#PCF People & Culture Festival 2025

Mental health is no longer a taboo subject – yet there is still a lack of space for open, systemic discussions about how we shape work, leadership, and social change in a way that empowers people rather than exhausts them. In this panel, four perspectives from psychology, counseling, academia, and public service will discuss how mental health can be conceptualized, promoted, and anchored for the future.

In this workshop, you will design an image of your personal future and gain guidance for your next steps. Through guided reflections, inner imagery, and group exchange, you will explore:- Your future vision: A glimpse into the best possible future.- Your values compass: Which principles and qualities are important to you on your path.- Your strength toolkit: Which skills support you today – and which you want to develop for the future.This creates clarity about what guides and strengthens you. You will leave the Future Expedition with new impulses, fresh motivation, and a clearer sense of your own path.As the number of participants is limited, participation in this workshop requires registration. Click the “Sign Up” button and secure your spot in the workshop.

Genuine equality in the workplace remains one of the major societal challenges of our time. Women’s everyday lives are still shaped by unequal structures – from pay gaps and lack of career advancement opportunities to insufficient visibility in leadership roles. The panel explores how deeply these disadvantages affect women and what levers are needed to sustainably strengthen women’s employment and participation: – Which structural barriers continue to hold women back to this day? – How can fair compensation and work models be designed? – What cultural and organizational changes are necessary to ensure that equality is not just lip service, but a lived reality? – What role does it play when men also clearly acknowledge and support the need for equality? The aim is to make concrete experiences, approaches, and perspectives visible – from everyday challenges and best practices to visionary ideas for a fairer working world.

In the session, participants will first be explained the issues that shaped the different generations in their respective eras. These influences reveal certain behavioral patterns that explain why people from these generations repeatedly react similarly in stressful or conflict situations. Once this is understood, the shift in perspective helps them adjust their own viewpoint so that the supposed “other” is suddenly seen as something positive, thus creating win-win solutions that ultimately benefit everyone.

There’s no such thing as normal – and that’s precisely what makes us strong. In their interactive workshop, Sandra and Janne, founders of fluid., invite participants to rediscover neurodiversity and the role of resilience as a key competency for the workplace of tomorrow. Together with participants, they explore strengths, differences, and future skills in a changing world.

gründerstudios brings insights from 25+ startups it has supported and, via live voting, develops the building blocks of a resilient founder profile. The workshop combines real-life cases, interaction, and scientific input. Participants receive practical tools for times of uncertainty, stress, and self-doubt during the startup process. The audience shares thoughts and questions, votes anonymously, and participates in the discussion.

When was the last time you thought, “Am I the only one experiencing this?” Whether it’s the first day of a new job, endless meetings, or the question “Where are we going next?” – we all know these moments. In this speed networking session, we skip the small talk and share experiences that often go unspoken: thoughts, doubts, small victories, and aha moments. Perhaps you’ll recognize yourself in others’ answers. Perhaps you’ll realize: You’re not alone in your experiences.

In this workshop, we embark on an imaginative journey into possible futures. Inspired by Rob Hopkins’ “How to Fall in Love with the Future” and artistic stimuli, we practice activating our imaginations and developing our own visions of the future. Between hope and overwhelm, utopia and reality, we explore together which visions are relevant and recognize where we need to engage in dialogue about differences. Through artistic methods, exchange, and collective imagining, a space is created in which the future becomes tangible, conceivable, and shapeable.

The role of women in society has shifted; women lead companies, states, and revolutions. Thanks to feminism and female empowerment, ambitious women today are an unstoppable movement. Unfortunately, we haven’t changed the role of men in the same way. This leads to a problem: the more successful you are as a woman, the more the role of the man at your side is called into question. How uncomfortable. The idea of ​​Cherrish was born because we love and believe in men, and we are building the world’s first place where women can fall in love with men who all know their self-worth, which is more than their financial or social status.

Making menopause visible – in business. Now. One in two women – in the middle of menopause. And almost all remain silent. We – Constanze Baier, Tina Holmes & Sandra Baron – are breaking the taboo. With a film and panel, we’re bringing menopause, menopause & female health into the workplace. For real change. For companies with a future. For a culture that no longer ignores women.

