Mostly Awesome

Daniel Besendorfer is the CEO of Allianz Technology, the IT service provider of the Allianz Group. He studied economics in Freiburg and Boston and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Freiburg. He started his career as an executive assistant in the German life insurance division of Allianz. Daniel quickly took on leadership responsibilities and progressed through many different positions at Allianz for almost 17 years before taking on his role as Chief Executive Officer of Allianz Technology earlier this year.

2:40 Daniel’s role as CEO of Allianz Technology:

Daniel tells us how he got into this position and what it means to set the right guardrails as CEO of a large corporate.

24:33 Working at Allianz:

Daniel speaks about Allianz’s corporate values and how Allianz understands its social and environmental responsibilities. He also shares what Allianz is doing to bring women into leadership.

35:39 Innovation in the corporate world:

Daniel talks about how innovation is driven at Allianz and why an entrepreneurial mindset is necessary also in the corporate context. He also shares how decisions regarding the adaption of new technologies are made at Allianz Technology.

Alev Canoglu is the founder of the Munich-based non-profit organisation Female Tech Leaders, which aims to empower women in STEM and leadership positions and mentor tech-savvy girls. After graduating and working in the documentary film industry, Alev decided to change fields and studied computer science at LMU and TUM. Alev has previously led product initiatives at Siemens, Microsoft and Autoscout.

2:25 Alev's career path:

In the beginning, Alev tells us why she moved from the arts to the tech industry. She shares the challenges she faced and talks about the differences between these two fields. Alev also tells us why and how she founded Female Tech Leaders and what projects she is pursuing with it.

22:44 Women in the tech industry:

Alev shares her opinion on the status quo and speaks about what she thinks needs to be done next to achieve equal opportunities. Alev also tells us what she would advise every girl who wants to start a career in the tech industry.

Folkert Behrends is a triathlete and professional coach. After an accident in 2008, doctors told him he might never be able to walk again. But 15 months later, Folkert successfully competed in the Iron Man triathlon and became world champion in his age group. Building on this experience, he is now active as a speaker and as a coach for individuals, teams, and companies. In this role, he shares his insights on taking risks, believing in yourself, and striving for more, but also on patience and taking breaks.

2:17 Folkert’s thoughts on ambition:

In the beginning, Folkert tells us how he keeps the discipline to do triathlons and why he thinks time off and relaxation are important. He also talks about what ambition can look like for different people and the differences between ambitious or striving and status quo.

32:38 Turning adversity into opportunity:

Folkert shares how he turned adversity into opportunity in his personal story and what he learned from this experience.

Saskia Bruysten is co-founder and CEO of Yunus Social Business. After studying economics at EBS and LSE, Saskia started her career at Boston Consulting Group. After a crucial meeting with Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus, she decided to go into social business, and they eventually co-founded Yunus Social Business. Saskia is also an active member of the UN Commission's Expert Group on Social Business, as well as a lecturer at events including the World Economic Forum and the Clinton Global Initiative. In 2020, she co-initiated the COVID Alliance for Social Entrepreneurs with the World Economic Forum.

3:02 Saskia's career path from consulting to social business:

In the beginning, Saskia describes how a typical day looks like for her. She also tells us how she decided what career to pursue after her time in consulting.

13:29 Saskia's experiences in social businesses

Saskia explains how to target a client group that doesn't have a lot of money. She also shares how YSB decides which companies to invest in and how they measure the social and environmental impact.

Hana Milanov is a Professor of International Entrepreneurship at the Technical University of Munich and an active board member and mentor at CDTM. Hana studied management in Croatia, earned her Ph.D. in Entrepreneurship and Strategy in the U.S. and worked as a professor at IE Business School in Spain for 5 years.

3:07 Hana’s career in academia:

In the beginning, Hana explains why she decided to do research and teach instead of being an entrepreneur. She also shares her initial challenges as an academic and how she stays motivated to keep researching.

17:10 Teaching and mentoring:

Hana tells us about the first question she always asks her classes, why she doesn't give advice to her mentees and what she has learned from them. She also talks about particular challenges that women entrepreneurs are facing.

35:34 Hana’s international experiences:

Hana shares her international experiences from Croatia, Spain, the U.S. and Germany and how the different cultures have shaped her.

Jakob is the founder of Greengas Concepts and Polarstern Energie, which are pioneers in developing sustainable energy and heating solutions. He is also the co-owner and managing director of Impact Hub Munich, which supports sustainable entrepreneurship and innovation. Before entering entrepreneurship, Jakob studied business administration and earned his Ph.D. at LMU Munich.

