Lecture Series "Entrepreneurs Live"

Michael Käfer - Restaurant, Party Service and Oktoberfest

It was clear that the Creative Hall at the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship was booked to capacity when legendary club owner Michael Käfer did the honors.

Right from the start, Käfer captivated his audience with his very authentic talk that didn't need any well-arranged commercials or Power Points.

For Michael Käfer, who opened the legendary discotheque P1 directly after his business studies at the University of Applied Sciences in Munich, it was clear very early on that he wanted to take over and further develop the family business as an entrepreneur. In 1988, he joined the management team and in 1995 became the sole managing director and shareholder of the Käfer Group, which by then was already a force to be reckoned with in gastronomy, delicatessen and party service in Munich. Under his leadership, the company expanded steadily and today has an annual turnover of around 140 million euros with over 1,100 employees. In 2013, the Galut&Millau named Michael Käfer "Restaurateur of the Year".

The center of the Käfer Group is still the well-known flagship store in Munich's Prinzregentenstraße with the delicatessen and the Käfer-Schänke restaurant. In addition, the Käfer Wies'n-Schänken at the Oktoberfest and the theater gastronomy in the state theaters in Munich are among the traditional pillars of the family business, to which Michael Käfer is adding new business areas step by step.

One of the first projects was the expansion of the licensing business, which established the Käfer name as a premium brand in the German food trade. This was followed in 1998 by the takeover of the catering business in the eastern section of the Munich Trade Fair Center and the management of the catering for members of parliament and the public rooftop garden restaurant in the German Bundestag in Berlin.

Michael Käfer also continuously expanded the party service business and opened up new business areas abroad. Today, he is the European market leader in the premium segment of event catering and was awarded the Leader of the Year Award as "Caterer of the Year" in 2013. However, the biggest event in the company's history to date was the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where Käfer Party Service managed the Sky Box and Elite hospitality programs in all 12 host cities and catered for 174,000 guests over the four weeks.

Another concept with growth potential is that of Käfer Delikatessenmärkte, which has now been realized in Parsdorf, Brunnthal and Schwabing, with further locations in the pipeline.

Most recently, Michael Käfer secured the catering business at BMW Welt, where the gourmet restaurant EssZimmer and Käfer chef Bobby Bräuer were awarded two Michelin stars in only their second year. Finally, in 2013, Blue Lion GmbH entrusted Käfer with the management of the historic Kaltenbrunn estate on Lake Tegern, where the restaurant and beer garden celebrated their opening in 2015 after extensive renovation.

Michael Käfer has been married to his wife Clarissa since July 2007. In March 2011, they became parents to twins Nikolas and Raphael, who have been their absolute center of life ever since. The relationship is also important for business decisions, Käfer emphasized, because his wife, a business lawyer, always has a different perspective on things. This is especially important for Käfer, who has a "gut feeling".

In addition to all the success stories, Käfer also emphasized that he has not only had success. On the contrary, there was a time when he was very close to the abyss with his companies. At that time, he realized how visible liquidity is for a company. Even small failures - a lost tender or an order that doesn't come in after years - are part of the story of a successful company. Käfer even dared to claim that his success story consists of 60% successes and 40% failures. This is where the entrepreneur needs to find the necessary resilience. For outsiders and observers, only the successes count in the end.

Käfer answered many fascinating questions with great dedication and authenticity. Even after the event, he was available to the participants for one-on-one discussions until late into the night. A successful evening that will be remembered by the audience and the organizers for a long time to come.

dm has a new exclusive brand: Since 2018, hair and styling products with the label "Langhaarmädchen" have been on the shelves of the approximately 1,900 stores. The two founders, Ramona Mayr (Mona for short) and Julia Schindelmann, had been in the start-up advisory service of the SCE long before this time. Our support began when the two returned to Munich from a trip to Australia. The SCE has a corporate partnership with dm, which is all about innovation and startup spirit in the dm company. For us, this was reason enough to organize an evening "Experience entrepreneurs live" with the two founders together with Nicolas Kubach, the responsible product manager at dm, in spring 2019.

The two founders had very quickly won over the audience and conjured up an extraordinary atmosphere in the hall. The audience was literally glued to their lips. Whenever the two long-haired girls spoke highly of their company, Nicolas Kubach added his dry sense of humor by illuminating things from the company's point of view. And as we all know, this is often very different between founders and established corporates. But it is precisely this area of tension that is absolutely fruitful for both the long-haired girls and dm. And that's why the cooperation between dm and the Long Hair Girls is also a success story, which the audience was able to experience live.