Managers often become parents, and parents far too rarely become managers. When people think of entrepreneurial spirit, they rarely think of mothers, and even more rarely of single parents. Yet, every day, they master what many companies desperately seek: resilience, personal responsibility, and a solution-oriented approach. They aren’t failing because of the system—the system is failing them. And in doing so, they’re wasting real future potential that has long since been realized elsewhere. Laura Christl brings her perspective as a self-employed woman, mother, and former human resources manager to the stage: clear, uncomfortable, and solution-oriented. She shows why care work must long ago be understood as a leadership skill, how structural barriers drive away talented professionals, and how organizations can rethink themselves if they are serious about diversity and sustainability. In her presentation, she not only provides insight into personal experiences and encourages other women to follow their path, but also opens our eyes to systemic connections, societal expectations, and concrete scope for action. Her appeal: If you want to solve the skills shortage, you have to not only hire people, but retain them. Not just listen, but adapt structures to equity. Not just preach inclusion, but enable it.

Franzi Ruhnau reverses the perspective: PMS (premenstrual syndrome) is not the problem, but the solution. As a “Personal Management System,” it highlights what needs to change in everyday work. The author and cycle coach explains why we should take these signals seriously. If we use PMS discomfort as a guide, workplaces will emerge that benefit everyone. A disruptive approach that uses physical signals as a guide for change.

At the center of this panel is a key question: How can change succeed in companies?Together, we discuss what change processes do to people, what dynamics arise when securities are shaken – and how transformation can succeed not only as a business transformation but also as a social movement.Representatives from companies, change facilitation, and further education shed light on what is needed for this: courage, clarity, good communication, and space for emotions. In addition, we take a look at the attitudes and skills required to make change effective and sustainable.The goal is to make concrete experiences, perspectives, and approaches visible – and to show how change can move not only structures but also collaboration and culture.

Germany is facing profound changes: Demographic change poses enormous challenges for the economy and the labor market. How do we secure prosperity when fewer people are working? Do we need to work longer, more, or, above all, more efficiently? What happens when companies are left without successors – and how does this affect the location? What are the ways to integrate international specialists more quickly, and what structural hurdles must be overcome so that women can fully realize their potential in the labor market? What job profiles will the jobs of the future be? In this panel discussion, experts from business and science will examine possible consequences and opportunities, as well as possible solutions for a sustainable German economy in times of change.

School’s over – what now? Start your own business. In this workshop, we discuss cool startup ideas, the steps needed, and how you can get started right away. Instead of dry theory, there are practical tips, exciting examples, and space for exchange. If you want to take your future into your own hands, this is the right place for you.Since the number of participants is limited, attending this workshop requires registration. Click the “Sign Up” button to secure your spot in the workshop.

After the keynote on the Female Success Penalty and the clash between feminism & the old-school stereotypes of love, we’re collecting your stories: We want to hear them all! The awkward dates, lame moves, WTF moments, and tearful ghostings. Every life reality around ambitious women, men, and the great love. Bring your anecdote, drop your hot take: What is masculinity today? Which images are dead, which do we need anew? Let’s talk, let’s laugh, let’s rethink, together.

In her workshop, Stefanie Gerke demonstrates how healthy boundaries create more ease in everyday work. Using coaching tools, reflection, and embodiment, she supports participants in recognizing their own needs, saying “no,” and setting clearer boundaries at work – for greater self-efficacy and inner peace.

