kristine worked for several years as a Change Management consultant during which she developed an in-depth understanding of the variety of challenges the different companies faced. She went on to further her development as a blended learning/project manager, always seeking to help people develop according to their strengths and work environment. After studying design thinking at the Design Thinkers Academy in Amsterdam she couldn’t stop! Her love for innovation and for the city of Berlin brought her to launchlabs.

Personal

Kristine has truly wide interests in various things and people. She likes to sing, improvise in theatre, loves nature and seeks to explore the world on long-distance journeys whenever she can.

Background

Laura completed her Bachelor's degree in Theatre Studies and Social and Cultural Anthropology at the Free University of Berlin. There, where she focused on the intersection between the humanities and social sciences. In her final thesis, she explored the dynamics of performativity and theatricality in popcultural media. During her studies, Laura also worked at the Deutsche Oper Berlin and assisted in the several theatre productions of the Deutsches Theater Berlin.

With a steadily growing enthusiasm for transdisciplinary connections and practical (theatre) work, Laura found the Basic- and Advanced Track of the Design Thinking course at the Hasso Plattner Institute in Potsdam to be an ideal setting to contribute her experience to interdisciplinary teams and grow new skills. From 2017 to 2020 Laura worked as a freelance human-centered designer and innovation strategist. During this time, she taught digital and future skills in numerous soft skill formats as a trainer for the Google Zukunftswerkstatt Germany, accompanied a medtech start-up in its product development as a user researcher and managed a non-profit consultancy for social enterprises. As part of her self-employment, she advised political institutions, including several federal ministries, and worked as an agile coach not only in the corporate sector, for example for the Robert Bosch Foundation, SAP or Die Bayerische, but also in the cultural and social sector. 

Personal

Her passion for the (performing) arts regularly drives Laura to the numerous theatres in Berlin and the museums of the cities she visits. There she draws new inspiration and explores different artistic perspectives on social discourses. 

Background

Laura studied human-centred design and design thinking methods throughout her bachelor's degree in Interactive Media Design and her master's degree in Leadership in the Creative Industries. During her studies, she immersed herself in the start-up scene and worked as a user experience designer on concepts and interfaces for hardware and software products – for a wide range of target groups: from e-bike riders and hoteliers to students from Vietnam and China. Always along for the ride: strong conceptual skills, curiosity and a lot of empathy for a collaboration at eye level.

Personal

Laura loves podcasts – listening to them and recording them herself. When she's not behind the microphone talking about design and the future, she's out exploring other Berlin neighbourhoods (and the world in pandemic-free times). In her leisure time, she is committed to her passion for mental health at the start-up Sisu Health, which she has supported since its founding. At home, she not only tends to her growing jungle of plants, but also finesses the perfect sauces for bibimbab and dumplings.

Background

Growing up in Bremen, it took Sepideh to Zurich, Hildesheim and Berlin for her studies. She was particularly interested in experimental research in social and decision psychology. Sepideh had her first contact with innovative methods at the Wagniswerkstatt of the Humboldt University in Berlin, where she developed a web-based solution for a start-up in an interdisciplinary team using the design thinking process. Intrigued by how much can be achieved in such a short time with the right mindset and method box, she deepened her knowledge alongside her psychology studies at her working student job at the SAP Innovation Center and later at a change and innovation consultancy. She was always able to link her psychological know-how to her work and apply it in a targeted manner.

Personal

Growing up between Persian and German culture, Sepideh knows how to dine well and be on time for appointments. She spends her free time exploring new places - preferably with friends or her family. She cares a lot about equal opportunities and educational justice, which is why she has repeatedly been involved in social projects over the years. Convinced that the success of a state should also be measured by its citizen's well-being and not just by its gross domestic product, Sepideh uses "Happy Life Hacks" to explore the question of what really makes people happy.

Background

Before joining launchlabs, Berit has gained valuable experience in science management, ranging from academic self-administration and quality management to internationalization and change processes due to the merger of two universities. Among others, she has helped setting up the Graduate School at Leuphana University of Lüneburg and led the programme management for the six interdisciplinary Master's programmes in Business Administration and Economics.

Abroad, Berit has worked in the "Marketing and Business Development Department" of an international engineering firm in the UK, where she successfully contributed to the "Queen's Awards for Enterprise: Sustainable Development". On the other hand, she spent a research period at the University of Toronto - thanks to a scholarship as part of her Master's degree with the three subjects English Studies, Education and Economics.

Personal

Her Danish first name reveals that Berit's roots lie in northern areas. She likes to explore Berlin and its surroundings by bike or on the water. In winter, Berit distributes warm meals in the soup kitchen.

Background

Mira graduated with a German-Spanish Bachelor's degree in International Management and a Master's degree in Innovation Management. During her studies she lived in Madrid, Beijing and London. This experience has taught her to adapt quickly to new situations and to work well in interdisciplinary teams. Mira studied design thinking at the Hasso Plattner Institute (d.School) and has been enthusiastic about user-centred methods ever since. Before joining launchlabs, Mira worked among others for IBM in the areas of business design and change management. Mira considers herself as a process facilitator for her clients and values collaborative and appreciative work environments.

Personal

Mira's interests are very diverse. She is passionate about salsa dancing and takes every opportunity to speak Spanish and to get to know other cultures. Further, she loves the process of acrylic painting or acting. In addition, Mira is involved in social projects and thereby contributes to strengthening topics such as personality development and creative confidence in schools.

Background

Originally, Fabian comes from Frankfurt, but he feels just as comfortable in Berlin as in Tübingen, Krakow or Montréal and speaks English, French and a little Spanish in addition to German. He studied economics in his bachelor's degree and then specialized in entrepreneurship and international business administration in his master's degree. His enthusiasm for agile methods, design thinking and new work has accompanied him for several years and he has already been able to prove it in the Digital Factory of Deutsche Bank and most recently as an innovation consultant in the Experience Center of PwC. Before Fabian started at Launchlabs, he also worked in a few startups, most recently at a social startup, or "Zebra", which promotes renewable energy and equality. Equipped with a lot of good humor, Fabian doesn't let the lightness in life take him away so quickly and this positive energy is infectious.

Personal

Fabian is a cosmopolitan and always open to new developments. He is a true generalist who is as interested in technology as he is in biology, sports, philosophy and much more. Fabian loves freedom and has already made several tent trips through Europe with his small, red Peugeot 107. He likes to describe himself as a bon vivant.

Background

Steffen studied event management and technology at Beuthhochschule für Technik in Berlin. From 2016 to 2020 he worked as a project manager and crew chief for an event service company.

Since 2019 he is interested in web development. One year later, he finished a full stack web development boot camp and worked as a freelancer with the focus on full stack apps.

Personal

Steffen likes music, books and travelling

Background

Kersten has a Bachelor's degree in International Management and is currently studying Digital Entrepreneurship in his Master's program. Between these two stations, he absolved the Basic & Advanced Track in Design Thinking at the Hasso Plattner Institute of the University of Potsdam and is a certified Scrum Master.

Especially at D.School his interest in user-centric work and new work approaches & organizational models grew and he can now support to drive real innovation here at launchlabs.

Through his long career as a track cyclist and his participation in the Olympic Games in Rio'16, Kersten has gained a lot of experience with teamwork and dealing with unfamiliar scenarios, which now helps him in dealing with interdisciplinary teams.

Personal

Even after retiring from competitive sports, Kersten is still very interested in sports and always loves to try out something new here and there. He also likes anything that's tasty, whether it's preparing food, mixing cocktails, or making delicious coffee. He also enjoys meeting up with his friends, loves to dance to electronic music and always reads about four books at a time.