The minds shaping the future.

Dr. Wladimir Klitschko holds the record as the longest reigning heavyweight boxing
champion combined of all time. Even during his boxing career, he began sharing his
knowledge from three decades of competitive sports and helping people transform their
problems into challenges with courage and realism.

Therefore he already founded in 2016 Klitschko Ventures and developed the FACE the
Challenge method from his philosophy of life „Challenge Management“. It is the core
of the key skill of willpower. Willpower in the sense of transformation energy made him
successful and allowed him to emerge stronger, even from less successful times.

Along with Tatjana Kiel, CEO of FACE Klitschko Ventures and Co-Creator of the method,
the goal is to pass on this knowledge through inspirational speech, education and
consulting, especially for leadership teams – all based on FACE:
Since 2015, jointly with the Institute of Customer Insight at the University of St. Gallen,
he established the German language, further education course CAS Change & Innovation
Management where he regularly teaches about Challenge Management. In 2021 his
expertise transfer was covered in a case study at Harvard Business School (HBS) and
published in English.

Following his personal mission of "giving back", Wladimir Klitschko founded the
Klitschko Foundation with his brother over 20 years ago. The focus is on children and
young people in Ukraine to support their education as well as social, emotional, and
physical development. The NGO #WeAreAllUkrainians was initiated by him together with
Tatjana Kiel in 2022 to support humanitarian projects in Ukraine.

His entrepreneurial activities also include the founding of the Kliwla family office, which
operates in the financial sector, and the 11 Mirrors Hotel in Kyiv, which opened in 2012 and
is one of the best-rated accommodation facilities in the country.
In addition, FACE is at the heart of his business diversification in Ukraine in the area of
operational services of its own and third party business.

Since February 24, 2022, the time of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Wladimir Klitschko
is an internationally recognized voice from Kyiv, who stands side by side with his Ukrainian compatriots and his brother Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv. Wladimir Klitschko has no political mandate. He acts as a „lobbyist“ for his country representing democratic values.

Elisabeth L'Orange is partner for AI and Data at Deloitte and host of the tech podcast Tech & Tales.

Previously, Elisabeth co-founded the Hamburg-based AI startup Oxolo in 2020, a pioneer in AI video production with 600,000 users and €13 million in funding. Before founding Oxolo, Elisabeth worked as a VC and CFO and was recognized by Manager Magazin as one of the 15 leading women in the field of AI in Germany. Elisabeth received the FAZ Innovation Award, the KPMG Venture Award and was included in the W&V 100. OMR named her one of the 50 leading minds in the digital industry.

Philipp Klöckner is a tech analyst, investor, advisor and expert in digital marketing, organic growth and search strategy. He worked as a product manager and in‑house SEO lead at idealo.de and since 2011 has been advising companies, publishers, e‑commerce businesses and startups on SEO, online marketing and digital product strategies. He is also active as an angel investor and mentor supporting early‑stage companies and serves as an advisor to various ventures and funds. Klöckner is co‑host of the podcast Doppelgänger Tech Talk.

Felix Schlenther is the founder of AI FIRST GmbH and one of the voices in AI transformation for the German Mittelstand. Over the past few years, he has guided more than 100 companies and thousands of people into productive AI adoption. As host of the AI FIRST Podcast, through his newsletter, and on LinkedIn, he shares his insights with over 100,000 people every week. On stage, Felix combines personal stories with hands-on lessons from his work.

Ilse Henne is a member of the Executive Board of thyssenkrupp AG and the Chief Executive Officer of thyssenkrupp Materials Services as well as the Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board of thyssenkrupp Steel Europe AG. She began her career at thyssenkrupp in 1999. She holds a Master’s degree in linguistics and literature at Ghent University followed by advanced business management studies.

Marc Opelt was CEO of OTTO – Germany's largest online retailer – from 2018 until February 2026.
After studying business administration at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, he began his career at OTTO in marketing in 1990 and later held senior positions at OTTO Office, Eddie Bauer in Germany and the USA, and the Baur Group, among others. From 2012, he was a member of OTTO's divisional board, where he played a key role in driving the development of the online shop and digital transformation processes. He recently started working as an independent consultant.

