Vienna, Vienna, Austria
My work focuses on bringing together people, organizations and ecosystems that would not naturally collaborate, creating the conditions for collective innovation, future alliances and long-term impact. By orchestrating partnerships, innovation ecosystems and cross-sector networks, I help organizations, cities and regions become future-ready in the age of AI. Over the past 20+ years, I have worked across Europe, Africa and international markets at the intersection of innovation, entrepreneurship, talent development, education, economic transformation and international growth. As Founder of 42 Vienna, I built one of Austria’s most innovative talent initiatives by bringing together public institutions, private-sector partners, academia, philanthropies and technology leaders around a shared vision for the future of learning and digital skills. Today, my focus is on helping organizations, ecosystems and regions navigate the transition toward Human-AI Organizations and Human-AI Ecosystems — rethinking how people, technology, talent and institutions can work together to create sustainable growth, resilience and societal impact. I believe the next generation of successful organizations and regions will be those that combine human creativity, collective intelligence and AI capabilities through co-creation, continuous learning and purposeful innovation. My work is ultimately about building bridges between sectors, disciplines, institutions and geographies — enabling ideas, partnerships and future alliances to emerge where they would not otherwise exist. Selected highlights: • Founder of 42 Vienna, part of the global 42 Network (55+ campuses, 49,000+ learners) • Secured and activated €4M in funding for the launch and scaling of 42 Vienna • Contribution to European programmes exceeding €400M • Partnerships developed across 43 countries • Collaboration with institutions including MIT and HEC Paris • Early contribution to responsible AI and Ethics by Design initiatives linked to the World Economic Forum • Initiator of the Mitteleuropa–Mittelmeer Corridor, a vision for strengthening European cooperation in AI, innovation and industrial transformation across Central Europe and the Mediterranean.
- Contributed to a €400M European program, aligning stakeholders and securing approval - Defined a 5-year AI-driven AI vision including AI agents, accelerating time-to-market - Designed and implemented a Customer Innovation Cell to structure co-creation and reduce risk - Supported the structuring of a Luxembourg-based UCITS impact fund
- Developed the 2030 innovation strategy; advised CEO on AI, ESG, and business models - Expanded innovation communities by +40% - Led AI-driven transformation of a 120-employee organization - Positioned the company within the DACH innovation ecosystem
- Co-founded a disruptive, peer-to-peer education model as part of the global 42 network - Scaled to 55 campuses and 49,000+ learners worldwide - Secured €4M in funding (80% private) to launch and expand the initiative - Recruited and led the campus team (9 members), overseeing operations and growth - Established a skills-first education ecosystem connecting public institutions, corporates, and startups - Developed strategic partnerships across public and private sectors - Secured support from the French Embassy in Austria, enabling expansion of the 42 model - Led stakeholder alignment and governance structuring, establishing an association and a GmbH - Positioned 42 Vienna as a scalable alternative to traditional education models - Designed and led talent attraction strategy, driving applicant growth - Grew the program from 150 to 350+ learners within two years - Contributed to École 42’s model ranked #3 globally (WURI) and #1 in Ethical Value
- Coordinated a regional innovation ecosystem with FH St. Pölten (University of Applied Sciences) - Connected research, startups, and corporates through agile and co-creation methods
- Delivered end-to-end innovation programs, from ideation to deployment - Built strategic accounts (Airbus, Mercedes-Benz, NIVEA, Savencia) - Applied the Innovation Value Chain (MIT / Eric von Hippel) - Led co-creation and crowdsourcing initiatives with corporates - Developed innovation projects including AI, robotics, and future-of-work use cases - Co-initiated an AI ethics forum (Paris, 2018) with executives from Google and IBM - Developed the “Ethics by Design” framework for responsible AI, anticipating EU AI principles