​You’ve been thinking about working for yourself. Maybe you have a business idea (or three). Maybe you’re just tired of the 9-to-5 grind and wondering if there’s another way. ​But you don’t know if solopreneurship is the right move, or how to even start figuring it out. ​That’s exactly what this interactive workshop is for. No pressure, no “quit your job today” hype, just a structured, hands-on session to help you explore your options safely and strategically. ​What you walk away with: ​✔ A personal Solopreneur Readiness Self-Assessment (Mindset, Financial, Skills & Business Model). ✔ Hands-on exercises to uncover what expertise you could turn into a business. ✔ A clear roadmap outlining your next steps, whether that’s freelancing, consulting, a side hustle, or full-time independence. ✔ A chance to discuss your challenges, fears, and goals with like-minded professionals. ​Who it this workshop for: – ​Seasoned professionals wondering if solopreneurship is a viable next move. – Freelancers looking to take things more seriously and strategically – Someone with a business idea but no clue how to start. – If you are feeling stuck between job security and career independence. ​By the end you will know: ✔​ Whether solopreneurship is a realistic path for you. ✔ ​What kind of business could actually work for you. ✔ What practical steps you need to take next without unnecessary risks.

The session is a hybrid of keynote, fun, and workshop. It will provide valuable insights into how our brain actually works, what neuroplasticity is, and how we can learn to shape it ourselves. We’ll do writing exercises, breakout sessions, and even a shared visualization to apply the principle of neuroplasticity directly to ourselves and shape our brains the way we want them to be.

How do you support 150 marketing professionals in integrating AI into their everyday marketing work and preparing for the future in the AI ​​era? Insights into an ambitious AI learning journey with a human-centered approach. From foresight-based future scenarios to executive alignment and an initial lighthouse event with all 150 employees. Takeaway: Useful ingredients for your own AI learning journey from the perspective of the journey guide (aka external consultant)

Self-organization often sounds like theory or a buzzword. Carolin Kister and Simon Teichmann demonstrate how it works in practice. Drawing on their experiences from Berlin’s oldest self-organized coworking space, cocreation.loft, they make it tangible how self-organization not only makes an organization more efficient but above all more resilient and robust.

Stages and theaters not only fulfill an artistic function but are also important training centers. Skilled workers are trained in numerous professions – from event technology to make-up and workshops. Until September 2025, apprenticeships in Berlin were supported through a solidarity-based financial equalization program. With the loss of this funding and simultaneous budget cuts, these apprenticeships are acutely threatened. As a consequence, Berlin’s theaters must now finance apprenticeships entirely from their own budgets, in a context of general budget cuts for cultural institutions. This puts double pressure on apprenticeships and could potentially be reduced. The associated risks include not only the decline in apprenticeships in highly specialized trades (make-up, VT, workshops), but also an increased shortage of skilled workers in Berlin’s cultural and event landscape, thus weakening Berlin as a cultural and creative hub in the long term. Theaters are systemically important training centers for professions that are also needed outside of the stage (event industry, film/TV, trade fairs). As a cultural and event metropolis, Berlin directly benefits from a secure supply of young talent. Reliable funding for apprenticeships is an investment in the future, not a subsidy for luxuries. Conclusion: Theater training is more than just cultural funding—it’s a safeguard for skilled workers in Berlin. Without a solution to the loss of funding, valuable apprenticeships are threatened.

Your skills are stronger than you think. In this talk, Clara Hahn shows how skill stacking can turn diverse experiences into future-proof careers. It’s about taking your strengths seriously, combining them in new ways, and building a roadmap that balances vision with everyday steps. Resilience means not just bouncing back, but moving forward, with curiosity, courage, and the confidence that your unique mix of skills matters.

In her session, she provides an insight into the editorial day-to-day at KISS FM. She also shows which red flags and green flags really matter in applications. In the interactive ‘Shortcut Internship,’ she presents two typical tasks that every intern can expect – including a Q&A.

Starting a business is considered sexy – taking over one is seen as old-fashioned. Yet this is exactly where a huge opportunity lies: instead of starting from scratch, continue existing structures and transform them with new energy. In Germany, hundreds of thousands of companies are without a successor. Munay Zamarano herself, as a young woman, dared to take over a natural cosmetics company and shows how tradition can turn into innovation. Together, we talk about why succession needs more visibility, how we can break outdated narratives – and why women, in particular, should actively help shape this future.