Sascha Lobo, born in 1975, lives in Berlin and on the internet with his wife Jule and their three children. He works as an author, keynote speaker, podcaster and digital entrepreneur. Since 2011, he has written a weekly column for spiegel.de. He publishes books on current affairs and appears regularly on talk shows. Together with Jule Lobo, he hosts the podcast “Feel the News – Was Deutschland bewegt”. Since 2025, he has also hosted and produced the successful podcast “Tech, KI und Schmetterlinge” in collaboration with Schwarz Digits.

Ulrich „Uli“ Hoeneß is one of the most influential figures in the history of FC Bayern Munich. As a player he won multiple Bundesliga titles, European Cups and the Intercontinental Cup with Bayern in the 1970s and he was part of the West Germany squad that won the 1974 FIFA World Cup and the 1972 European Championship. A knee injury ended his playing career in 1979 and he immediately became Bayern’s general manager. Over the following decades Hoeneß shaped the club as a manager, board member, president and supervisory board chairman helping turn it into a global brand. Under his leadership Bayern collected 57 major titles, including Champions League victories and numerous domestic trophies. After stepping down as president in 2019 he has served as honorary president and supervisory board member of FC Bayern Munich.

Christian Steiger is Managing Director of Lexware. His mission: to make entrepreneurship easy.
He is convinced that technology is only a real lever if it solves specific customer needs. That is precisely what drives him. Together with his team, he is developing Lexware into a digital partner for the self-employed and small businesses. At the heart of this is a new generation of AI that acts as a mandated AI co-CEO, prepares decisions, and can act independently within the framework of common goals. Steiger coined the term “Lena principle” for this. Lena is this AI co-CEO that makes entrepreneurship easier and can make autonomous decisions within the given mandate.
Steiger studied computer science and gained his first professional experience at the Haufe Group. In 2008, he founded his own start-up, Zaplive. He then played a decisive role in shaping digital transformation as Head of Innovation at the Haufe Group. At the end of 2010, as an intrapreneur, he initiated the cloud accounting solution Lexware Office, laying the foundation for Lexware's success today.
Today, more than 600,000 companies in Germany use the solutions from Lexware, the market leader for commercial software. Two things set Lexware apart. Outstanding digital solutions that reduce bureaucracy and facilitate decision-making. And genuine visibility for the people behind the companies. With the Tell Your Story initiative, Lexware gives self-employed people a platform and reaches.

Daniel Jung is a leading German education entrepreneur, mathematics and learning coach with over 20 years of experience in knowledge transfer.
He became well known through his YouTube channel “Mathe by Daniel Jung”, where he has published more than 3,000 videos, supporting millions of learners. He is co-founder of StudyHelp GmbH, runs Daniel Jung Media GmbH, and is actively involved in the university councils of Tomorrow University and INU – Innovative University.
His expertise lies in digital learning, AI-supported education, and the development of innovative learning platforms, making him a sought-after keynote speaker who provides companies and institutions with valuable insights into forward-thinking education strategies.

Joseph “Joey” Kelly is a musician, endurance athlete, and entrepreneur of Irish-American descent. He became famous as a member of The Kelly Family, with whom he achieved major success in the 1990s. After the band withdrew from the spotlight, he increasingly focused on extreme sports and competed in numerous marathon and endurance events. He also gained wider public recognition through sport-oriented television shows.

Dat Tran is an experienced data science, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital transformation expert. He serves as Partner and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at DATANOMIQ, an AI and data consulting firm based in Berlin, where he helps organizations build real‑world AI systems and scale data‑driven solutions. Dat has over a decade of experience in machine learning, data strategy, and leading data initiatives, and has held senior roles in AI and data at companies.

