the humanplus podcast

I sit down with Dr. Thomas Funke, co-founder of Tomorrow University, to explore how education is being radically transformed to prepare learners for a more meaningful and impactful future. Thomas shares how his early exposure to entrepreneurship led him to initially pursue a secure career, but he eventually found himself drawn back to the entrepreneurial world, motivated by a passion to rethink education and leadership for the future.

We dive deep into Tomorrow University’s innovative approach, which goes beyond traditional education by integrating emotional intelligence, self-empowerment, and 21st-century competencies. Thomas reveals how the future of education is no longer about knowledge dissemination but about fostering a sense of purpose, self-awareness, and collaborative problem-solving among students. Together, we unpack why emotional intelligence and somatic learning are critical in shaping the leaders of tomorrow and how technology can be harnessed to create more personalised, flexible, and impactful learning experiences.

Whether you’re an educator, a student, or someone passionate about creating change, this episode will leave you inspired by the possibilities of a new educational paradigm.

What You’ll Discover:

Tune in to explore how education can be reimagined for the 21st century, empowering individuals to lead with purpose and transform the world around them.

About Thomas:

Dr. Thomas Funke is the co-founder and co-CEO of Tomorrow University of Applied Sciences. With over 15 years of experience in academia, he has consistently sought to make an impact. In addition to his academic background, Thomas is the founder of several successful startups. His expertise spans sustainability, entrepreneurship, and technology. He co-founded Tomorrow University of Applied Sciences to transform education and train a new generation of sustainable leaders capable of shaping our future.

Connect with Thomas:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/drthomasfunke/

Learn more about Tomorrow University:

https://www.tomorrow.university 

Mission Identification Trial Challenge: https://www.tomorrow.university/trial-challenge/mission-identification

Connect with humanplus:

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/humanplusfutures

IG: @humanplusfutures

Connect with Kat:

LI: www.linkedin.com/in/katharinakugler

E-mail: [email protected]

I sit down with Maria Velkova, Managing Partner at Tabula Rasa Ventures, to explore the groundbreaking potential of psychedelic medicine and its role in transforming the future of healthcare. Maria shares her journey from Big Pharma to venture capital, driven by a deep passion for revolutionising health systems and addressing the root causes of mental health issues.

We delve into the current state of psychedelic research, focusing on substances like psilocybin and MDMA, and how they offer new hope for treating conditions such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Maria explains the science behind these therapies, how they work to rewire the brain, and why they are poised to reshape the way we think about and approach mental health.

But it’s not just about the science—Maria brings a deeply personal perspective to the conversation, sharing how her own experiences have shaped her mission to build a more holistic and effective healthcare system. She discusses the challenges and opportunities in integrating these novel therapies into mainstream medicine and offers her vision for a future where healthcare is not just reactive, but truly preventative and personalised.

What You’ll Discover:

Tune in to discover how psychedelic medicine could be the key to a more compassionate, effective, and sustainable future in healthcare.

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About Maria:

Maria Velkova, Managing Partner at Tabula Rasa Ventures, specializes in investing at the intersection of legacy health systems and wellness care. With over a decade as a big pharma executive for Roche, AstraZeneca, Novartis, and others, Maria's expertise spans global drug development and health system strategy. Recognized among Business Insider's top 15 Global Psychedelics Executives, she has led high-profile events at Davos, alongside the World Economic Forum, and pioneered education on psychedelics at the 'Dialogues in Mental Health” conference in Dubai—the first in the Arab Region. Maria holds a degree in BSc Pharmacology from Leeds University and MPhil in Bioscience Enterprise from Cambridge University, where she was a visiting lecturer in 2016. 

Learn more about Maria/Tabula Rasa Ventures:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-velkova/

https://www.tabularasa.ventures/

Connect with humanplus:

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/humanplusfutures

IG: @humanplusfutures

Connect with Kat:

LI: www.linkedin.com/in/katharinakugler

E-mail: [email protected]

I sit down with Tim Leberecht, co-founder of the House of Beautiful Business, to explore how beauty and romanticism can radically transform the business world. Tim shares his unique insights on why the traditional human-centred approach is no longer enough and how expanding to a life-centred economy—one that honours all life forms and ecosystems—can lead to more sustainable and meaningful business practices.

We dive deep into the role of romanticism in business, uncovering how emotional intimacy and the appreciation of beauty can redefine corporate cultures, making workplaces not just more productive, but also more humane and inspiring. Tim also offers thought-provoking perspectives on the future of AI, emphasising its potential to enrich our lives in ways that go beyond mere efficiency.

Whether you’re a leader looking to foster a more beautiful and meaningful organisational culture or someone interested in the intersection of business, technology, and humanity, this episode is a must-listen. You’ll walk away with practical advice on how to create environments that value emotional diversity, foster deep connections, and contribute to a more beautiful, sustainable future.

What You’ll Discover:

Tune in now to discover how you can make your business more beautiful.