Exactly one year ago today (October 9, 2024), an alliance of universities and associations in the USA proclaimed a day against age-related discrimination (with a focus on older people). We will join on October 9, 2025! With a special focus on the disadvantage faced by young people (in family, school, work, elections, therapy, everyday life), we are proclaiming the Day Against Adultism!In this panel, young and older people will look together at the systemic disadvantage of young people—whether in the family, at school, in training, or at work. We will talk, play, and analyze together—about what the problem actually is and what a fairer society looks like, where the potential of young people is better utilized.

Small and medium-sized businesses are the heart of our economy in many sectors. At the same time, they are particularly hard hit by the shortage of skilled workers. Qualified workers are lacking in many areas, while at the same time, many refugees and immigrants want to work in Germany but often struggle to find the right access to the labor market. This is where we come in: Integration as Innovation – Small and medium-sized businesses meet diversity. We bring both sides together: motivated people with refugee and migration experience and small and medium-sized enterprises that urgently need skilled workers. Through targeted training, individual consulting, language support, and a growing corporate network, we provide targeted and practical support to both applicants and companies. Our message is clear: Diversity is not a risk, but a resource. Anyone who chooses a diversity-sensitive HR policy today is investing in the future of their company. We believe that integration succeeds when it is supported and when companies are willing to take new paths. At a time when social division and political polarization are increasing, strong impulses for cohesion, equal opportunities, and economic responsibility are needed. Together with small and medium-sized businesses, we are setting an example: for greater participation, for new perspectives and for sustainable solutions to the shortage of skilled workers.

The presentation will address the question of what demographic change actually means and what consequences it can have for companies. At the same time, it will highlight the opportunities it presents and how companies can capitalize on them. A focus will be on dealing with generational conflicts, as well as on solutions and measures that have proven effective in practice for retaining employees long-term, avoiding performance declines, and remaining competitive in the long term.

Resilient relationships are the foundation of effective leadership – especially in challenging situations. They don’t develop by chance, but through attitude, attentiveness, and conscious practice. In this workshop, Joachim Haupt and Klara Haddix demonstrate how relationship-oriented leadership can be practiced in everyday life. Participants will gain insights into the cultural work and leadership development at LichtBlick and reflect on their own relationship building in the workplace.

Many people feel that their current job isn’t (or no longer is) a good fit for them. But before you take new steps, you need clarity about your personal job vision—that is, what drives, motivates, and fulfills you at your core. In this interactive workshop, you’ll begin developing your own personal compass. You’ll reflect on what’s important to you, identify relevant future skills, and use them to formulate concrete, motivating goals. Since the number of participants is limited, attending this workshop requires registration. Click the “Sign Up” button to secure your spot in the workshop.

Menopause affects millions of people – yet it often remains invisible and taboo in the workplace. In this fireside chat, Annunziata Schnurbein, founder of PeriHub, shares personal experiences and highlights typical challenges faced by those affected. Together, we discuss how companies can create a supportive, inclusive culture, the role allies play, and how to break the taboo around the topic. An inspiring interview for those affected, colleagues, leaders, and everyone who wants to make the workplace more humane, understanding, and inclusive.

Future of work? It begins where invisible work becomes visible. Not in tools or AI, but in care, structure, and fairness. ‘Beyond the Stage’ is an invitation to rethink the music industry: as a living ecosystem rather than a stage for a few.

Are you seeking new career paths and wondering what’s truly important to you? In this interactive networking format, you’ll discover, through exchange with others, which values ​​guide you and how they guide you in a dynamic (working) world. Gain clarity, make exciting contacts, and be inspired by diverse perspectives.

From feel-good to cultures of care: Care is more radical than most people think. This talk explores how care can grow in organizations—not as a tool, but as a shared practice and relational stance. For deeper connection, resilience, and a work culture that puts relationship before performance.

Throughout our working lives, we experience many ups and downs. At times, work feels engaging, rewarding, and in flow. At other times, however, overwhelming challenges can push us toward darker states, including burnout. Recognizing these moments, taking control, and practicing self-care are essential. One of the most powerful supports in this process is developing self-understanding and learning about the psychological effects that contribute to burnout prevention. In this session, we will highlight, in a lightning-round format, the top 10 most important psychological effects.