Jonas Andrulis is an AI researcher, engineer, and serial entrepreneur shaping Europe’s sovereign AI landscape. As Founder & CEO of three AI ventures and former AI R&D lead at Apple’, he has driven breakthroughs in computer vision, sensor fusion, autonomous systems, sovereign LLMs, multimodal AI, and next-generation transformer architectures.

He built one of Europe’s most powerful AI clusters and led chip-optimized research in collaboration with leading semiconductor companies. With his previous venture, he raised more than €500 million from top institutional investors and global enterprises.

In February 2026, he launched his latest start-up: a new technological foundation for collaborative AI, that places human knowledge and capability at the core of agentic workflows, unlocking AI’s full potential to power high-impact industrial transformations.

Jooske de Groot is a leader at Microsoft, driving Cloud & AI transformation for SMBs across EMEA. Known for turning complexity into clarity, she helps organizations harness data, modern platforms, and AI to unlock scalable growth and real‑world impact.
With a passion for doing business and doing good, Jooske empowers teams and partners to innovate responsibly - bridging strategy, technology, and human behavior. At data:unplugged, she brings her frontline experience from EMEA’s SMB ecosystem to show how data‑driven organizations can thrive when vision, execution, and courage come together.

Bodo Radtke is Co-Founder of Blue World Studio, a data-driven digital agency focused on SEO, AI search, and digital experience.

Together with his team, he is working on fundamentally changing how companies approach organic visibility — moving away from purely technical SEO towards a strategic growth driver across the entire customer journey.

His work focuses on combining UX, content, and search optimization, as well as building visibility in AI-based search systems (GEO).

The goal is to move beyond isolated organic visibility and turn it into measurable business impact.

Business Development.

PhD from RWTH Aachen on generative models for visual data, now founded his own company: consulting on everything in the field of AI, research and development for clients in LLMs, VLMs, as well as more broadly in computer vision and machine learning. Also offers AI training/education and gives talks intended to inspire both technically and socially.

Explains everything related to AI on Golem.de, in podcasts, or in panel discussions.

Noel Lang is the founder and developer of "Ausbildung in der IT" (ausbildung-in-der-it.de), a learning platform that prepares IT apprentices in Germany for their official certification exams. After completing his IT specialist apprenticeship in 2019, he worked in the financial sector before becoming self-employed in 2024 and building the platform as a solo founder — today it serves over 20,000 learners, with a combined following of around 50,000 across YouTube and TikTok. Noel deeply integrates AI into his software development workflows, leveraging agentic coding tools like Claude Code and Cursor across the entire development process. AI also powers the product itself — including an AI-driven exam simulation that generates individualised practice questions.

Why d:u?

A format that inspires, drives topics, and connects people—and that's exactly the kind of format we need!

In addition to the podcast and the event, there's now d:u match, the platform for AI-powered matching.

With my executive experience as a CDO, Co-CEO, and leader in the digital sector, I know how important it is to bring the right people together — and that's exactly what d:u match does!

We've also prepared two more formats for you: build:it and make:it.

Stop by the d:u booth; we'd love to give you a sneak preview!

A few words about me:

„Live inspired, Guided by Purpose“ - my leitmotif.

Hi, I am Lena.

With an entrepreneurial background and leadership roles from Project Lead to CEO and board-level experience across corporate, mid-sized and platform-based organizations, I combine strategic clarity with strong market and customer orientation and a consistently people-centered leadership approach. Shaped by my passion for tourism, events and hospitality, I view transformation not merely as a structural or digital initiative, but as a consciously designed experience for employees and customers—driven by engagement, purpose and tangible impact.

My focus lies on the sustainable transformation of business models, organizational structures and leadership systems. I aim to drive growth, efficiency and innovation not in isolation, but in close alignment with a high-performing, future-ready and purpose-driven company culture.

What excites me in my Private Life? Exploring the world, and pretty much anything that involves being active and outdoors 😀

I'm looking forward to getting to know you!