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About Tim:

Tim Leberecht is one of the most original and passionate voices on a more humane future of business. He is a German-American entrepreneur, curator, and author, and the co-founder and co-CEO of the House of Beautiful Business, the global network for the life-centered economy. Previously, Tim worked in Silicon Valley, as the chief marketing officer of NBBJ, a global design and architecture firm, and, from 2006 to 2013, as the chief marketing officer of product design and innovation consultancy Frog Design. He is a sought-after keynote speaker, and his two TED Talks have been viewed more than 3 million times to date. He is the author of the book The Business Romantic (Harper Business, 2015), which has been translated into ten languages to date, and The End of Winning (Droemer, 2020). Tim is a BMW Foundation Responsible Leader.

Connect with Tim:

https://houseofbeautifulbusiness.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tleberecht/

Connect with humanplus:

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/humanplusfutures

IG: @humanplusfutures

Connect with Kat:

LI: www.linkedin.com/in/katharinakugler

E-mail: [email protected]

I am extremely excited to share this profound and expansive conversation with Dr. John Vervaeke PhD, who is an award-winning lecturer at the University Of Toronto who's teaching courses in cognitive science, psychology, buddhism, and philosophy. He is the author and presenter of the YouTube series, Awakening from the Meaning Crisis, which integrates a comprehensive view of Psychology, Spirituality and Cognitive Science to respond to it.

I could have talked with him for hours and felt some serious FOMO (true story, lol!) as I didn't want the conversation to end. John's knowledge and wisdom are EXCEPTIONAL on so many levels. On top, he is a very kind and wonderful human being doing some profound work in this world. Be sure to follow his work.

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Connect with John:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/johnvervaeke 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vervaeke_john

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Follow humanplus:

Website: www.humanplus.me

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/humanpluscollective

Instagram: www.instagram.com/humanpluscollective

Connect with Kat:

LinkedIn: katharinakugler

Twitter: @katkugler_111

Instagram: @katandtheuniverse 

Link this episode? Subscribe to the podcast Spotify, Apple and YouTube. If you’re listening on Apple, please do leave a review & rating!

#johnvervaeke #awakeningfromthemeaningcrisis #meaningcrisis #awakening #spirituality #cognitivescience #transformation #consciousness

My guest is Marc Allen, an internationally renowned seminar leader, entrepreneur, author, and composer. He co-founded New World Library (with Shakti Gawain) in 1977 and has guided the company, as president and publisher, from a small start-up to its current position as a major player in the independent publishing world.

Marc published many legendary authors such as Eckhart Tolle, Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, Alan Watts and more and has written several books himself (including The Magical Path, The Greatest Secret of All, The Millionaire Course, Visionary Business, and others).

Who would have thought that in his early 20s, he says he was full of anxiety, and even got into using drugs? He could barely scrape together money to buy a latte, let only pay his $65 rent. But then it all changed…

Marc:

www.MarcAllen.com

www.facebook.com/MarcAllenAuthor

www.youtube.com/user/MarcAllenAuthor

Free Gifts:

7 Things Authors Should Do (and Shouldn’t Do) to Get Happily Published

1-Page Business Plan

https://marcallen.com/1-page-business-plan

Make Your Success A Reality... with Ease. A 4-Part Video Series

https://marcallen.com/freevideoseries/

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Website: www.humanplus.me

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/humanpluscollective

Instagram: www.instagram.com/humanpluscollective

Connect with Kat:

LinkedIn: katharinakugler

Twitter: @katkugler_111

Instagram: @katandtheuniverse 

#MarcAllen #Spirituality #TheMagicalPath #TheGreatestSecretofAll #TheMillionaireCourse #VisionaryBusiness #spirituality #transformation #consciousness #financialabundance #abundancemindset #eckharttolle #waynedyer #deepakchopra #MiddlePillarMeditation

My guest is Trevor Blake, serial entrepreneur and author of NY Times Bestseller, Three Simple Steps, and his newest book, Secrets to a Successful Startup: A Recession-Proof Guide to Starting, Surviving & Thriving in Your Own Venture.

Trevor is a physicist by background who grew up extremely poor and bullied (in a medieval village, no less). Eventually, he tapped into the workings of energy, consciousness and transformation — in particular the science behind it all — and began creating through intentionality. He started his first company at 43 and is now on his 4th, 5th and 6th after selling the first three for over $300 million.

The fascinating part is he's never hired a single employee or worked more than 5 hours a day.

I literally made a quantum jump in my own personal development just by listening to Trevor, so I’m sure there will be something for you as well! Let me know what you think :)

Trevor:

https://www.trevorgblake.com

https://www.facebook.com/TrevorGBlake

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZahkks3ChVDwGibzJaKINw

Free Gifts:

The 7-Day Mentality Diet Challenge

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Website: www.humanplus.me

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/humanpluscollective

Instagram: www.instagram.com/humanpluscollective

Connect with Kat:

LinkedIn: katharinakugler

Twitter: @katkugler_111

Instagram: @katandtheuniverse 

#trevorblake #financialfreedom #financialindependence #millionaire #transformation #abundance #abundancemindset #mindset #mentalitycontrol #consciousness #spirituality #business #spiritualityinbusiness #insyncwithkat

I love speaking with people who follow their inner calling and find ways to turn their passions and beliefs into a viable business. Chloé Stückelschweiger is one of them. She used to be a trend researcher for 10 years before she turned full-time Meditation Teacher, Wellness Expert & Founder of The Meditation Club. Listen out for:

- What to do when your calling talks to you

- Learning how to trust and lean into intuition

- Chloé's way into meditation (she didn't like it at first!) and eventually becoming a teacher

- Turning a strong belief into a full-time business

- A down to earth approach to spirituality

Link this episode? Subscribe to the podcast Spotify, Apple and YouTube. If you’re listening on Apple, please do leave a review & rating!

