American German Business Club, Chapter Munich
AGBC Exchange-I 2016 (Schedule & Workshop Descriptions)

April 23rd 2016

9:00-9:30        Registration and Networking
9:30-9:45        Opening of the Exchange

Session 1
10:00-10:45    Presentation

Room 1
Getting Ahead in the Freelance Economy
Dan Norenberg, Managing Director & Founder, N Vision Learning Solutions GmbH

Room 2
Encounters of two worlds: working with refugees
Alexander Gloy, Founder Lighthouse Investment Management

 Room 3
Success (and Failure) in Silicon Valley
Paul Salazar, VP Sales EMEA, Hazelcast, Inc

Session 2
11:00-11:45    Presentation

Room1
Why the seed-investment & venture capital scene has to be disrupted
Frank Thomsen, Inventor & Innovation Consultant

Room 2
Content Marketing: From big picture to the little details
Audra Shanley, Senior Editor, C3 (Creative, Code & Content)

Room3
The Politics of Integration: A look at corporate and individual involvement
Stephanie Hobert, Senior Associate UniCredit Bank AG

Session 3
12:00-12:45

Room 1
Creating Authentic User Groups and Brand Interaction
Kirsten Rhein, International Strategy and Branding Consultant

Room 2
A National and Neighborhood Initiative: The joy and benefit for individuals, businesses and society
Judith Martin, Business Owner, MD, Coach, Trainer and Consultant

Room 3
From Oil Town to Cultural Metropolis: Houston as a case study for American development
Prof. Dr. Hartmut Keil

Session 1
Getting Ahead in the Freelance Economy
Dan Norenberg, Managing Director & Founder, N Vision Learning Solutions GmbH
Life-long employment is a prehistoric artifact. The freelance economy is on the rise. Shifting economic conditions, technology and the search for meaningful work are giving birth to new trends in the freelance workforce phenomenon.
This free agent trend will continue to increase in the years to come. Organizations must develop strategies to effectively engage and align employed and interim talent. For freelancers, this trend means a more competitive environment for the skills and services they provide. Some will survive, others will thrive.
During this interactive session, you will learn how to:

• Create a bigger picture of yourself (and more value) for potential clients
• Develop a highly effective freelance mindset
• Differentiate yourself from the “crowd of consultants”
• Stand out with smart questions
• Get access to resources that jump start your freelance career

Encounters of two worlds: working with refugees
Alexander Gloy, Founder Lighthouse Investment Management
Taking care of one million refugees should not be a problem for a nation where one city houses six million visitors for the Oktoberfest every year. Yet, thousands of refugees still live in provisional camps without solid walls, working showers or wifi. Many volunteers try to make their lives a little bit easier, leading to interesting cultural experiences.

Success (and Failure) in Silicon Valley
Paul Salazar, VP Sales EMEA, Hazelcast, Inc
Silicon Valley is the hotbed for countless successful start up companies, and is littered with the corpses of an even greater number of all-but-forgotten start up companies. Each success or failure brings with it numerous lessons learned.
Paul will provide a window into some of the lessons learned from his personal experience over 20 years at 8 start up companies, with particular focus on customer-centric product development and the subsequent pivots that can make or break a small company. He will also share insights gained from his executive role in responsible fundraising and ‚fund-spending‘ for growth.

Session 2

Why the seed-investment & venture capital scene has to be disrupted
Frank Thomsen, Inventor & Innovation Consultant
8 out of 10 startups fail. Although most of the ideas are quite good and promising, teams are often not up to the task of successfully developing and offering products or services, resulting in a lot of investment money being burned.
What is the secret to finding the right investment? Is there are science to it, or is it just pure luck to invest in the right (and winning) team?
This presentation explores the struggles and new disruptive possibilities in the world of (pre) seed investments and venture capital from the perspective of a serial entrepreneur, inventor and Innovation Consultant.

Content Marketing: From big picture to the little details 
Audra Shanley, Senior Editor, C3 (Creative, Code & Content)

Let’s start with the basics: What IS Content Marketing? We’ll show you examples that highlight varied client objectives and appropriate solutions. We’ll explore online, print, social media and video options for both large and small organizations. Next, it’s time to tackle buzzwords including strategic topics, tonality, storytelling and analytics. Finally, we’ll offer an organized path for you to jump into the content game, no matter how big or small your business.

The Politics of Integration: A look at corporate and individual involvement
Stephanie Hobert, Senior Associate UniCredit Bank AG
What is integration? How are companies and individuals getting involved in the current refugee crisis to promote integration? Join this talk to go behind the corporate and camp walls. Gain personal impressions, lessons learned, and interesting intercultural observations on both a corporate and individual level.

Session 3

Creating Authentic User Groups and Brand Interaction
Kirsten Rhein, International Strategy and Branding Consultant
Creating and encouraging authentic brand interaction is one of the biggest struggles small businesses and marketing departments face. Problematically, it is also essential to brand advocacy in today’s marketing environment.
This talk will walk through the Dos and Don’ts of building authentic user groups from the ground up. Beginning with that initial empty mailing list or Facebook page and continuing to explore the complex task of maintaining such groups and ensuring the members remain engaged and the interaction remains authentic.

 A National and Neighborhood Initiative: The joy and benefit for individuals, businesses and society
Judith Martin, Business Owner, MD, Coach, Trainer and Consultant
Combining personal journey and professional expertise, Judith will address a concerning social trend in Western society that has given rise to an inspiring national and local community initiative. She will draw on her experience of living and working in different cultures in Europe and Asia, and her “culture shock” on returning to live in Germany.
Together with participant interaction and contribution, Judith would like to explore possibilities for greater connectivity and cooperation among individuals, and its personal, commercial and societal benefits.

 From Oil Town to Cultural Metropolis: Houston as a case study for American development
Prof. Dr. Hartmut Keil
The City of Houston probably still evokes stereotypical images of a bustling frontier town that became rich after oil was discovered more than a century ago. Although Houston remains the energy capital of the United States, it has also evolved into the fourth largest city in the country:  a diverse metropolis, home to dozens of ethnic and religious groups, full of opportunities in business, commerce, and modern industries.
NASA is located here as well as the world’s largest medical center. But Houston has also been experiencing tremendous demographic change. This presentation will describe Houston’s economic and social transformation in the last thirty years and explain why this metropolis forebodes the challenges that American society faces in the twenty-first century.