Michael Ramich is an AI Engineer, Founder, and Google Developer Group organizer. He has built AI systems running in production — enterprise AI frameworks at NFON AG, LLM training at ScaleAI, LiDAR-AI MVPs, and AI for municipalities and governments. From concept to live deployment, from code to pitch deck. He runs GDG Osnabrück (150+ members), is a Google-certified Trainer for AI & Cloud, has mentored at various startup events including at WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management, and has advised deep-tech ventures from Germany to Brussels.

Philip Hitschler-Becker is the CEO of hitschler International GmbH & Co. KG, a family business founded in 1929 in Hürth, near Cologne. Under his leadership, the company has grown into one of the best-known brands in the confectionery sector, renowned for innovative products such as Saure Drachenzungen, HITSCHIES, and fruit gum specialties. His powerful social media presence has further strengthened the brand’s visibility, enabling it to reach a broad audience. In addition to his work as an entrepreneur, Hitschler-Becker shares his expertise on topics such as digitalization, brand building, and business succession in lectures and keynote speeches.

Marketing and corporate partnerships at UNICEF

Luca Bosch turns AI dreams from slides into reality. As a Senior Associate at PwC, he demonstrates what needs to be done so that AI in a corporate setting isn't annoying or intimidating, but actually fun. He explains what was impossible yesterday but is achievable today. With his background in computer science, he provides honest insights into the limitations and opportunities of AI.

HR Tech enthusiast, thinking about re-designing work in the age of AI.

As Head of Data & AI at A11 and formerly Project A Ventures, Saman has designed and implemented data and AI platforms for companies ranging from pre-seed ventures to enterprise corporates. He combines strategic thinking with hands-on execution to turn complex data landscapes into high-impact solutions - often building the first data and AI teams, laying the foundations for sustainable analytics capabilities, and ensuring real activation that translates into measurable business outcomes.

Systemic transformation & organisational development expert for new ways of working

10 years as managing partner of a boutique consultancy for systemic management

Investor and business angel in a start-up in the CO2 storage sector

Background: international industrial engineer

Ulrich Coenen is Spokesman of the Executive Board at Atruvia and is responsible for “Corporate Strategy & Development”. His work focuses on strategic direction and the successful transformation of the organisation, its processes and technologies.
“Transformation both requires and creates energy – it works when people get moving and consistently align structures and mindsets towards the future,” says Ulrich Coenen.
With this ambition, he is actively driving change in the cooperative banking sector and positioning digitalisation as a strategic lever for sustainable competitiveness and resilience. In doing so, he combines many years of deep industry knowledge with a clear view of technological developments.
Ulrich Coenen has been a member of the Atruvia Executive Board since August 2020. Previously, the economics graduate successfully led numerous digital transformation programmes, including as a member of the management board of E-Plus, as an independent strategy and technology consultant and, most recently, as divisional board member at Commerzbank.
His passion for technology and transformation is both his motivation and his mission: for Ulrich Coenen, actively exploring new perspectives and ways of thinking as conditions change is part of a lifelong learning process.

As Head of Analytics at A11, Sasha works with organizations to turn their existing data into a foundation for better decision-making and sustainable growth. She partners with companies from fast-growing ventures to large corporates, helping them create a consistent and reliable view of their business across functions.

Her focus lies in breaking down data silos, aligning teams around meaningful metrics, and embedding analytics into everyday business processes. She combines strategic thinking with a pragmatic, hands-on approach — building analytics capabilities that are not only technically sound, but actually used in practice.

Sasha is particularly driven by making data accessible and actionable, ensuring that insights translate into clear decisions and measurable business outcomes. She sees analytics not as a support function, but as a core enabler of how modern organizations operate and improve.

Since the beginning of 2020, Sandra Hoyer has led the development and provision of TK Safe, the electronic patient record, and the e-prescription at Techniker Krankenkasse. A business graduate, she previously contributed her expertise in population health management at Philips, where she was responsible for the market launch and project implementation of digital patient portals and telemedicine solutions for Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Before that, she built up the consumer health division at Telekom Healthcare Solutions and developed digital health services such as the “electronic health record” for people with statutory health insurance. She also initiated the launch of fitness trackers and connected health devices in Telekom shops.

