We are back home from some intense days at Bits and Pretzels, the founder’s festival held at the International Congress Center in Munich from September 29th to October 1st.
This year’s event was focused on the theme of IMPACT, and saw the talk of some of the founders (and others) who, in different areas and places around the world, have made and are making a difference today.
The opening ceremony was attended by President Barack Obama (yes, Obama in person!), who spoke about how diversity and optimism are a fundamental basis for excellence:
“Our societies have never been healthier, more educated, richer and even more tolerant and diversified than they are today. However, when it comes to changing processes, we must bring everyone with them: changes make many people fear and this leads to conflicts that we must not hide ourselves. At the same time – on both sides of the Atlantic – it is time to return to a healthy combination of public spirit and personal responsibility.”
During the two full-day days of conferences and meetings, none other than Reid Hoffman (co-founder of LinkedIn), Chris Barton (founder of Shazam), Samantha Payne (co-founder of Openbionics) Drew Houston (founder of Dropbox), Joey Zwillinger (founder of Allbirds), Donna Carpenter (co-CEO and co-owner of Burton), Hildegard Wortmann (board member and Audi’s Sales & Marketing director), David Limp (Amazon’s vice president), Antonia Gawel (Head of Circular Economy Initiative at the World Economic Forum) and many many others.
They have all brought their experience on what it means to establish and manage companies that are geared to change, sharing their challenges and obstacles that are more difficult to overcome during their career years.
It impressed u show much they all are highly motivated in creating something better that what is now on the market, giving proper importance to sustainability and respect for the environment.
We bring home that the change starts from each of us, that in our work we must be resilient and empathetic: the path that awaits us will not be straight, but we are excited to think that soon our project will also have a positive impact on society and on climate change.
