2hearts

💡 Event Recap: "Saving Democracy with Döner Prices." At 2hearts, we celebrate diversity as the driving force of entrepreneurial success. On November 29th, our 2hearts member Adam Sylejman Bekteshi, in collaboration with the WHU Entrepreneurship Center, hosted an inspiring event: "Saving Democracy with Döner Prices." The session highlighted a powerful truth—innovation and agility, not bureaucracy, are the keys to societal progress. The key takeaways from this event were: 1️⃣ Success builds momentum: The first win paves the way for the next, just as setbacks can compound. This applies to startups, SMEs, and global enterprises alike. 2️⃣ Opportunities fuel inclusion: Empowering people and organizations to act drives both democracy and innovation. 3️⃣ Creating a fair playing field: Startups need room to innovate, while SMEs must remain competitive to sustain their place in the game. A huge thank you to Sylejman for organizing this remarkable event and sharing invaluable insights with the 2hearts community and all guests. We are looking forward to many more events driven by our community.❤️ ❤️ Adam Sylejman Bekteshi Marc Margulan Mert Yücelen Rosemarie Fryzowicz Bêrîvan Ronahî Akbaba Oktay Erciyaz #2hearts #DiversityInTech #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #Community

🎉 What a night to remember! Our final Hamburg Chapter Event of 2024 brought together belonging, entrepreneurship, family, and culture in a way that felt truly special—all complemented by mouthwatering food and exclusive Mexican wine. 🌟 A big thank you to our amazing speakers, Toan Nguyen, Sora M. and Noah Raissi, for sharing your honest and heartfelt stories. Your words left us inspired and empowered. And a special shoutout to our fantastic moderator, Elnura Ashimova, for guiding the evening with such energy. ❤️❤️ 🙏 Hugo Paquin, you made it all come together! Your dedication and hard work behind the scenes didn’t go unnoticed. And to Sanchit Bhavsar and Anna Li, thank you for making the magic happen—we’re so grateful for your efforts! 🍷 A huge thank you to Fernanda Suárez Jaimes and Uvas de México GmbH for elevating the evening with a one-of-a-kind Mexican wine tasting experience. And of course, a big thanks to Factory Hammerbrooklyn for hosting us in such a vibrant and beautiful space—it couldn’t have been more perfect! A few takeaways from our speakers: 1) Toan Nguyen sees failure like a video game: every setback is a chance to gain experience points, learn new strategies, and get closer to winning the next level. 🎮✨ 2) The Power of Networking: Sora Mustafa began with just a few connections in Berlin, stepping out of her comfort zone by attending multiple events weekly and building meaningful relationships and partners. The effort paid off—it’s a vital investment for any founder striving for success at vollefarben.de 🌐✨ 3) Inspiration from the Roots: Noah Raissi's international team at Rukki, representing diverse backgrounds from all over the world, is a powerful example of how diversity fosters innovation, drives change, and fuels growth. 🌍✨ 🚀 Here’s to building more connections, sharing more stories, and creating even more unforgettable memories in 2024 and beyond! ❤️ Let’s make it happen and thank you Lea Harms for capturing the moments of this evening. #2heartshamburg #culturaldiversity #founders

🌟 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀: 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 2𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀! 🌟 We’re excited to announce our partnership with Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA, a global leader in media, services, and education, as we work together to empower diverse talent and foster opportunities for tomorrow's tech society with cultural diversity at its core. Bertelsmann is a global media, services, and education company with over 80,000 employees across 50 countries. Its portfolio includes RTL Group, Penguin Random House, BMG - The New Music Company, Arvato, Bertelsmann Education Group and Bertelsmann Investments. In 2023, the company generated €20.2 billion in revenue. Known for its creativity and entrepreneurship, Bertelsmann delivers top-tier media content and innovative services. This partnership promises exciting opportunities for the 2hearts community and beyond. We’re excited about the upcoming initiatives we have in collaboration with Bertelsmann! Our community will benefit from the following valuable opportunities: ✨ 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 – Connect with 𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 from Bertelsmann, gaining insights and guidance from their wealth of experience. 📚 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 – Participate in interactive sessions to enhance your professional skills. 🎙️ 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗠𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 – Hear inspiring stories from guest speakers, sharing their expertise on industry trends and personal journeys. 🤝 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 – A unique chance to connect and collaborate with like-minded professionals. And here's a little spoiler: our 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 is just around the corner! 🎉 Stay tuned for the Save the Date details coming soon! 🚀 ❤ Through this partnership, we aim to enrich the 2hearts community — particularly our young professionals, founders, and aspiring entrepreneurs — by providing valuable guidance and expertise in collaboration with our partner Bertelsmann. Exciting opportunities and connections lie ahead! #Partnership #EmpoweringTalent #Mentorship #BertelsmannCareers #CreateYourOwnCareer Olga Ongsiek, Oktay Erciyaz, Elnura Ashimova, Béatrice de Surmont-Harhoura (she/her), Pamela Taylor

