Team

Prof. Dr. Klaus Sailer is professor for Entrepreneurship at the Munich University of Applied Sciences and CEO of the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship (SCE). He is a co-founder and on the board of the Social Entrepreneurship Akademie and is also on the board of Munich Network. Klaus Sailer is spokesman for the think tank "Denkfabrik Gründerhochschulen"as well as part of the think tank HEInnovate.

Klaus Sailer holds a Ph.D. in physics from Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, and did his Ph.D. at the Research Center for Environment and Health. At Infineon AG, he was responsible for project management and marketing of new semiconductor technologies. In 2000, he co-founded a communication technologies company with partners in the area as its chairman. He successfully established this company as a major market player, and was able to realize his innovative ideas further with various start-up teams.

His main research topics are in innovation process, business modelling, networking, co-creation and societal innovations.

Anyone contacting the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship will first meet Barbara Mämpel as their contact person. As administrative manager and assistant to the management, she takes care of the entire office area in addition to administrative tasks and relieves the management of all business projects. 
She gained her professional experience, among other things, through her many years as a sales and marketing assistant in a plastics processing company and as an office manager in the property management and real estate industry in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Madeleine Shinada ist seit März 2018 am Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship für das Office- und Teammanagement zuständig. Zuvor war sie in einer Beratungsfirma für betrieblichen Umweltschutz sowohl in der Beratung als auch in der Verwaltung tätig. Madeleine Shinada studierte Japanologie an der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in München und erwarb einen MBA an der Kellogg School of Management.

Are you passionate about innovative ideas and entrepreneurship? Then become part of the SCE and work responsibly with our dynamic, motivated team to move the region and the world forward on a positive path to a livable, fair future. We are looking forward to your application!
 

Chiara's two greatest passions brought her to SEA: Sustainability and communication. Bringing these two topics together has been a matter close to her heart for several years, which is why she has been responsible for communications at SEA since October 2023.

She discovered Social Entrepreneurship in 2018 during her studies in Management of Social Innovations and now wants to contribute to making Social Entrepreneurship popular, attractive and well connected – and thereby inspire entrepreneurs to create an economy full of impact to ensure that the world remains liveable for future generations.

When she's not planning her next travel adventure, you're likely to find Chiara in the kitchen, dreaming herself into different cultures while trying out new recipes or relaxing with a good book under a house plant.

Since 2011, Anne Doerner is in charge of the areas of start-up support and Corporate Social Responsibility at SEA. A trained industrial engineer, she worked for many years at Siemens as a Marketing Manager on international projects. In 2003, she became acquainted with the CSR initiative startsocial and since then has worked to pass on her knowledge to social projects. In 2008, she started her own business as a consultant in strategic marketing, innovation and entrepreneurship. Parallel to her consultancy, she also implemented her own social projects and experimented with new working concepts within self-organizing networks. Anne has long been focused on identifying the success factors for innovation processes in social intra- and entrepreneurship.

“SEA is truly close to my heart and is, to me, the place to be for inventing the future yourself. Social Entrepreneurship is an essential component of moving the world forward, but it is not enough for there to simply be entrepreneurship in the name. At SEA, we are reinventing ourselves daily, and this spirit of reinvention fascinates me.”

Morten Edzards joined the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship in spring 2015. He is a fulltime member of the SCE qualification team and the program manager of the Bavaria Israel Partnership Accelerator (BIPA). In this and other educational formats and workshops, he uses co-creation, innovation methods such as design thinking and real time innovation, and brings together national and international stakeholders. For several years, he accompanied Start-Up League teams as a member of the start-up support team at SCE, supervised EXIST applications and was responsible for the management of the incubator at the Munich University of Applied Sciences. Morten holds a Master's degree in Political Science and History from the University of Heidelberg and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. The focus of his studies was Israel and the Middle East. During his studies and afterwards, he worked in a management consulting firm with a focus on change management.

Since mid-April 2022, Malaika Fischer has been senior consultant for e-learning in the AGORA project, which is funded by the DAAD to expand the range of digital courses in the context of entrepreneurship in the areas of health, AI and energy.

After the bachelor's degree, she did a master's degree and a PHD at JLU Giessen and the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm. Malaika then headed the research and development department of a private brewery for 10 years and was able to gain a lot of experience in interdisciplinary project management, innovation and creative tools as well as intrapreneurship. She was also allowed to accompany the digital transformation of the family business, which inspired her to do the MBA degree "Digital Transformation", which she is currently studying on the side.

