2hearts

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

🌟 A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us for the finale of our 2024 Mentoring Program! 🌟 The evening was truly special—filled with uplifting success stories, moments of learning, and the joy of connecting with one another. We were deeply moved by the journeys our mentors and mentees shared, each story a testament to the incredible impact of mentorship. 🙏🙏 A huge thank you to Meta and Babbel for your generous support and for providing such a beautiful space to make this event possible. Katharina Doerner, Deepa Miglani Julia Reuss Kaspar Klippgen, Sonja Wedekin Kira Grabner A big thank you to our incredible Mentoring Team for generously dedicating their time and expertise to ensure the success of our program. Your voluntary efforts make a lasting impact. Dr. Sophie Chung, Mey Cezairli, Achim Aziz, Gonzalo Agusti Cordano, Marie Hubulova, Lina Janezic, Min-Sung Sean Kim Catch a glimpse of the evening’s highlights by clicking through the pictures below and stay tuned—our event video will be released next week! We’re excited for what lies ahead and can’t wait to share details about our 2025 Mentoring Program soon in our Slack channel. Thank you for being a part of this journey with us! Photos by Adlen Ziadi . Thank you Adlen for capturing the best moments of the event 🙏 Elnura Ashimova, Illta Berhe, İskender Dirik, Gülsah Wilke, Min-Sung Sean Kim, Oktay Erciyaz

🌟 𝐓𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩: 𝐖𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 this E𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 with The Stepstone Group Due to high demand, we've decided to give away a limited amount of tickets for our event “Diverse Leadership in a Changing Labor Market” with our official partner - The Stepstone Group in Düsseldorf on November 12th, 2024. This is your chance to participate even if you're not a 2hearts community member (yet!). Win your ticket and be part of this exciting panel talk bringing top industry leaders such as Sebastian Dettmers (CEO of The Stepstone Group & author of The Great Arbeiterlosigkeit), Gülsah Wilke (Co-founder of 2hearts and Partner at DN Capital) and Natalie Matalon (Tepekoylu) (CPO of The Stepstone Group) together to explore and dive into the hottest topics in leadership, technology and workforce diversity. Let us discover how migration and AI are reshaping the future of work in Germany—and beyond. 🤝 Meet inspiring industry leaders and learn from their successes and insights.. 💬 Network and connect with the team of the Stepstone Group and stay ahead of the curve. Find the link in the comments below. Apply now to win your ticket - good luck! 🍀 Nicola Johnstone, Bêrîvan Ronahî Akbaba, Eleanor Jane Pfeiffer, Bianca Lowak, Tanja T, Elnura Ashimova

✨ MENT2BE Vol. 2: A Celebration of Resilience and Migrant Entrepreneurship ✨ Last month, we had the honor of hosting MENT2BE Vol. 2, a unique event dedicated to uplifting the voices and stories of migrant founders. In collaboration with BRYCK.COM, Digital Hub Initiative, and Startup-Verband, we created a vibrant platform where entrepreneurs shared their personal journeys, challenges, and achievements. It was an inspiring gathering, highlighting the resilience and innovation migrant founders bring to the business landscape. Check out this powerful video crafted by BRYCK.COM’s talented video team! 🎥Each founder shares a powerful message about overcoming barriers and championing innovation. Here’s a glimpse of their stories: ▶️ Diar Khal: A refugee and cybersecurity engineer, who’s passion for IT began at the age of 14, when he defended his hometown with cyber-attacks from ISIS. After fleeing to Germany, he created NewStarters to simplify the integration process — despite being advised to open a kebab shop instead. ▶️ Mpho M.: Most often the only black and non-binary person, Mpho often had their expertise questioned, despite degrees in psychology, sociology & data science. So they founded all.txt, an inclusive AI co-pilot — after they had to sign a strictly binary legal contract for their startup. ▶️ Dr. Jonathan Apasu: Often not recognized as the doctor during his medical studies due to his Ghanaian roots, Jonathan founded Adon Health to address male health issues within the German healthcare system, starting with testosterone deficiency. ▶️ Nana Addison: As the founder of Styleindi GmbH, Germany’s first black, woman-founded CPG startup backed by a tech VC, Nana disrupted the beauty and marketing industry to make it more inclusive - despite facing racism, sexism, and classism. ▶️ Ali Soysüren: After facing rejections under his real name, Ali created the alter German ego “Dominic Richards” – and successfully bootstrapped his company Simplejobs, a platform for blue-collar industry jobs. 𝗠𝗘𝗔𝗡𝗧𝟮𝗕𝗘 - 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 - These entrepreneurs embody the change that Germany needs. Their resilience and achievements prove that diversity is more than just inspiring — it’s vital for driving innovation and growth. Let’s ensure that Germany remains a welcoming home and thriving hub for migrant entrepreneurs and their groundbreaking ideas in the years to come. A huge thank you to everyone for being a part of this mission & MENT2BE 💙❤️💛💚 Benjamin Wilkening Min-Sung Sean Kim Vanusch Walk Cherno Jobatey Christian Lüdtke Ersin Üstün Laura Profanter-Sonnenschein Sarah Wurzer Martina Lartey Michael Pesch Shobhna Mohn Armin Raffalski Oktay Erciyaz Elnura Ashimova Catharina Fichelmann Franziska Teubert Theresa Ebeling Kevin Klug Claudia Behrendt Hind Seiferth Jochen A. Rotthaus Aylin Hochhäuser Ekrem Namazci Dr. Shabnam Fahimi-Weber Frank Barz Arman Marvani Ekrem ILI Berivan Ronahi Akbabaî a.m.m