South by Southwest is one of the most sought after conferences in the U. S., bringing together the biggest names in music, film, technology, media, entrepreneurship and much more –⁠ all in one place. So how did Roland Gerhards CEO of ZAL, Hamburg centre of applied aeronautical research make his way all the way from Germany to Austin, Texas to talk about flying taxis? Roland was always fascinated by aerospace, learning to fly at the age of 14.  Now, with over 25 years of industry experience, he remains an aerospace engineer at heart. At Zal, he bridges the gap between academia, industry and government by uniting people from across the aerospace industry to perform research. We spoke to Roland about how to foster open communication in a collaborative environment and why sometimes you simply just have to put yourself out  there. And that’s part of what got Roland and his team a spot at SXSW 2019. Enjoy!