Andreas joined the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship in November 2019 in the area of communication, focusing on social media. His tasks include the editing and project management of ex- and internal marketing, PR and communication measures, the creation and support of online offers, and within the SCE event management, the organization of the E'ship Day.

Andreas studied Social Sciences (B.A.) with a minor in Media and Communication at the University of Augsburg.

Michael Hack, Dipl.Wirt.Ing., is head of Corporate Development at the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship (SCE).

Michael graduated as an industrial engineer from Stuttgart Media University. After many years as an entrepreneur in the printing industry, he sold his printing companies in order to look for new challenges. He is now focused on promoting education, training, innovation and entrepreneurship. In his own management consultancy for strategy and marketing, he helped young entrepreneurs and start-ups.

With publications in leading printing magazines and print media issues in the field and as an expert in strategy and marketing, he has an established reputation in the printing industry. He is also a speaker at conferences and events.

Michael's main areas of focus are the promotion of economic relationships, the sponsors and patrons of the University of Applied Sciences in Munich and the development of a new culture of education.

Michael joined the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship in mid-September 2021. After his internship in the area of start-up support, in which he worked with the start-up coaches and also participated in and co-organized the Innovation Café, he switched to the area of internationalization as a working student. His main tasks are the development and support of the Start for Future (SFF) community platform and its social media presence.

He studies Management of Social Innovations at the University of Applied Sciences Munich and is currently writing his bachelor thesis.

Moritz Hoffmann has been with the Strascheg Centre for Entrepreneurship since summer 2015. He initially worked as a start-up advisor and coach, supporting various teams in the Start-Up League. From 2017 to the end of 2024, he was responsible for Executive Education and the Academic Programme for Entrepreneurship. Since the beginning of 2025, he has been responsible for managing ecosystem development at the SCE and also heads the EU-funded SYSTEMEU project. In doing so, he draws on his own experience from founding two companies.

Moritz holds an M.Sc. in Finance & Controlling from Munich University of Applied Sciences and previously studied International Marketing (B.Sc.) at Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences and International Business (B.A.) at ESCEM Paris - Tours - Poitiers. He also sits on the advisory boards of various start-ups, coaches various start-up formats and supervises other projects at SCE.

Jana Hollmann works as a start-up consultant for Social-Startup-Hub Bayern. Helping people and teams turn their ideas into reality and achieve sustainable change motivates her every day.

In her consultations, Jana focuses on creating a space for open dialogue, encouraging a change of perspective, and inspiring future social entrepreneurs to try new things.

Jana has already supported people interested in starting a business and start-up teams in realising their ideas during her time as a start-up consultant at the Strascheg Centre for Entrepreneurship (Since 2020).

Previously, Jana founded Jakale and, as a systemic consultant and workshop moderator, supported founders, start-ups and medium-sized companies in finding solutions to their challenges.

Jana studied business administration in Ingolstadt and trained as a systemic consultant and business coach & trainer. Jana loves to learn new things and is currently training to become a mediator.

At the Speed Up, Buddy association, Jana is involved as a mentor for first-time academics and supports them in line with her favourite motto: ‘Everyone said: It can't be done! Then someone came along who didn't know that and just did it.’

Giorgi Japaridze joined the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship in April 2022, working as an International Project Manager. He is mainly responsible for driving the overall front and backstage processes of the Start for Future Program, including but not limited by stakeholder management, strategy development and administration, business development, budget management, project/sub-project planning and execution.

Before joining the SCE team, he worked and gathered experiences from different business fields and positions. He is a seasoned manager with experience in B2B and B2C marketing, strategy consulting, sales and marketing. His career path includes positions such as Sales & Marketing Manager, Project Manager, Operations Manager, and Project & Procurement Manager. Among others he has also tried himself as an entrepreneur, establishing and successfully running his own start-up.

Giorgi obtained a bachelor’s degree in Economic & Business Administration from “Tbilisi State University” (TSU) and a Master’s degree (M.Sc.) in Economies & International Management from “Leibniz University of Hannover”. He is currently pursuing his third Master’s degree in “Philosophy of Science and Sociology”.

Claudia heads the Communications department at SCE. As an expert in marketing communications and brand strategy for global premium brands, she brings a wealth of agency, corporate and consulting experience.

Claudia studied Communications at the University of Arts Berlin.

Start-up Incubation

Prof. Dr Christian Klusmann is Professor of Entrepreneurship & Digital Business Models at Munich University of Applied Sciences and has been at the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship since September 2024. He is currently Head of SCE Startup Support.

