Influencers are quickly associated with the Instagram accounts of various fitness gurus, former participants in reality TV formats or VIPs. But there are also strong personalities in the B2B sector who are active on social media. They provide insights into the tech and startup scene and valuable tips on how to start a business. Here are our personal top 10 influencers of the scene for you:
She is the founder of Amorelie, keynote speaker at international tech and startup events, sits on the jury of the TV show "Das Ding des Jahres" and is now also a board member of the Bundesverband Deutsche Startups. On her accounts, especially on Instagram and LinkedIn, Lea Sophie Cramer gives an authentic and honest insight into life as a founder, doer and mom. Startups can learn a lot from her, because the Stories also regularly feature startup tips.
Serial founder, startup investor, TV judge, book author, podcaster: Frank Thelen is one of the top influencers in the German startup ecosystem. On his channels - mainly on Instagram and LinkedIn - he provides valuable know-how about starting up, digital business models and building a scalable company. Personal plus point: His authenticity! On Frank's channels, there are no soft-boiled opinions, but critical and well-founded comments on the startup scene, on digital developments and on digital topics.
Miss Universe Germany 2018 and top influencer in the startup scene? Yes, that's possible! If you want to see for yourself, take a look at the channels of Céline Flores Willers. She hosts the LinkedIn video format "ahead" on the topic of innovation and entrepreneurship and is on the road as a keynote speaker and moderator. She has been a rock since her article "Fuck Female Empowerment" at the latest - which, by the way, is just one of her critical reports on innovation and development in the business world.
When it comes to digital transformation, there's no getting around Philipp Depiereux. He is a partner at Ernst & Young and founder of etventures. He has also launched the non-profit initiative ChangeRider - a "Talk in the Tesla" about the positive stories and successes of digital transformation. ChangeRider is available in video and podcast format. His guests include personalities such as Dorothee Bär, Minister of State for Digital Affairs, Roland Berger, founder of the management consultancy of the same name, and Magdalena Rogl, Project Lead Diversity & Inclusion at Microsoft.
She is a "Digital Female Leader", Project Lead Diversity & Inclusion at Microsoft Germany and one of the 25 women revolutionizing our economy. Magdalena Rogl writes about digital trends, innovation and new work topics, often in connection with her own experiences - reflective, authentic and honest. Magdalena Rogl can be met on panels or as a keynote speaker at various startup and innovation events.
If you've seen him on a stage or heard him on a podcast, you know that Finn Age Hänsel is very honest about his experiences and gives real insights on how to steer a startup out of a crisis - but also how exhausting this time can be. Finn Age Hänsel is the former CEO of Movinga, a mentor at TECHSTARS, and in May 2019, he founded Sanity Group GmbH, a company that distributes medical cannabis. Although he does not regularly publish articles himself, he is heavily involved in the startup scene and is also frequently invited as a keynote speaker at startup events.
As founder of Fox & Sheep and the HABA Digital Workshops, Verena Pausder has specialized in the digital world of children. She has also written the book "Das neue Land" on this topic. She is one of the top voices on LinkedIn and writes about future topics such as founding, digitalization and the development of children. As a member of the supervisory board at comdirekt bank AG, she is familiar with both the startup and corporate worlds and is also involved in the area of female leadership in this context.
He is someone with founder DNA: Andy Bruckschloegl already started his business at the age of 12 by selling backpacks on eBay. He launched Ryte and, together with his team, invented one of the most powerful SEO tools on the market today. He is known, among other things, because he is one of Forbes 30 under 30 and co-founder of Bits & Pretzels. On LinkedIn, he shares his experiences as a founder and talks about the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, including interviews with other founders.
Fränzi Kühne, co-founder and managing director of the digital agency Torben, Lucie und die gelbe Gefahr (TLGG) until the end of January 2020, offers a lot of power, strong opinions and digitalization topics. She is Germany's youngest supervisory board member, currently at Freenet AG, and creates awareness for more diversity in German companies on her channels and as a keynote speaker.
Tijen Onaran is CEO and Founder of GDW, Global Digital Women. Her channels are all about entrepreneurship, diversity and female empowerment. And: She was recently named one of the top 100 women in Handelsblatt who are moving Germany. Chapeau!