The story of the Long Hair Girls began about 4 years ago on their world tour: Hairdresser Ramona (Mona) quit her job and went to Australia. There she bought a bus from her last savings, with which she offered haircuts and styling parties in front of hostels. Her best friend Julia, also a hairdresser, followed and supported her - and that's how the concept for "Long Hair Girl" was born. Mona emphasized that she already had the vision of building up a product line together with dm in the deepest outback in Australia. Back in Germany, the two stylists continued to work on their vision and offered their mobile service at events and festivals. They caused quite a stir with this, especially at the Munich Oktoberfest. And they were also booked as stylists for a dm event. That was the wonderful beginning of a partnership with dm. When it came to developing the products, dm worked together with the two master hairdressers.

"We put all our hair styling and care knowledge into the development of the long hair girl products to make every customer a hair expert," Julia describes the goal. The new dm exclusive brand is being promoted primarily via social media. In the end, one evening is far too short to be able to absorb all facets of this partnership, the dm brand and also the long hair girl brand. The participants continued their discussions long after the actual presentation over drinks and snacks. All in all, it was a successful evening that showed a new dimension of cooperation between companies and startups.

Carsten Maschmeyer - He didn't want a job, he wanted success

Carsten Maschmeyer, who came from a humble background, is now a rich man and one of Germany's most successful and fascinating entrepreneurs. He owes his success to his willpower, stamina and unshakable confidence in his own abilities. Maschmeyer is convinced that it pays to fight for your dreams. His personal career path has not always been straight as a die, and his experiences include failures and mistakes as well as successes.

Born in Bremen in 1959, Maschmeyer was initially a regular soldier, then studied medicine and became a financial advisor in 1978 to finance his studies. He did this so intensively that he was compulsorily de-registered in the spring of 1982 and from then on devoted himself full-time to financial consulting. In 1988, he invented independent financial consulting and founded AWD, with which he went public in 2000 and was promoted to the MDAX.

Seven years later, in 2007, Maschmeyer sold all his shares in the company to Swiss Life, Switzerland's largest life insurer. Today, Maschmeyer advises decision-makers on sales strategies for numerous companies. All his investment activities are bundled under the strategic umbrella of the Maschmeyer Group.

From early-stage financing, growth financing and investments in listed companies, he focuses on future industries and growth markets. In addition, he is a much sought-after advisor to decision-makers in international companies.

His experience makes him a professional speaker on the subject of success. Reason enough for us to invite Carsten Maschmeyer to the SCE for "Experience Entrepreneurs Live". His lecture in the packed Falk Strascheg auditorium was peppered with tips for students and founders on how to plan and achieve their own success. He knows how to captivate the audience like no other.

Maschmeyer conveys the vision that everyone can make it if they just work hard and purposefully enough on their own success. The lecture was followed by a very intensive discussion, which also showed the private Carsten Maschmeyer and rounded off the positive image of the entrepreneur. So it was no wonder that Maschmeyer was seen off with a particularly long-lasting and hearty applause.

At the end it did not leave itself it after the lecture still some books of its success title ?Selfmade? interested to give and equal still personally sign. Thus many participants of the evening went home with unforgettable impressions and a personal dedication from Carsten Maschmeyer.

Without Toyota, the world economy runs ...but not without DELO adhesives!

These words were penned by the well-known management consultant and professor of economics, Prof. Dr. Hermann Simon. And rightly so, the audience could understand the same sentence after Sabine Herold's lecture. For on this Ulive evening, they were able to learn how Herold, together with her husband, has managed to develop their company into a successful "hidden champion" in the market for high-tech adhesives over the past 25 years.

According to Herold, one of the little "company secrets" is the conscious search for niches in the market. In this context, the DELO team always tries to be lengths ahead of the competition, and according to the managing partner, this works, among other things, with the reinvestment of 15% of sales in research & development.

"Furthermore, we guard the ingredients of our products like the apple of our eye. Only the closest employees know the recipe, but that has nothing to do with mistrusting the others," says Sabine Herold.