There’s a gap in the creative business – between aspiration and reality, between inspiration and output. Creativity is demanded, but rarely properly managed. What’s missing is structure that doesn’t restrict, but empowers. Timm Paulick knows this tension firsthand: He’s been a UX designer, director, creative director, producer – and football player. He’s developed campaigns for international brands, managed productions, conceived sponsorship formats, and led creative teams. But above all, he’s a creative cross-border worker who has learned that good ideas need more than just freedom: They need the right system. With PULK, Timm has created a framework that transforms creativity, strategy, and implementation into a clear process – modular, collaborative, and goal-oriented. His presentation is a passionate plea to companies, agencies, and creative professionals: Let’s rethink creative processes – and redesign them so that true innovation can emerge.

What happens to our creativity when AI helps shape things? And which skills will become more relevant in the future? In a world where machines are increasingly taking over more tasks, human skills are becoming more central. Skills such as emotional competence, ethical judgment, and creative problem-solving are becoming crucial for using technology consciously and humanely. In this panel discussion moderated by Kathy Känzig, Maria Hubert, Niklas Schade, Ina Remmers, and Ben Scharf will discuss how we can shape a future with AI in a creative, reflective, and collaborative way.

How can companies create structures that include neurodiverse people – and why does this make organizations more resilient overall? Neuroinclusion not only strengthens the well-being of individual employees, but also promotes a culture of feedback, collaboration, values-based work, and leadership development. Together, we will discuss how neuroinclusive structures can be created – and why they are the key to sustainable resilience in a complex, uncertain working world. The focus will be on questions such as: – What role does neurodiversity play in modern leadership and corporate culture? – How can HR and people strategies practically implement neuroinclusive structures? – What opportunities do neurodiverse perspectives open up for resilience, collaboration, and innovation?

In this relaxed talk, I’d like to add another form of resilience to the well-known personal-psychological resilience, one that a company can significantly influence: “team resilience,” the ability of a group of people to overcome conflicts, withstand external pressure, and build a team from diverse personalities. Teams also need to heal and renew themselves when individuals leave and new members join by building trust and discovering and nurturing new skills. All of these processes require a good “social structure” to be successful and to motivate people for their work and their role within the team. In this talk, rituals are the proposed solution. Rituals can help people easily transition from their private role to a professional one. They can also contribute to sharing inspiration and exploring each individual’s motivation behind their work profile and their role within the team or company. It’s about attention, courage, vulnerability, and problems that aren’t actually problems. But what are good rituals? Who initiates them, and what social mechanisms lie behind them? Let’s talk about them.

Orienting organizations toward regenerative and sustainable change is a central task and responsibility of organizations. But how can change be achieved in the tension between a tomorrow that calls for change and a yesterday that stands in the way of it? While our everyday lives are changing rapidly, we are still stuck in structures, norms, and ways of thinking that are no longer appropriate for many current challenges. The result: increasing exhaustion and frustration.

“Ego-conscious leadership creates psychological safety, reduces stress, and promotes resilient, healthy teams. Leadership requires a healthy dose of self-confidence—especially during phases of transformation. But as soon as the ego takes over, trust, creativity, and psychological stability crumble. In this interactive session, participants will learn to recognize the subtle psychological mechanisms of ego-driven reactions, identify their personal “ego triggers,” and become familiar with tried-and-tested principles and tools that positively shape culture and leadership style. Through practical examples, guided self-reflection, live exercises, and peer exchange, you will: recognize when the ego often unnoticed destroys trust, creativity, innovation, and psychological stability; identify everyday situations in which egos often become loud and develop ego-conscious alternatives; understand the principles of ego-conscious leadership and collaboration; and test simple, scientifically based interventions in real life to distinguish between ego reactions and conscious behavior, even in heated moments. The result: You will leave this workshop with concrete tools that you can use the very next day, a clearer view of your own patterns, and inspiration for leadership and collaboration that combine courage and clarity with mental security.

The focus is on how a better understanding of our linguistic navigation in a multilingual world (socially and professionally) influences our mental and physical health and improves our well-being. This interactive workshop in English and German will include insights and networking components.

