This week’s article features an interview with High-Tech Seedlab’s new team member Jochen Schwab. After our interviews with our very own Startup Coaches Anna Buchmann and Ahmed Mostafa, we want to introduce Jochen, who started this month at our program and will be in charge of Marketing, Events, and Communication of the program.
In the interview, we talk about his motivation to join an early-stage Accelerator and his role as Marketing Manager in the High-Tech Seedlab Team.
Hi Jochen, let’s start slightly, tell us something about you and how you came to High-Tech Seedlab.
As is often the case, there was a bit of luck involved. A friend, who knew that I was looking for a new challenge, drew my attention to the job offer and I was straight away enthusiastic.
I spent a little over two years as a Product Manager for content platforms, working together with trade fairs. There, I took my first serious step in the business world and had the opportunity to work in a dynamic little team, building a new product and business model from scratch.
Before that, I finished my studies in Computer Science in Würzburg at FWHS where my interest in the digital economy began. Having specialized in Managing Digital Innovations, I was introduced relatively early to business development, entrepreneurship, and design concepts.
Also, the opportunity to test ideas in a safe environment, where missteps are seen as insights and not as a failure, has left a lasting impression. In this environment, I had the pleasure to work with not only very knowledgeable pioneers but also generous, helpful and driven people, which was almost contagious and showed me how I would like to work in the future and also share with others.
That´s sounds great. How were your first steps, did they meet expectations?
Definitely. I felt very lucky that my first week so happened to fall in line with when founders were meeting one another for the first time, so I also got to know them well in person. After a long remote working time, this was really soothing. Aside from that I had a smooth onboarding and am now gradually diving into the tasks.
Yeah, this was a highlight for all of us. What drives you the most to support High-Tech Seedlab?
For me, it´s the whole package at High-Tech Seedlab. I can work and network with motivated fresh minds who are experts in their respective fields, develop a young program with my own ideas and help those teams to make the world more sustainable. So it’s really hard to pick just one fact.
Apart from that, I want to make sure our program pillars are well emphasized, namely, Technology, Sustainability, Women in Tech and hope that we can expand our network in this area to achieve an even greater positive impact for our startups. Helping founders with solutions I can truly stand behind is great, and motivates me probably the most.
And what role do you see yourself play in the High-Tech Seedlab Team?
Of course, we have clear goals for the program from a marketing point of view, so we will be able to attract great startups to our program again in the coming years. This is also where I see my responsibility. Aside from that, I try to support the program and the startups in their marketing approach as much as I can.
Thank you Jochen for sharing your story and time!
If you are interested to learn more about our program you can also follow us on LinkedIn to stay up to date.
This program is financed by the European Social Fund (ESF), as well as the State of Berlin.