Prior to this, Christian Klusmann spent nearly five years at digitalHUB Aachen, where he was responsible for startup coaching and consulting. As part of the "Excellence Startup Center" project, he worked closely with colleagues from RWTH Aachen University and supported digital and deep tech startups throughout their entrepreneurial journey, offering guidance across a wide range of challenges, from the pre-seed phase to Series A.

Christian Klusmann's academic journey began as a research assistant at the Strascheg Institute of EBS Business School, where he worked on externally funded projects and taught entrepreneurship courses. Later, he followed his second supervisor to the Department of Technology, Innovation Management, and Entrepreneurship at the University of Kassel, where he took on teaching responsibilities and successfully completed his PhD in 2018. His dissertation focused on entrepreneurship and business models, adding to his expertise in the field.

With a strong foundation in Business Administration and Engineering from RWTH Aachen University and Delft University of Technology, Christian Klusmann also gained firsthand entrepreneurial experience. Alongside his brother and a programmer friend, he co-founded an e-learning company, and later built a second team in Delft, Netherlands— an exciting and invaluable chapter in his career, which still can be seen as the initial spark for this passion for entrepreneurship.

Driven by this passion, he is dedicated to sharing his knowledge with his students, having mentored successful entrepreneurs such as the founders of Emma Matratze, 2trde, and bobbie. He continues to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs through his teaching and personal commitment to innovation and business development.

Johanna holds the position of Head of Qualification at the SCE and is also responsible for Real Projects and the university certificate ‘Entrepreneurial Thinking and Action’ as Programme Manager. In this role, she organises and supervises various entrepreneurship seminars every semester, in which students work on real challenges together with professors from Munich University of Applied Sciences - with the aim of promoting entrepreneurial thinking and innovative solutions in a practical way.

Johanna holds a Master's degree in Sustainable Management from Uppsala University in Sweden and is strongly committed to a sustainable future through innovation and responsible entrepreneurship in her professional work. Prior to joining SCE, she led a teaching project focused on impact and sustainability and worked with Munich's three big universities and their incubators to strengthen Munich as an innovation hub through cross-sector collaboration. 

Dr. Camila Londoño moved to Germany in early 2023 to join the SCE.

Camila holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Toronto. Since 2015, she has worked to support the commercialization of research and innovation at organizations including CCRM (formerly the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine) and the University of Toronto’s Hatchery. Starting in 2018, she led the Science Discovery Zone, one of ten incubators at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), which has the largest academic entrepreneurship program in the world . There, she supported over 150 startups to pursue evidence-based innovation and entrepreneurship, and developed two courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels to help science students explore entrepreneurial ventures. She is passionate about supporting early-stage and diverse entrepreneurs.

Sabrina has been working as a student assistant at SCE since 2023. She is currently studying communication design at Munich University of Applied Sciences.

Bettina Maisch is Professor for Entrepreneurship at the Hm Hochschule München University of Applied Sciences and Head of Digital Teaching at the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship (SCE).

Bettina got two diplomas from the University of the Arts Berlin – in public and business communication as well as in electronic business. After a position as a marketing manager for the eGovernment Lab at the Fraunhofer Institute of Open Communication Systems she started her PhD at the University St. Gallen and worked at the Media and Communication Management Institute at the University. During her PhD she spent time at the Center for Design Research at Stanford University, Chair Prof. Larry Leifer, supported with a scholarship by the Swiss National Science Foundation as well as the Hasso Plattner Design Thinking Research Program. Before joining the current position, Bettina was Senior Key Expert Industrial Design Thinking at Siemens Corporate Technology (CT) in Beijing and Munich from 2012-2020, responsible for promoting customer-oriented development within the company. From January to April 2019 she went on a sabbatical at the Garwood Center for Corporate Innovation, Chair Prof. Henry Chesbrough, at the University of California in Berkeley.

Publications: www.researchgate.net/profile/Bettina_Maisch

Andrés Rueda is project manager of AGORA, a DAAD-funded project to expand the digital educational offer in the context of entrepreneurship.

His career started in the field of conflict prevention and peacebuilding at the United Nations and the GIZ in Latin America. Later he worked in close cooperation with NGOs, SMEs and universities from Central and Southeastern Europe in a variety of projects focusing on economic promotion and the development of civil society.

Andrés holds a B.A. in international relations from Rosario University in Bogotá and a master's degree in public policy from the University of Erfurt.

My mission in life is to enable people to shape the future in a sustainable way.

After graduating in Business Administration (Marketing, Sales Management, Organizational Development) at FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg with co-creation brand project as a personal highlight, I spent more than 20 years building and developing FMCG brands internationally in an American corporation.

With the change from a large company to a company founder in the food sector in 2015, I have gone through and experienced all facets of founding, building and liquidating.

Until joining SCE in early December 2022, I was consulting various start ups/SMEs on strategy, business model, product development and co-developing a concept for a sustainable e-commerce platform. In parallel, I have been working on sustainable topics such as circular economy, transformation to sustainable business models and stewardship ownership.

Saskia Schmidl joined the team at the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship in summer 2017. As part of the SCE Startup Support, she advises founders and supports our teams of the start-up-league in the incubator.

Saskia received her degree as a graduate in Social Sciences from the University of Göttingen (focus on business administration, economic and social psychology, civilian media law and sociology).

She has come to know the founding scene from various perspectives and gained valuable experience: as part of start-ups, on the investor‘s side of a venture capital company or in a supraregional third party project to promote and support start-ups of scientists from non-university research institutions (Max Planck Society and Helmholtz Association).

Dana joined the Strascheg Center of Entrepreneurship (SCE) as Program Lead for the Deep Dive Master "Entrepreneurship and Digital Transformation" in April 2022.
Dana has been on parental leave since July 2024. Andrea Klimek will be deputising for her until her return. 

Previously, Dana was head of “Learning & Development” at the Ulm University. Therefore, she was responsible for the conception and implementation of various education and event formats with the focus on innovation and entrepreneurship. She is also co-founder of mindwise and works as a coach. In addition, Dana offers various seminars and workshops on the topic’s innovation, career- and personal development as well as mental health.
Dana studied psychology and received her PhD in the field of health psychology. Furthermore, she has also trained as systemic coach and SCRUM Master.

Verena is passionate about guiding people along their learning journey – especially when it comes to lifelong learning in an international context.

With a background in English Studies, she has always kept the global perspective in mind: after completing her degree at LMU Munich and spending time abroad in places such as New Zealand and Canada, she gained experience at the Canadian Consulate and later as Program Manager of the ‘Management & Innovation’ Master’s at TU Munich.

‘Innovation is good – but social innovation is even better!’ With this conviction, Verena joined SEA in August 2025. As part of the ‘Impact for Future’ project, she is developing a cross-university Master’s program in Social Entrepreneurship. Her work combines her passion for education, innovation, and international collaboration – with the aim of creating lasting impact for society.

Whether professionally or personally, Verena is a true team player. On the football field, she proves week after week how much team spirit and solidarity mean to her.

Samuel joined the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship in April 2023 as a dual student for media design working in the communication department. His responsibilities include online and analog marketing, PR, as well as event and project management. 
He graduated from high school in 2022 and is currently a dual student at the IU Munich.

Philipp von Törne joined the SCE in February 2023 as Programme Manager for AI+MUNICH: the prototype programme for AI start-ups with SDG impact. 
Philipp scouts and coaches start-ups and supports talents and teams in developing their AI-based ideas and solutions. 
In workshops and larger events, he brings together enterprising students, alumni and various start-up enthusiasts with start-ups, companies and experts and invites them to share, network and exchange ideas on relevant problems, AI and entrepreneurship.
Since 2000, Philipp has been responsible for building and managing products, teams, marketing and sales as co-founder and CEO of several companies. As a long-time product manager in the media, tourism and IT industries, he has developed, launched and managed over 20 products in various constellations - classic, lean or agile.

Philipp studied political science, education, sociology and philosophy. During his studies, he taught alternative quantitative methods to other students as a tutor for data mining and knowledge discovery.

Pavlina Vujović is a project manager at SCE responsible for internationalisation. Main focus of work is concentrated on establishing international partnerships with universities, entrepreneurship centers and industry partners across Europe and wider, with an aim to create sustainable international framework for creation of new and exchange of existing start-up teams. Prior to work at SCE, she worked as a program manager for different NGO's with a focus on socio-economic development in the Western Balkans, in business development for IT companies, and consulting for different organisations and SME's with focus on fundraising on the EU level.

She holds a double degree in Law and English language from the University of Sarajevo and University of Tuzla and Master Degree in Anglo-American Theory of Culture and Literature.

Note: Sonja is currently on parental leave.

Sonja Wilhelm came to the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship in the summer of 2022 with a clear vision. She wants to make impact-oriented business models the new normal in our economy!
As an impact-oriented project manager in the cross-university project "Impact for Future", she is committed to getting young students excited about more than just start-ups in the classic sense. Through targeted teaching formats for students and faculty, the project strives to provide a holistic and systemic understanding and related skills and competencies for impact-based entrepreneurship.