RECAP: ✨ MENT2BE Vol. 2: Celebrating Resilience and Migrant Entrepreneurship ✨ On October 1st, we proudly hosted MENT2BE Vol. 2, an event dedicated to amplifying the voices and journeys of migrant founders. In collaboration with BRYCK.COM, Digital Hub Initiative, and Startup-Verband, we created a dynamic space where entrepreneurs shared their stories of resilience, challenges, and triumphs. 🌍 Migrant entrepreneurs bring both unique challenges and incredible opportunities to the world of investments. Whether as founders or decision-makers in supervisory boards or investment committees, it’s vital to have individuals with strong intercultural competencies. As Oktay Erciyaz, Co-Founder of 2hearts, rightly says: “Our society is already diverse – but we need that diversity reflected in decision-makers like board members and investors.” Why is this so important? Because diverse perspectives help address and overcome the unique challenges migrant founders face. Diar Khal, founder of NewStarters, highlights this gap: “VCs often associate migration and integration with non-profit work. But it’s quite the opposite.” Dr. Jonathan Apasu, founder of Adon Health, adds: “We chose a VC focused on underrepresented founders because they understand that such entrepreneurs often bring exceptional drive, ambition, and resilience.” Through MENT2BE, we’re working to change this by: ✨ Increasing visibility for migrant founders ✨ Building trust through their success stories ✨ Fostering a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem Join us in this mission – because entrepreneurship is vibrant and diverse! 💙❤️💛💚 A big thank you to everyone who made MENT2BE a success! 🎥 Don’t miss this impactful video by the amazing team at BRYCK.COM BRYCK.COM 2hearts Digital Hub Initiative Startup-Verband  Ersin Üstün Sarah Wurzer Laura Profanter-Sonnenschein Claudia Behrendt Kevin Klug Theresa Ebeling Oktay Erciyaz Elnura Ashimova Min-Sung Sean Kim Franziska Teubert Catharina Fichelmann Vanusch Walk Benjamin Wilkening Ali Soysüren Nana Addison Mpho M. Dr. Jonathan Apasu Diar Khal

What Do Döner and Democracy Have in Common? Join us to explore how startups and small businesses—even through something as simple as Döner prices—play a crucial role in maintaining the stability of democracy in Germany and beyond. 🗓 When: November 29, 2024 | 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM 📍 Where: WHU – Düsseldorf 🎟 Entry: Free, but seats are limited! (Note: The presentation will be in German.) We’re thrilled to welcome our community member Adam Sylejman Bekteshi who will lead an engaging session on: “How Döner Prices Can Save Democracy.” Gain surprising, actionable insights into how entrepreneurship and small businesses impact societal stability in powerful ways. 👉 Reserve your spot now: https://lu.ma/opztorxb

𝟮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝘆 is back! 🚀   Get ready to level up your startup, venture, and growth game with exclusive online sessions, featuring insights from the brightest minds in the community and beyond.   2hearts Academy is where experts meet, ideas spark, and skills grow - join the conversation ✨   Our second session follows on November 27th with Frankfurt's own Sebastian D. P. Hidalgo, an experienced Strategy Consultant and Founder of Sypnotic. 📅Date: Wed. November 27th ⏰Time: 19:00-20:00 CET 📍Location: Live on Zoom Note: The Zoom link will be shared exclusively with our members on Slack on the day of the event.   Sign up & don’t miss out on this chance to learn from the best and take your skills to the next level!   Not a 2hearts member yet? Check out the application form on our website to join the community.   İskender Dirik | Iván E. | Laura Gevorgyan

🎥 We’re thrilled to share the highlight video from the finale of our 2024 Mentoring Program in Berlin! 🎥 Earlier this month, we gathered for an unforgettable evening filled with inspiring success stories, moments of growth, and meaningful connections. Seeing the incredible impact of mentorship through the journeys shared by our mentors and mentees was truly moving. ✨ A huge thank you to our interviewed mentees for sharing their experiences with our community: Luisa 文慧 Eggers, ⁠Linh Seidel, Cephas Ndubueze, ⁠Aman A. A big thank you also to our panel speakers sharing your mentoring success stories: Bastian Zuber, Luisa 文慧 Eggers, Linh Seidel, Audrey Tsang, Johnston Chen, Dr. Sophie Chung and of course to our moderators: Achim Aziz and Gonzalo Agusti Cordano and the whole Mentoring Team: Mey Cezairli Marie Hubulova Min-Sung Sean Kim Lina Janezic. Thank you to Meta and Babbel for your generous support and for hosting us in such a beautiful space—it wouldn’t have been possible without you! Katharina Doerner, Julia Reuss, Kaspar Klippgen, Sacha Nikita Kraft, Volker Harbrecht, Sonja Wedekin, Kira Grabner, Deepa Miglani, Caroline Hermansson. Take a moment to relive the magic of the evening by watching the video below, which has been shot by the talented Adlen Ziadi. We hope it inspires you as much as it inspired us! 🚀 We’re already gearing up for the 2025 Mentoring Program and can’t wait for new success stories to be shared with the community. Keep an eye on our next newsletter issue for more details on our new batch. ❤️ ❤️

🚀 Join Us for Our Final Hamburg Meetup of the Year! We’re closing out the year with an incredible evening at Factory Hammerbrooklyn on December 4th! This is your chance to connect with inspiring entrepreneurs, hear their stories, and engage in meaningful discussions about diversity, entrepreneurship, and the immigrant experience. Join us as Noah Raissi (Founder of Rukki), Toan Nguyen (Founder of Jung von Matt NERD) and Sora M. (Co- Founder of vollefarben) share their experiences and insights on their founder journeys and learned lessons and advice for aspiring founders. The conversation will be moderated by Elnura Ashimova , Head of Operations at 2hearts. Big thanks to Hugo Paquin for making this event happen. Secure your spot now, through this link: https://lu.ma/s3jj1qh9 and let’s wrap up 2024 with inspiration and new connections! 🎉

𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: 2𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 <> 𝗗𝗙𝗟 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗚𝗺𝗯𝗛 🚀 We at 2hearts are thrilled to officially announce our partnership with DFL Digital Sports GmbH, the digital presence of the Deutsche Fußball Liga GmbH which aims to bring the fans closer to the Bundesliga and inspire passion for the league globally, delivering “Bundesliga Digital! Anytime. Anywhere." DFL Digital Sports GmbH, a 100% subsidiary of the Deutsche Fußball Liga GmbH, is the digital competence center for platforms, content, and creative services. Based in Cologne, DFL DS creates and distributes digital #Bundesliga content across its owned platforms. With over 80 employees and freelancers, DFL DS manages the league's digital presence through four key departments: Content & Media Production, Product & Technology, Design & Branding and Business Operations. A special thank you to Bastian Zuber, CEO Digital Sports GmbH and SVP Digital Business at DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga for joining us as both a mentor and panelist at our recent Mentorship Dinner in Berlin. Bastian shared valuable insights on the importance of mentoring and the impact it can have on both personal and professional growth. 🙌 Through this partnership, we aim  to enhance career opportunities for our 2hearts Community members within the digital football industry. We look forward to creating valuable pathways and fostering growth for all involved. #Partnership #CareerOpportunities #DigitalFootball #2heartsCommunity #weAreDFLDS #Growth Bastian Zuber, Dr. Marion Mertesacker, Maria Zoura, Florian Felske, İskender Dirik, Elnura Ashimova, Illta Berhe, DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga

🌟 2hearts & The Stepstone Group: "Diverse Leadership in a Changing Labor Market" Event 🌟 What a fantastic evening we had at the “Diverse Leadership in a Changing Labor Market” event in Düsseldorf! A huge thank you to our partner The Stepstone Group, for co-hosting such an inspiring event with a great lineup of thought leaders. With insights from Sebastian Dettmers (CEO of The Stepstone Group), Gülsah Wilke (Co-founder of 2hearts and Partner at DN Capital), and Natalie Matalon (Tepekoylu) (CPO of The Stepstone Group), we explored how AI, migration, and workforce diversity are reshaping the future of work in Germany and beyond. From powerful discussions on inclusive leadership to connecting with like-minded professionals, every moment reinforced the value of diverse perspectives in today’s workforce. Thank you to everyone who made the evening memorable! We’re already looking forward to more events with our partner, The Stepstone Group as we continue building momentum toward an inclusive future. #Diversity #FutureOfWork #InclusiveLeadership #2hearts #TheStepstoneGroup Nicola Johnstone, Amelie Schlicht (geb. Friederich), Bêrîvan Ronahî Akbaba, Elnura Ashimova, Eleanor Jane Pfeiffer, Bianca Lowak