Alina Breuers works in Strategic Purchasing at Schmitz Cargobull, where she is responsible for metal parts. She is particularly interested in how data, AI and digital technologies are transforming procurement processes and which new opportunities emerge through data‑driven decision‑making.
On the Tomorrow Stage, she brings these topics together: innovative ideas, fresh perspectives, start‑ups and experimental concepts that show how innovation takes shape long before it becomes part of everyday business. As a moderator, she creates a space where impulses are connected and conversations unfold that bring together data & AI, technology and practical industry experience from different business environments.

Explaining cyber security in simple terms ...

MSc. of Professional Skills in Management, Banking & Finance
Lecturer in IIoT and cyber security at HSBI

Hi, I’m Kristina. I facilitate decision-making and dialogue in times of digital and social transformation.
I help break down complexity and turn change into a shared effort.
I work with workshops, training sessions, on-stage, and curated conversations.

26 years in sales, 19 years at R+V Versicherung, 17 of them in corporate customer business.
Bachelor Professional and corporate customer sales representative since 2013

Mo is a technology executive with 18 years of experience at SAP, having held a variety of leadership roles across different domains and markets.
As CTO for SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP), Business Data Cloud (BDC) & AI in Middle & Eastern Europe, he works closely with executives to turn data and AI into tangible business value – driving innovation, extending core systems, and enabling large-scale transformation.
Mo is a trusted advisor to customers and a highly regarded speaker on international stages and at executive events. He is known for connecting strategy with execution and for making complex topics like data, platforms, and AI actionable for business leaders.

35 years at Volksbank.
Today a member of the Executive Board of Volksbank im Münsterland.
Responsible for business development, private customers, sales management, brand and communication, and private wealth management.

Ayse Mese is recognized as a leading expert on business succession and private equity firms in the SME sector. Her extensive network, in-depth expertise, and broad industry experience make her a sought-after contact among decision-makers. As host of the BIG BANG podcast and festival host of the BIG BANG AI FESTIVAL, she brings entrepreneurial topics to the stage with strategic foresight and communicative sensitivity. She combines entrepreneurial intuition with a deep understanding of economic and social developments in the SME sector.

Full-time optimist, CEO @ Strong Partners GmbH, TEDx speaker, speaker at OMR HR & Education, moderator, advisory board member @Marketingbusinessclub e.V.

Merle is 21 years old and works in marketing management. Alongside this, she has built her own business as a creator in the sports and entertainment space. By combining both agency and creator perspectives, she brings a unique view on social media and marketing.

Nils is Head of Architecture & Data at Commerz Real AG, where he is responsible for IT strategy, enterprise architecture, and the evolution of the company’s data strategy in a regulated financial environment. In this role, he plays a key part in driving the transformation of core platforms towards cloud and S/4HANA.

Previously, he built and led several technology units, both within corporate environments and as an entrepreneur. He is the founder and former managing director of two technology companies in the fields of SAP and data analytics, one of which was successfully exited.

His focus lies at the intersection of technology, data, and business strategy. He drives the development of scalable architectures, data-driven decision-making models, and modern platform approaches that enable organizations to combine innovation with operational excellence.

Mirco is CEO & founder of CRESVIA and one of the driving forces behind innovative topics in the data:unplugged ecosystem – including the brand-new formats build:it and make:it on the d:u match platform.

He studied mechanical engineering in Aachen and psychology in Regensburg. As an experienced expert in systemic management, he combines technological excellence with a deep understanding of human behaviour in organisations.

Together with his team, Mirco helps companies – especially in the German Mittelstand – master complexity and implement transformation effectively. His approach is clear: don't just think, DO.

His company CRESVIA – the way to growth – stands for a transformation approach that consistently and effectively interlinks technology, data, processes and organisation with leadership, collaboration and corporate culture, thereby anchoring change. This quickly turns growth and development into reality. His focus is on iterative, fast implementation, lasting impact and measurable results. We just do it!