Most recently, she worked as a project manager in European research and innovation projects of international scientific and technical consortia on social innovation, energy democracy and innovative financing models for renewable energy. She completed her master's degree in Sweden in politics and sustainable development.
On a voluntary basis, she is involved as a team leader for the World Cleanup Day in Bavaria and Foodsharing Munich.

At SCE, Maximilian Wopinski is responsible for the project 'Impact for Future'. Within this cross-university project, he is aiming at fostering impact-oriented entrepreneurship education at universities.
He is driven to help people reach their potential and make education more fair, digital, and future-oriented.
As an educational scientist and philosopher, he's interested in how people learn, grow, and develop—especially when systems get in their way.
Today, Maximilian Wopinski contributes his experience in education policy, didactics, and digital learning to the Social Entrepreneurship Academy. Previously, he was a consultant at the Bavarian Teachers' Association, where he advised elected officials on issues such as social justice, immigration, and digitalization. At the Munich School of Philosophy, he developed digital teaching formats and blended learning courses for the Virtual University of Bavaria. At bfz Bayern, he supported young adults in their transition from school to work.
With a keen interest in technology, media, and language, Maximilian combines an educational approach with a passion for digital design. He is also creative in his private life—as a musician on stage and in his home studio. For him, education is successful when it has an impact on the people who experience it.

Prof. Dr Sebastian Dünnebeil is an innovation professor at the Faculty of Computer Science and Mathematics at Munich University of Applied Sciences.

A detailed description of his areas of expertise, focus and functions can be found here.

Prof. Dr. Peter Dürr is a Professor for Knowledge and Communication Management at the Faculty for applied social sciences at HM Hochschule München University of Applied Sciences.

A detailed description of his areas of expertise, focus and functions can be found here. Mohr about the project NEBourhoods.

Prof. Dr. Julia Eiche is a Innovation Professor at the Faculty of Mechanical, Automotive and Aeronautical Engineering at HM Hochschule München University of Applied Sciences.

A detailed description of her areas of expertise, focus and functions can be found here.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Andreas Eursch is a Innovation Professor at the Faculty of Mechanical, Automotive and Aeronautical Engineering at HM Hochschule München University of Applied Sciences.

A detailed description of his areas of expertise, focus and functions can be found here.

Prof. Markus Frenzl is a Professor for Design Theory and Media Theory at the Faculty of Design at HM Hochschule München University of Applied Sciences.

A detailed description of her areas of expertise, focus and functions can be found here.

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Gehra is a Innovation Professor for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Faculty of Applied Social Sciences at HM Hochschule München University of Applied Sciences.

A detailed description of his areas of expertise, focus and functions can be found here.

Prof. Dr. Herbert Gillig holds the professorship for Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation at the Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Management at HM Hochschule München University of Applied Sciences.
A detailed description of his areas of expertise, focus and functions can be found here.

Prof. Dr Christian Hanshans is Professor of Medicine and Biomedical Engineering and head of the interdisciplinary research and training centre for medicine-related courses at the Faculty of Applied Sciences and Mechatronics at HM Hochschule München University of Applied Sciences. A detailed description of his areas of specialisation, focus and functions can be found here.

Prof. Dr. Eileen Mandir is Professor of Systemic Design in the Context of Social Change and Transformative Processes at the Faculty of Design at HM Hochschule München University of Applied Sciences.

A detailed description of his areas of expertise, focus and functions can be found here. More about the project NEBourhoods.

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Moosheimer is a Innovation Professor at the Faculty for Technical Systems, Processes and Communication, Digital Media & Print at HM Hochschule München University of Applied Sciences.

A detailed description of his areas of expertise, focus and functions can be found here.

Prof. Dr. Sven Sterzenbach is a Innovation Professor at the Faculty of Tourism at HM Hochschule München University of Applied Sciences.

A detailed description of his areas of expertise, focus and functions can be found here.

Prof. Dr. Anke van Kempen is Professor for Research, Development and Innovation at the Faculty for Technical Systems, Processes and Communication, Technical editing and communication at HM Hochschule München University of Applied Sciences.

A detailed description of her areas of expertise, focus and functions can be found here.

Prof. Dr Bernhard Wach is an innovation professor at the Faculty of Business Administration at Munich University of Applied Sciences.

A detailed description of his areas of expertise, focus and functions can be found here.