Chloé:

www.the-meditation-club.com

Instagram: @essenceofvictory

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I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.

LinkedIn: katharinakugler, Twitter: @katkugler_111, Instagram: @katandtheuniverse 

#meditation #intuition #careerchange #consciousness #spirituality #business #spiritualityinbusiness #insyncwithkat #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment

In 2009 the Slovenian couple Iza and Samo Login set out with the goal of creating a startup that they would build into a successful business and sell it, in order to dedicate all their time and energies to philanthropic pursuits. Within seven years, they sold their company, Outfit7, famous for the mobile game Talking Tom and Friends, for $1 billion.

This success story was manifested in advance. The founders set audaciously high goals and surpassed them x10. It took them exactly as long as they have planned — 7 years almost to the day.

Topics:

- How a tech startup from tiny Slovenia got sold for $1 billion

- They didn’t know what they were going to sell when they started… But their purpose powered them through—to 5 billions downloads of their apps!

- How WHY can save you from quitting

- The role of spirituality & co-creating with the Universe

- Tapping into the underused tools for realizing and sticking with your big dreams (crystals, manifestation, energy,...)

- The Login's philanthropic projects from sustainable organic large-scale farming to brain neural research centres for tastier plant-based food, and more

Check out:

https://www.login5.org

https://unicorndrive.com/book

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Website: www.humanplus.me

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/humanpluscollective

Instagram: www.instagram.com/humanpluscollective

Connect with Kat:

LinkedIn: katharinakugler

Twitter: @katkugler_111

Instagram: @katandtheuniverse 

#unicorn #spirituality #business #billiondollarbusiness #billionaire #izalogin #samologin #login5foundation #7unicorndrive #spiritualityinbusiness #companyexit

Chatting with Jamie Clements, founder of The Breath Space, about the power of conscious breathing practices to reduce stress, increase calmness, boosts the immune system and more. Learn how to regulate the flow of your breath for a healthier 2021...

Topics we discuss:

- Jamie’s story (11:FS, podcast host, start-up entrepreneur, The Breath Space creator) - a great example of balancing employment & entrepreneurship!

- How The Breath Space was born

- What is breathwork?

- The benefits of breathwork (emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually)

- 5min breathing exercise (esp. good before meetings, presentations..)

Link this episode? Subscribe to the podcast Spotify, Apple and YouTube. If you’re listening on Apple, please do leave a review & rating!

Jamie:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamieclements1

https://thebreathspace.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/the_breath_space/

https://www.instagram.com/jamieclements_

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Follow humanplus:

Website: www.humanplus.me

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/humanpluscollective

Instagram: www.instagram.com/humanpluscollective

Connect with Kat:

LinkedIn: katharinakugler

Twitter: @katkugler_111

Instagram: @katandtheuniverse 

#breathwork #breathingexercises #mindfulness #spirituality #business #spiritualityinbusiness #insyncwithkat  #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment

Get ready to be inspired by my next guest Alex Faubel, who had the successful corporate career, money, and relationships but left it all behind to follow his intuition that there was more to life than adhering to society's definitions of "success". It led him deep into the Amazon rainforest where he went through multiple Ayahuasca* journeys and certainly found some answers to life's big questions.

The topics:

- Seeing regret on the death bed

- Leaving a high-paid sales job for the unknown

- A journey around the world that ended in the Amazon rainforest

- Taking Ayahuasca (5 times!)

- How it changed everything

- Back home, what now?

*Ayahuasca is a plant medicine to access altered levels of consciousness where people can experience profound healing, overcome trauma, addictions and awake to a reality that is far greater than themselves and the physical world. Do not try this at home without supervision and adequate preparation.

Link this episode? Subscribe to the podcast Spotify, Apple and YouTube. If you’re listening on Apple, please do leave a review & rating!

Alex:

https://www.instagram.com/psychedelische_retreats/ 

https://www.instagram.com/alex_faubel/

https://www.psychedelische-retreats.de/

http://www.alexanderfaubel.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-faubel-8175114a/ 

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Follow humanplus:

Website: www.humanplus.me

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/humanpluscollective

Instagram: www.instagram.com/humanpluscollective

Connect with Kat:

LinkedIn: katharinakugler

Twitter: @katkugler_111

Instagram: @katandtheuniverse

#ayahuasca #psychedelics #plantmedicine #spirituality #business #spiritualityinbusiness #insyncwithkat #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment