Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
I build the structures that turn (tech) research into real products, and coach the teams doing it. Over the past 5+ years at KIT, I've designed and run innovation programs from scratch, guided 40+ interdisciplinary teams through customer discovery, market validation and go-to-market strategy, and supported early-stage ventures from first idea to funded product. My PhD research produced the Technology Application Selection (TAS) Framework - a structured method for identifying high-value product opportunities for emerging technologies, used in both academic and applied contexts. What I bring: → End-to-end innovation program design & management → Technology commercialization & startup ecosystem building → Coaching founding and product teams through validation and funding → Cross-institutional stakeholder management (Helmholtz, BMBF, universities) → Workshop design & facilitation: Lean Startup, Service Design Thinking, Startup Journey I'm now moving into a corporate innovation role, in an organization where transformation isn't just a buzzword, but a real mandate. I'm drawn to environments with flat hierarchies, meaningful problems, and room to shape outcomes.
I am the project lead of the Helmholtz Academy for Intrapreneurship (HAFIS), collaborating with several Helmholtz Centers to foster innovation and entrepreneurship. In this role, I design and coordinate the Transfer Academy programme, manage stakeholders, and oversee reporting. I deliver workshops and provide coaching for scientific staff, helping them unlock transfer opportunities and develop intrapreneurial skills. Additionally, I manage the EXIST woman programme, supporting and coaching aspiring female founders on their journey to entrepreneurship. As an innovation coach, I work closely with (aspiring) early-stage founders, guiding them through the start-up process and helping them strengthen their business concepts and expand their network. My mission is to bridge the gap between scientific research and practical application, empowering researchers to translate their findings into impactful innovations. Through project-based learning and personalized support, I help scientists explore diverse career paths and maximize the societal and economic impact of their work.
Led various courses and workshops in entrepreneurship, innovation, and research-to-startup transition while guiding over 15 Bachelor and Master students in their thesis projects since 2020. My research activities are focused on entrepreneurship, technology exploitation, and design thinking. Within our ARRTI project, I led various workshops for responsible innovation and developed concepts to facilitate awareness of the potential (negative) impact of developed business ideas. Further, I was fostering global collaboration with KAIST, SNU, and Chalmers. Within my research activities, I also participated in various conferences to leverage research and innovation project synergies, presenting new research findings. Within the Student Innovation Lab (SIL) I instructed and coached 15+ project teams, guiding them in innovating and commercializing technologies. This two-semester seminar partners with 5+ cross-sector companies. My teaching focused on identifying market openings, validating customer needs, and building business models. To date, three teams have translated their progress into start-ups.
Visiting the Technology Management Department at Chalmers University to work with Prof. Henrik Berglund. Funded by the KHYS Research Travel Grant
As a program manager of two cycles, I coordinated events, promoted on social media, delivered lectures to our students, and coached six project teams. Further, I moderated the final events twice, taking place in San Francisco, California, US.
Conducted competitor analysis, collaborated on sales strategy development, and maintained comprehensive sales activity documentation for future reference.
Crafted personalized client presentations, conducted product demonstrations, handled tender submissions, prepared proposals, and meticulously maintained data within the CRM system.