2:19 Jakob's career path:

Jakob tells us about his journey to earn a Ph.D. and how this gave him time to reflect and figure out what he really wanted in life. He also shares his experience as a founder of two sustainable startups and explains his perspective on measuring impact.

26:52 Jakob's opinions about the future and entrepreneurship:

Jakob shares his rather critical thoughts about the future and the climate crises and tells us why he thinks you should become an entrepreneur.

Veronika Riederle is the Founder and CEO of Demodesk, an intelligent meeting platform for remote sales that was supported by Y-Combinator. Veronika studied in Munich and New York and is an alumna of the CDTM. After graduating, she spent five years in consulting at Bain & Company before starting her own company.

2:31 Veronika's career choices:

In the beginning, Veronika talks about why she initially decided to go into consulting and what she learned from that experience. She also shares her thoughts on the impact you can have in consulting vs. entrepreneurship.

15:07 Veronika's founding experience:

Veronika explains how she started with the right person at the right time and tells us how she assembled a great team that shares their company values.

24:09 Women in Leadership:

Veronika shares why she thinks we need more successful role models for young women and how she manages to be a founder and have a family at the same time.

Dan Ram is a speaker, motivational coach and event host. He has hosted some of the biggest innovation and tech events, such as Bits & Pretzels, and has delivered 5 Ted Talks on a variety of topics, from motivational tips to the power of diversity. Before finding his passion as a host, Dan worked in many different jobs, including for the UN, as an entrepreneur, consultant, and voice-over artist. Dan grew up traveling the world as the son of an Indian diplomat, who made his way out of India’s lowest caste.

2:10 Dan’s winded career path:

To get started, Dan talks about how he became a fulfilled host, after pursuing, in his words "nine or ten wildly different careers”. He shares his parents’ incredible journey of working themselves out of poverty despite India’s strict caste system and how it motivated him to go into personal development. Dan also explains how he learned to embrace the idea of being a generalist rather than the expert he wanted to be.

31:06 Dan’s motivational tips and views

Dan talks about the power of routines and how he structures his day. He also shares the concept of his 4G-Mondays (goals, gym, god, gratitude).

40:15 Dan’s toolbox

Last but not least, Dan shares his toolbox, including his favorite book and app and explains why he believes that the most inspiring innovator is yourself.

Anna Alex is the co-founder and COO of Planetly, a tech startup on a mission to help build a carbon neutral economy. Previously, she co-founded Outfittery, Europe's leading online personal shopping service for men. For her achievements, she was named one of the young elite top 40 under 40.

2:43 Anna's journey into entrepreneurship:

In the beginning, Anna talks about how she got interested in the startup scene, what she learned during her time at Rocket Internet, and why she would not recommend going into consulting or VC as a graduate if you want to become a founder. She also tells us why she moved on from Outfittery and what "mistake" she made, that helped her in her next endeavor.

17:46 Anna's second startup Planetly:

Anna shares why she founded a startup focused on tackling the climate crisis and how it unites purpose and profit. She also tells us what purpose means for her and how she thinks people can make a positive impact in many fields including the food industry, agriculture, and politics.

29:53 Anna's opinion on female entrepreneurship:

Anna talks about her involvement in promoting female entrepreneurship and how being a female founder can be an advantage in this male-dominated space. She also explains why she believes it is important for female founders to be bolder when raising money from investors.

Nino Ulsamer is a serial entrepreneur and currently CTO of StashAway in Singapore, a digital wealth management platform that personalizes financial planning and portfolio management. He has founded seven times on three different continents, out of which two companies have already become a great success.

03:52 Nino's early career and his decision to become a founder:

In the beginning, Nino talks about his personal journey of becoming a founder, how CDTM impacted his decision, and why he chose entrepreneurship over consulting. We also learn from Nino what he enjoys most about being an entrepreneur and why he thinks every founder needs grit and curiosity to succeed.

14:43 Nino's international experience:

Having spent four years in Russia building the e-commerce platform Westwing for the German investor Rocket Internet, Nino shares what cultural difficulties he encountered while living there and leading a 150-employee company, with most of the business conducted in Russian.

24:19 Nino's current startup StashAway:

Nino tells us why he moved on to found StashAway in Singapore and how he met his co-founders abroad. He also touches on how he overcame doubts after his first startups failed.

34:31 Nino's toolbox:

In the end, we get insights into Nino's toolbox, including his favorite podcast and morning routine, and he reveals why he believes everyone has an innovator inside of him or her.