When it comes to careers, we often focus on external milestones — roles, achievements, opportunities — while the inner qualities that guide our choices and sustain our impact receive less attention. The Inner Development Goals (IDGs) offer a framework for shifting that perspective. They highlight the skills and capacities we need not only to navigate change, but also to grow in ways that align with our values and aspirations. In this session, participants are invited to pause, connect, and reflect on their own professional journey through the lens of the IDGs. It is a chance to explore how inner growth and outer impact are connected, and to exchange perspectives with others who are asking themselves similar questions. Along the way, we will get to know the IDG framework in a practical, experience-based way — and perhaps discover new impulses for the next steps in our careers. How will it work exactly: After a short introduction to the IDGs, the five dimensions will be brought to life in the room as “islands” or “corners”. Participants are invited to place themselves on the island/ in the corner that resonates most with their current career situation and share reflections with others who made similar or different choices. Based on a second guiding question (Which dimension would you like to develop more?), participants then will change their place and have another exchange with people close to them. The session blends networking with self-reflection, offering a chance to meet others in an informal yet thoughtful way while getting to know the IDG framework.

Participants learn to boldly and clearly express their boundaries and needs using the veto principle. Especially in a work environment full of diversity and challenges, this strengthens mental health and creates genuine team connection. This boosts self-confidence and makes collaboration easier. In the workshop, everyone works together interactively, tries out the methods themselves, and thus enhances their well-being – in a relaxed way, with fun and plenty of heart.Since the number of participants is limited, attending this workshop requires registration. Click the “Sign Up” button to secure your spot in the workshop.

What will the world of work look like tomorrow? In this panel, experts will discuss **co-leadership, job sharing, and the 4-day workweek** – models that provide answers to demographic change and open up new opportunities for companies, managers, and employees. The focus will be on the question of how new work models can actually work in practice: What potential lies in flexible working hours and shared leadership? What business hurdles exist in their implementation – and how can they be overcome? And what is needed for these models to not just be perceived as a trend, but to transform culture, collaboration, and leadership in the long term? The aim of the panel is to shed light on **concrete experiences and approaches** – from practical challenges and best practices to visionary perspectives for the future of work.

What are your favorite tools? What tricks save your everyday work? The organizers of “TOOL DAY” at Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg want to hear from their colleagues. They’ll then invite them on stage as best-practice experts under the motto “Just try it out!” Idea management, AI tools, MS365, editing software, etc. Participants will enjoy a collegial knowledge festival and can pick up countless hacks and shortcuts – firsthand from experts and users.

Memes are the common language of the internet. In his lightning talk “GIF me a Break!”, Felix Bundschuh demonstrates how they can act as a bridge between generations in the workplace. Instead of deepening divides, memes open up new avenues for humor, a shift in perspective, and understanding. The talk illustrates why even simple images can spark conversations where words often fail.

In her talk, Laura demonstrates why resilience isn’t created solely by mindset, but by structures that HR can actively shape. She highlights how lunch culture is an underestimated lever for performance, mental health, and employee retention. Using practical examples from five years of HR dialogue, she inspires new perspectives on resilience in everyday work.

Individual development in organizations can be resilient in two ways: 1) People are empowered to deal with dynamic change processes and strengthen their resilience to crises and stress. 2) Human resource development is designed to be sustainable even under changing conditions. Especially in difficult times, development budgets are often the first to be discussed. In my article, I show how organizations can create guardrails for development that enable individual learning paths independent of short-term budgets. A practical example illustrates how resilient development emerges when responsibility for further development is more firmly anchored in employees and organizational structures.

Remote work brings flexibility, but often also distance. This article explores why real, physical encounters are more important today than ever: for trust, mental health, and shared alignment within the team. How do we create spaces where people can truly connect, beyond Zoom and to-do lists?

Whether young people, professionals, or employers: The changing world of work demands new approaches. The panel shows how the Employment Agency provides guidance, qualification, and support – for a future-proof training and labor market.