Philipp Nienhaus is Head of Marketing at CREW10, driving creative campaigns and social media strategies that actually cut through the noise. With a background in project and artist management, he blends creativity with sharp execution to build brands that stand out and grow fast.

Reyhan Weiß is Technical Product Manager for AI products at UNICEPTA. She works at the intersection of generative AI, media analysis and product strategy, exploring how AI systems shape the perception, reputation and narratives of companies.

Ralf Risch is managing director of InConTra GmbH and Microsoft Master Trainer for the DACH region. As a specialist lecturer in operating systems, digital education and AI, he has many years of experience in professional training, including for IHK München und Oberbayern, didaris and IU International University. With his expertise in Copilot for M365, agentic AI and modern workplace solutions, he combines security, cloud architecture and hands-on implementation. At conferences, he stands for strategic clarity, tangible live demos and talks that provide orientation and inspiration.

Dr. Peter Struckmann leads the digital transformation of Uniper’s operational business, which aims to create the digital foundation that allows us to drive and empower the energy evolution. Peter has 25+ years of experience in the energy and Asset “heavy” Industry, holding various leading positions in EON and Uniper for the last 20 years with a primary focus on strategy execution, asset management, business transformation, digitalization, and leadership in multi-cultural environments.

Peter has a Diploma in Engineering from University GH Essen and a Ph.D. in Engineering from Ruhr-University of Bochum.

Martin Schulze is a senior business leader working at the intersection of strategy, product, technology, and growth. As Head of Product, he is responsible for building scalable platforms, differentiated offerings, and sustainable growth initiatives. His work connects market shifts, customer needs, and emerging technologies — especially AI — with clear strategic direction and measurable business impact.

Over the past years, he has built and led international teams across Product, Business Development, and Operations, driven new products and business models, and developed strategic partnerships. His focus lies on transformation, operational excellence, and exploring how data, technology, and AI can create competitive advantage and enable better decision-making.

Philipp Schreiber heads KRUU GmbH, the international market leader for mobile photo booths. He is responsible for the strategic direction of the company, which serves more than 70,000 customers a year and operates over 5,000 active photo booths in ten countries, including Germany, the USA and France. Since its founding in 2016, he has been a driving force behind the company's international expansion, operational excellence and the continuous development of the brand.

Martin Odinius is the founder and managing director of ecm:one GmbH and an expert in digitalising business processes. He helps companies build the foundation for successful AI projects through intelligent document and data management. A particular focus of his work is his collaboration with the German Bundesliga to optimise digital infrastructure. As a speaker at data:unplugged 2026, he joins industry experts to discuss the future potential of artificial intelligence in professional sports.

Jonas Grundler is Vice President Data Consulting at netgo software.

As an expert in data consulting, he combines technological excellence with a keen sense for people and organisations. He loves solving complex problems by keeping the big picture in view while also diving deep to understand the crucial details.

Jonas works successfully in interdisciplinary teams and values the diversity of different perspectives. His openness to new ways of thinking and his strategic foresight make him a driving force for sustainable data-driven transformation.

After working at Handelsblatt, where she built up the successful podcast “Handelsblatt Today”, which won the DDV award, Mary Abdelaziz-Ditzow moved to n-tv in 2022. As head of “Business and Innovation”, she was responsible for expanding key brands such as Telebörse, and in 2024 she was honoured with the Friedwart Bruckhaus Prize for her podcast “Wirtschaft Welt & Weit”.
Since April 2025, Mary Abdelaziz-Ditzow has been “Editor-in-Chief Business & News” at Finanzfluss, where she hosts the daily business news podcast “im Loop”.
At the end of February 2026, the journalist also published the book “Behind the News” – a nuanced and critical work about the German media landscape. In it, she describes the biggest failings of the media system and explains why established leading media are nevertheless indispensable. She also explains how the media world works, aiming to strengthen media literacy so that people in Germany can form their own opinions more freely.

Solution Consultant at Workday with 25+ years of experience in people centric Software solutions.