And to ensure that trust in her employees is established as quickly as possible and maintained for as long as possible, there is another little recipe for success on the part of Herold: "My husband and I know each and every employee personally, because we also take a close look at everyone before they are hired by the company. And I have to be able to imagine wanting to have a beer with exactly that employee on a business trip. If I can imagine that, then he or she is the right person."

Freedom and responsibility, but also clear words, round out the way they deal with their employees. And in Herold's experience, this leads to only the best coming to DELO, staying with DELO, and finding more new employees through good word-of-mouth for a shared and innovative future.

Many, of course, still know Jens Lehmann as a soccer goalkeeper. Schalke, Milan, Stuttgart, Arsenal and, above all, keeper of the national team, who still holds the record for the longest series without conceding a goal. However, Lehmann is also involved as an ambassador and board member for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation to help disadvantaged children and young people.

He also supports the Youth Soccer Foundation, which was founded in 2000, partly on the initiative of Jürgen Klinsmann, and is a member of its board of trustees. He is also a supporter of the Trautmann Foundation and is involved with the Willow Foundation of former Scottish Arsenal goalkeeper Bob Wilson and the English anti-racism initiative Kick it Out.

Jens Lehmann has also been a member of the Board of Trustees of the German Children's Cancer Care Foundation for the chronically ill child from Villingen-Schwenningen in the Black Forest since 2010. This foundation has been committed to helping children with cancer, heart disease and cystic fibrosis and their families for more than 20 years.

Jens Lehmann and his older brother grew up in the Heisingen district of Essen. He graduated from high school in 1988 and, in addition to his work as a professional soccer player, studied economics at the University of Münster for several semesters from 1992 to 1998. Since 1999 he has been married to Conny, a primary school teacher. Together with the footballer Knut Reinhardt, she had a son, whom Lehmann later adopted. Their son was born in July 2000 and their daughter in March 2006.

What fewer people know is that Jens Lehmann started a completely different career after retiring from soccer in 2008 - as a startup investor. As such, he was of course a must have for our entrepreneur evening. In front of a well-filled crowd in the Steelcase Creative Hall, Lehmann first gave a short, very exciting talk with lots of insights, focusing mainly on what he started in the time after his soccer career.

About his investments, his first mistakes and also the successes he was able to achieve. Very quickly Lehmann involved the interested audience and a very lively discussion about the startup scene and Lehmann's experiences with young entrepreneurs ensued. What qualities should an entrepreneur have, how important is the idea and how important is the team?

Lehmann, as a soccer player, brought in his insight that very good startups have to be ready to give everything - even "torture themselves" - just like very good athletes. Lehmann answered many exciting questions with a great deal of authenticity. He also addressed the topic of why he went into such a completely different field as a successful soccer player and why he didn't stay with soccer. One viewer asked directly whether he could imagine switching back to the soccer environment. To which Lehmann replied that he already flirts with it from time to time and that it would also be possible, since he has been in possession of the soccer coaching license since 2013.

Hardly anyone guessed how close this topic must have been to Lehmann at this point. So the audience was perhaps even witness to a current life decision of Jens Lehmann. The successful early summer evening ended, as always, with a get together over cool drinks.

Walter Gunz was one of the founders of Media Markt and was consideredthecreative head of the group. The first Media Markt store was established in Munich in 1979. Provocative slogans such as "Ich bin doch nicht blöd" ("I'm not stupid after all") were based on his idea. Since his surprising exit from the billion-dollar empire in early 2000, Walter Gunz has been advising start-ups and companies in crisis, among others.

Walter Gunz has always had the reputation of being a somewhat different entrepreneur, as he likes to question the leadership of many a top manager. He clearly rejects rigid hierarchies, planning fetishists and disciples of pure profit maximization, which is often the credo of large companies today. According to Gunz, they stifle any creativity and independent action. Reason enough for the SCE to invite this man to the lecture series "Experiencing Entrepreneurs Live".

In front of an auditorium filled to capacity, the father of Media Markt and Saturn began his lecture, which very quickly turned into a lively dialogue between students, people interested in start-ups and Gunz, the philosopher. Gunz, who last year wrote the book with the relational title "Ich war doch nicht blöd," a spiritual journey through politics, business, ecology, philosophy, faith and religion, made a blazing plea for values such as trust, responsibility, love and respect. With this, he captivated the participants. He allowed the young people to actively participate in how he based his own success story and that of his "baby," Media Markt, on these values. Corporate participation as a means of promoting the willingness to perform and creativity of his employees was an expression, but not the actual core of his work. Rather, Walter Gunz was concerned with enabling people to work in a climate of joy and self-realization. Then work would not be a burden, but life - and success only the logical consequence.

