At the non-profit Carbon Disclosure Project, I developed new concepts to make environmental information a practical and meaningful decision-making factor for consumers. The key objective was to make environmental information as easily available as the price or product quality information.
During my studies at the University of Michigan, I created a new concert series combining three concert locations into one live music brand, New Beat Happening.
Hi, my name is Daniel, and I love creating meaningful solutions for the future.
I work with organizations who are looking to be part of the transformation our planet needs, and support them in builing the structures, processes, and governance models that lead to a culture of innovation. I love working with whose who are looking to play a conscious and active role in their ecosystem through collaboration and co-creation. I have supported the development and growth of the social innovation ecosystem in Berlin through numerous engagements, as well as (co-)created solutions for a more regenerative future.
From local “artivism” to globally engaging citizens in design thinking for good, from working with or accelerating green social entrepreneurs across seven MENA countries from Morocco to Lebanon, I spent the last decade helping public institutions, UN, companies, non-profits, communities, and social entrepreneurs build thriving communities of purpose.
I’m passionate about building communities that empower people to collaborate and create. My natural tendency is to learn by creating, while at the same time I am firmly rooted in a systems view of the whole, rather than the parts. With the Bold New World collective, I am currently exploring strategies and methods to go beyond transactional encounters, strengthen relationships, and allow a culture of trust and serendipity to emerge within networks or communities.
As a third-culture kid [?], I’m at home in design thinking, technology, and sustainability. I love advising social enterprises and young innovators, and frequently travel the world to listen to communities, speak at events, and work with teams. Finally, I am also available to committed humans and teams who are looking for guidance in embracing new leadership paradigms and bridge inner and outer change.
How can I help you? Contact me to find out, or browse my page to see if something sparks your curiosity!
MakeSense
SenseCamp
SenseCamp is an unconference for social entrepreneurship and innovation, curated by the global MakeSense network. After we launched it in 2012 in Berlin, SenseCamps have spread all over the world, from São Paulo to Singapore, and have featured speakers such as Prof. Muhammad Yunus, Liam Black, Charles Eisenstein, or Rodrigo Baggio.
Silent Climate Parade
The Silent Climate Parade is Germany’s largest annual climate march. It is a Silent Disco parade – with wireless headphones and DJs on electric cars – that creates a quiet urban space with dancing people raising awareness about climate change. We are not aggressive or moralizing: We create a sight that is so beautiful that it inspires the people around us to join and become part of our movement.
I co-founded the e.V. that has been iterating this entirely new way of demonstrating since 2010, inspiring a group in Mainz to start their own SCP. Funded through crowdfunding, sponsors & on-location contributions, we counted 4000 people in 2014.
Past projects for the future
CLIMPAX
I developed the concept and raised the funding for the CLIMPAX project, a real-time climate-impact rating of investment funds.
Existing socially-responsible investment (SRI) funds only apply ethical criteria to their strategy, which stops investments into undesirable companies or assets in a binary go/no-go logic. However, professional and retail investors alike do not have information on the real climate impact of the actual investment portfolio at any given time.
CLIMPAX fixes this. It establishes a scale-based climate performance rating that allows investors to make decisions informed by the climate impact of an investment. This information is critical particularly for the growing divestment movement to accelerate a decarbonized future.
I led a consortium of CDP, the South Pole Group, the University of Hamburg, and others to successfully apply for funding as a Climate-KIC Innovation project. CLIMPAX turned into the award-winning Climetrics project.
Greener Shopping plugin
Green Gas
Minimal Footprint Hedonists
New Beat Happening
Public Speaker
A culture of sharing is part of my DNA and with my background in creating and working with innovative projects, I have the privilege of sharing my insights with audiences around the world.
Workshops & Coaching
Knowledge and expertise is worth little if it is not passed on. In my mission to help communities drive action, I frequently host workshops, coach teams, and advise on projects. I also enjoy ‘training the trainers’ to support others on their journey to empower others. These engagements have taken me all over the world, such as India, Italy, Germany, France, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, UK, and the US.
I also co-authored a book on how to start projects effectively, Phase 0 – How to Make Some Action.
Work with me
I am always looking for inspired people to work with. I love expanding my network of freelancers for client projects, or meeting project partners with complimentary skills and resources. Tell me about your ideas if you would like to create something together!
Hire me
I offer consulting to make projects successful. I can help with e.g. innovation and change management, B2B business development, strategic B2C marketing and communication, community and volunteer management, project management, as well as event and experience design.
Book me
I focus on bringing value to the audience, so each talk is unique. My talks focus on relevant topics from my expertise fields and draw upon my experience from different projects, e.g. social innovation in the digital age, building inspiring and functioning communities, or the future of work, living and playing.