Walter Gunz inspired the young audience with his entrepreneurial experience and valuable tips on how to define success, mistakes and failure and how to deal with them. Can I? Can I? Should I? - Walter Gunz relies on reason and intuition. Many exciting one-on-one discussions of the participants with Walter Gunz until late in the evening ensured that this evening will remain in the memories of the participants for a long time.

The long and intensive discussion made all participants hungry. So it was just right that the SCE StartUp "Pizza Innovazione" drove up with its new pizza truck and invited the SCE to a small snack with pizza.

"Party, yoga and philosophy - an extraordinary success story" - this was the title of the lecture by Michi Kern, who appeared as a speaker at the SCE event series "Unternehmer live erleben!" on October 25.

The lecture and the guest were exceptional - and there were also a lot of facts and figures that are rarely found in this form: Michi Kern has opened a total of - believe it or not - 35 stores in 12 years. He still has 10 of them, some of the others no longer exist: "That's just the way it is, but believe me: defeats are forgotten, so just carry on and do your own thing," says Kern.

To stay briefly with the facts: 52 corporate partners have accompanied him in his ventures over the years. There are still a proud 25, 16 of which he has managed into self-employment within the catering industry. Kern divides his own entrepreneurial biography into 4 epochs:

In his so-called "working years" from 1987-1991, he worked in clubs as a bar washer, glass clearer as well as a bouncer.

The following "casual years" from 1991-1996 were a time Kern himself calls his "best time" because they were characterized by "a lot of money and zero responsibility - and that's the greatest thing that can happen to you." He worked in this era as a bouncer, bartender, as well as disco kiosk owner and party organizer.

Then came the legendary "doer years" from 1996 onwards, when Michi Kern and his partners founded the aforementioned 35 stores that were and still are famous in Munich's gastro scene: from Reitschule to Nachtkantine, Zerwick, Kytaro, Zoozies and the legendary Pacha.

In 2007 came the phase that Kern smilingly calls "calming down" - and since then, yoga and philosophy have significantly shaped his actions.

His recipes for success: good partners, a good deal, time and independence, and always the latest technology. Sounds simple, but it requires additional stamina over the course of a quarter of a century, as well as the art of remaining true to oneself - especially in this fast-moving time and industry.

The "King of Burladingen" as a guest in Munich

Wolfgang Grupp, owner of Trigema and entrepreneur with a strong media presence, was a guest at our university. Right from the start of his talk, it was clear that this was going to be a very special evening with exciting insights. Mr. Grupp's career alone is extraordinary. Born in 1942, after rigorous school years at the Jesuit College, he studied business administration at the University of Cologne, graduating with a degree in business administration. Two years after graduation, at the age of 27, he joined the company founded by his grandfather. In 1972, at the age of 30, he took it over in an extremely difficult economic situation.

Not only did he manage to successfully turn the company around within a few years, but TRIGEMA went on to become Germany's largest manufacturer of sports and leisurewear. Humorously, Grupp noted that this meant nothing at all, however, considering that there are now no other manufacturers left in Germany. From 1969 to 2013, company sales rose from €8.7 million to €88.9 million. While the textile and clothing industry in Germany reduced the number of employees from 850,000 to almost 200,000 since 1970, TRIGEMA not only preserved jobs but created 450 additional jobs in the last 20 years alone, so that today TRIGEMA has 1,200 employees working in a 4-stage production - from fabric production to the final product. The added value in the own company amounts to 78 % - without bank loans, with 100 % own capital.

Wolfgang Grupp made a very clear commitment to the German workplace. Under his leadership, TRIGEMA has neither short-worked nor laid off workers for lack of work since he joined the company in 1969, and even today guarantees a job for the children of all employees after they leave school. Furthermore, Mr. Grupp is of the opinion that a production in Germany is preferable to any foreign production. The prerequisite, however, is that the qualified workforce is properly deployed, appropriately motivated and, above all, that their performance is utilized. Grupp did not miss the opportunity to explain his position on general topics as well. In a mixture of humorous remarks and deep insights, he clearly took a stand on the general situation, on management-led large corporations and also on politics. It is therefore understandable that the lecture was followed by a long and intensive discussion in many individual conversations. An exciting evening with a family entrepreneur who was able to convey many insights and important perspectives of a somewhat different entrepreneurial action did not end for a long time.

Fashion, Foulard & Family Business. Craftsmanship and hands-on mentality for fashionable favorites

The representative of the oldest family-run company in Munich did the honors at "Unternehmer live erleben". Annette Roeckl was born in Munich in 1967, the second of four children. She spent her childhood in the countryside south of Munich. Here she also attended elementary school and secondary school. In 1987 Annette Roeckl graduated from high school and two years later she gave birth to her son Daniel.

After the birth of her son, Annette Roeckl began an apprenticeship in her parents' business. When she had to temporarily replace her mother in marketing, she realized how much she enjoyed the work. Slowly, she grew into her role as the company's successor, and in 1998 she took on a co-managing role. Just one year later, 50% of the company's shares were transferred to her.

Finally, in 2003, the handover of the company took place. The traditional company was divided into two independent divisions: Roeckl Sports Gloves and Roeckl Gloves & Accessories.

Since then, Annette Roeckl has successfully and passionately managed the traditional company ROECKL Gloves and Accessories, founded in 1839, in the sixth generation. True to the motto " Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the carrying on of embers ", Annette Roeckl focuses on innovation and further development on the one hand, while on the other hand remaining true to the traditionally high quality standards and craftsmanship. Thus, even in the digital age, the 177-year-old company creates favorite pieces for people who want to emphasize their own style.

Under her leadership, the glove range has been expanded to include accessories such as high-quality foulards and a separate bag collection. ROECKL employs around 300 people in Germany and other European countries. The family-owned company operates two of its own factories and designs and creates at its Munich headquarters. The premium accessories are delivered to 15 countries and supplied to around 600 wholesale customers. In addition, the company operates its own network of 22 stores in Germany and Austria.

Annette Roeckl inspired the young audience because of her entrepreneurial experience and valuable tips on how to use success, mistakes and failure as experiences and how to deal with them. Unapologetically, she admitted to have made mistakes, of course. Which, however, is better than not having made any decisions. For Roeckl, entrepreneurship consists to a large extent of making decisions and then standing fully behind them. But when you realize that the market is not accepting your products, you have to be prepared to make corrections. Above all, Annette Roeckl gave young people who find themselves in a similar situation of family entrepreneurship the Goethe quote: "What you have inherited from your fathers, acquire it in order to possess it. This was a central experience of her entrepreneurial career. It was not the formal act of transferring the business shares that made her an entrepreneur. From that moment on, she was challenged to create her very own company. Many exciting one-on-one discussions between the participants and Annette Roeckl until late in the evening ensured that this exciting evening with the thoroughbred entrepreneur will remain in the memories of the participants for a long time to come.

Alfons Schuhbeck captivates his 130 listeners at Munich University of Applied Sciences with knowledge, entrepreneurial spirit and chutzpah and, together with the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship (SCE), calls for an innovation competition for healthier food.

"A great guy", "that gives me courage", "very entertaining" - these were the first participant impressions immediately after the end of the talk with and about Alfons Schuhbeck as part of the SCE's series of events "Experience entrepreneurs live!". Yesterday evening, about 130 guests found their way to the Steelcase Creative Hall, the new innovation and event center of the SCE at the Munich University of Applied Sciences. What they experienced was an Alfons Schuhbeck who stepped on the gas right from the start. His credo as an entrepreneur: It's better to take the stairs than the elevator - so that you know your way around the floor below in case of setbacks, which are guaranteed to happen. Together with Professor Klaus Sailer, who led the discussion with Mr. Schuhbeck, Mr. Schuhbeck called on those present and the entire Munich University of Applied Sciences to develop business ideas and innovations for improving the nutrition of us all. The most convincing proposals will be supported by him personally and will be promoted by the SCE in their implementation. More information on this innovation competition will be published on the SCE and HM websites shortly.

Mr. Schuhbeck then threw a lifeline for the students in view of the exams that are coming up again soon: He recommended rosemary, "it increases the thinking ability, as the ancient Greeks and Romans already knew."

Afterwards, there was plenty of opportunity for questions and networking. Mr. Schuhbeck also obviously felt in good company and talked to the guests. To accompany the delicious buffet he had brought along, the young Moselle vintner Markus Berres personally served two summery fresh white wines he had selected.

"From hammock to fast food king for health-conscious hipsters".

- this was the motto of an article recently published in the newspaper "Die Welt" during an exciting evening with David Baumgartner, the founder of Dean&David. One thing was already clear to David Baumgartner during his school years, but at the latest at the beginning of his studies at an international business school: "I definitely didn't want to work for a large company. It's hard for me to implement something that makes no sense. I have a problem with authority," said the 35-year-old from Munich, so he had the desire to become an entrepreneur early on. However, it was not at all clear in which field he wanted to work.

After graduating, he was "haphazard" for the time being. He had enough money because he had always worked, mainly in restaurants and bars during his studies. So he first bought a "round-the-world ticket" - seven months in Asia, Australia, New Zealand, America, Europe. But he never thought he would become a restaurateur. He found classic gastronomy too boring and old-fashioned.

On his trip around the world, he got to know a completely different kind of gastronomy: Street kitchens in Kuala Lumpur, salad bars in New York to name a few. That's when the idea for his concept was born. In 2007, the young entrepreneur opened his first quick-service restaurant for healthy cuisine in Munich. After another year each, he opened his second and third store. The concept worked. DEAN & DAVID sought franchise partners, expanded to other cities in Germany and Switzerland.

Today, there are 45 stores and expansion plans to other northern and central European countries and an opening in Kathar next month. Ten to 20 new openings per year are on the schedule. The fact that not everything worked out so perfectly right from the start was something David Baumgartner also talked about that evening. He enriched all phases of his career with a handful of practical tips for founders. So it was clear that his presentation was followed by a lively round of questions and an exciting discussion. Once again, a successful evening with an interesting and successful entrepreneur in a packed Steelcase Creative Hall.

Max Wittrock inspires students, the Story of mymüsli!

Some start-ups cultivate their origin story. Hardships and night work, a garage or a one-room office for several, friends who rise or sink together with their idea. Max Wittrock kept more than 90 listeners in suspense with such a classic and "magical" success story of "mymüsli" in "Experiencing Entrepreneurs Live" and also often made them laugh.

Wittrock's account took the students on a journey through the adventurous everyday life of entrepreneurial founders in clear pictures. The 29-year-old is part of the trio that started "mymüsli" in 2007, now employs 15 people in Passau and Switzerland, and in the meantime operates three stores in addition to online trading, the most recent directly at the Viktualienmarkt. You don't always need a lot of money to start up. A clear idea of how to set yourself apart from existing market players can be enough, and in the case of the cool mymüsli idea, it appealed directly to customers. Instead of venture capital, a customer growth step by step. Wittrock told of lightning-like and of quieter growth, the stumbling steps and misplanning in setting up production, the moves, the many inventions and product developments that "mymüsli" has already realized in the 5 years. As a business model with an online store, "mymüsli" has some entrepreneurial experience with social media communication. However, the surprising realization was that well-placed TV commercials leave everything far behind what single clicks on the net do for the marketing of the brand. Social media communication takes a lot of time and attention, Wittrock said, all users are "hard of hearing, skeptical and well-connected," and they wield a lot of power.

Max Wittrock also brought reading tips for entrepreneurs: from Steven Gary Blank (The 4 steps to the epiphany) to Günther Faltin (Kopf schlägt Kapital) and into the web (The Glint; The Start-Up Genom Project), he made connections to his own entrepreneurial decisions. The most important thing is to keep looking for new target groups, and to be opportunistic in the best sense of the word: open to new ideas, values and motives, especially from the customer's point of view. Today, "mymüsli" also serves people who don't want to spend a lot of time putting together their own muesli - even though this was once the original idea. Experimenting with the "mass customization" trend and the "exclusive" counter-trend instead of committing is characteristic of the young Bavarian company, which also has a juice division (Oh Juice for pressing at home) and, more recently, a fine coffee (Green Cup Coffee).

"Unternehmer live erleben" is held three times a semester to get the entrepreneurial spark going at Munich University of Applied Sciences. With the exciting story of mymüsli, the ignition from the entrepreneur to the audience worked extremely well, the questions did not want to stop.

Joachim Schoss, a serial entrepreneur in a class of his own

Joachim Schoss, a serial entrepreneur extraordinaireJoachimSchoss founded his own consulting company in Frankfurt in 1990 after studying business administration in Hamburg and years of apprenticeship as a salaried management consultant. In 1996, he sold the company with 25 employees, which is now part of KPMG. With the first profits from the consulting business, he founded one of the first German call center outsourcing companies together with partners in Wilhelmshaven shortly afterwards in 1993, which was sold to the US market leader after four years with 350 employees. After the two successful company sales, Joachim Schoss started ImmobilienScout24 AG and Scout24 AG as a shareholder in 1998, of which he himself was the first CEO and largest private shareholder.

A near-fatal traffic accident at the end of 2002 led to his departure from operational duties and the sale of Scout24 AG to Deutsche Telekom. In November 2013, Scout24 was resold by Telekom at a company valuation of € 2 billion, making it one of the most valuable Internet companies in the German-speaking world. Joachim Schoss founded the charitable foundation MyHandicap after his accident. In addition, he accepted various supervisory and board of directors mandates, such as at the Georg von Holtzbrinck publishing group, at NZZ, at ResearchGate and bettermarks as well as at two newly founded banks, at several start-ups, non-profit foundations and university institutes at WHU and HSG, e.g. at the Institute for Business Ethics.

For his work as a business angel, he was named "Business Angel of the Year" by Bilanz in 2002. Joachim Schoss was the decisive angel investor e.g. for Moneybookers and Researchgate. Since 2013, he also teaches in the HSG-SIM Master Entrepreneurship, where he also initiated, among others, the Center for Disability and Integration, which deals with the professional inclusion of people with disabilities. For the many successful ventures that Joachim Schoss has founded or co-founded himself, the father of five was voted one of the top 10 "Founders of the Decade" in Germany by Gründerszene.de. For this and many other reasons, it was a special honor for the SCE's event "Unternehmer live erleben" to welcome Joachim Schoss as a guest.

Right at the beginning, the successful entrepreneur captivated his audience. Authentic and at the same time unpretentious, he described his career and peppered his statements with tips for the young audience interested in starting a business. "I look forward and not backward," said Joachim Schoss and encouraged the young entrepreneurs to go their own way. He knows about the "fragility of life," his friends say about him.

The mixture of experiences makes Joachim Schoss exciting as an entrepreneur. On the one hand, he makes it very clear what really counts in his life: his five children and his wife. On the other hand, he is an entrepreneur through and through and so he conveys his decided views on leadership, motivation, management style and in the end leaves no doubt that entrepreneurship is the best occupation - vocation - that one can seek. Highly exciting dialogue of the experienced entrepreneur with the future entrepreneurs rounded off an eventful evening. The SCE start-up "Pizza Innovazione" with its pizza truck and freshly baked pizzas provided excellent food.

Beatrice Rodenstock to father Randolf Rodenstock on the subject of succession.

There was no sign of the burden of the big name: lightness filled the room and had an infectious effect on the eighty or so interested students and guests at Lothstrasse 34. Right at the start, Prof. Sailer, who moderated the evening, wanted to know whether tradition and innovation go together. "But yes," thundered back Mr. Randolf Rodenstock. Each of the four Rodenstock generations had respected tradition, but had given the company its own identity and shaped it. It was precisely because of this that innovations - both technical and social - had been brought forth time and again. For example, he said, he had introduced a completely new style of leadership, which instead of a management culture tailored to the company patriarch, emphasized delegation and personal responsibility, but also made people responsible for their own actions. Things that seem common today, but in the 1980s represented a paradigm shift in work culture at Rodenstock.

"Be authentic in what you do and share common values with the founding partners" was Beatrice Rodenstock's credo when asked about her recipe for success in her own second (!) company foundation, NaviGet. She herself had to orientate herself step by step after stations in consulting at Daimler Benz and at a first foundation in the field of online marketing.

Following the exciting double interview, a stimulating round of questions developed, which also dealt with the ethical question of outsourcing jobs to low-wage countries - as happened under the leadership of Mr. Randolf Rodenstock at the beginning of the 1990s. "Yes, do you think a job in Thailand is ethically worth less than a job in Germany?" asked Mr. Rodenstock back. A justified objection, in my opinion, if we really want to take globalization seriously.