In the session, the audience will reflect on their own relationship to resilience in their everyday professional lives. The influence of leadership on individual resilience, that of the team, and on corporate culture will be examined. Led by the speaker, a resilience-building exercise will be conducted that participants can apply to their everyday professional lives. Following the session, there will be time for questions about the INlead leadership development program, which will provide a more in-depth understanding of the presented content.

Whether you are a career starter, a young professional, or an experienced expert looking for a fresh start – Berlin offers a wide range of career opportunities. This deep-dive session shows which industries are particularly exciting, how to get started, and which networks and resources can support you. Inspiration and tips for your next career step included! Since the number of participants is limited, attending this workshop requires registration. Click the “Sign Up” button to secure your spot in the workshop.

Johanna Schuck invites participants in her session to openly talk about mishaps and failed plans. With ease and humor, she shows that mistakes are not the end, but often the beginning of growth and change. In this interactive exchange, participants discover how valuable opportunities can arise from “fuck-ups” and that “failure” is a deeply human experience that we all share.

Futurologist Max Irmer invites the audience to collaboratively create a real-time vision of the future of work. Keyword: swarm intelligence. Theses on the future of work will be interactively discussed, evaluated, and visualized. The result: a collective and certainly controversial vision of the future that not only stimulates debate but can also serve as a stimulus.

The development of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is no longer a distant utopia, but a realistic prospect for the coming years. Leading tech CEOs speak of a “once-in-a-lifetime reinvention of everything we know” and are investing billions: over $500 billion alone will flow into AI in 2025. Sam Altman (OpenAI) expects AI agents to be part of the workforce as early as 2025, while Dario Amodei (Anthropic) considers AGI possible as soon as 2026. Yet, while an international race for technological dominance is raging, Germany remains surprisingly quiet, focusing instead on optimization tools. Between global forecasts (2026/2027) and German planning horizons (from 2035), there is a dangerous gap – the “timeline splitter.” In the live talk, we will address the central questions: Labor Market: Is a ‘white-collar bloodbath’ looming, with massive displacement of office and knowledge jobs in the next five years? Geopolitics: How is AGI changing the balance of power between the USA, China, and Europe? Germany: Why are public debates lacking here – and are we at risk of stumbling unprepared into the greatest transformation of our time? How can human-centered AI support us? This panel examines which discussions we need to have now, so that Silicon Valley alone doesn’t decide our future.

In a world that is constantly changing, the ability to improvise is key. Being able to improvise, you retain a sense of agency and the ability to act amid uncertainty and constant change. In this interactive workshop, you will learn how improvisation techniques can help you react flexibly, recognise opportunities in the unexpected and perhaps even discover uncertainty as a source of surprise and joy. No matter what field you are in or whether you are currently looking for a new career path, the ability to use the unpredictable not as a threat but as a resource makes you Resilience Ready. Look forward to an hour of inspiration and exercises that will help you get ready for tomorrow’s world of work in a playful, philosophical and practical way.

Resilience is not an individual state—it is a social process. The nervous system doesn’t seek goals, but security. Felicia shows why resistance is a neurobiologically intelligent protective mechanism—and why mental health in organizations requires co-regulation. Only where people feel connected, heard, and internally secure does change lead to true development. For people who want to make a difference—in themselves, in their relationships, in organizations.

Wenn man Schreibinterventionen als Medikament verkaufen würde, dann würden sich Pharma-Firmen vermutlich um das Patent reißen: Die gesundheitsfördernde und sogar heilende Wirkung von Schreiben ist in zahlreichen medizinischen und psychologischen Studien über Jahrzehnte hinweg immer wieder bestätigt worden. Bereits minimale Schreibübungen, z.B. in einem Zeitrahmen von 15 Minuten an mehreren Tagen hintereinander, erzielen erstaunliche Wirkungen.

Spotlight on, spotlight off: This session demonstrates why mental health coordination is a game-changer for film, media, and culture. Based on current studies, it’s clear: mental stability increases creativity, productivity, and social sustainability. Specifically, this session includes tried-and-tested structures for sensitive scenes, clear roles, a hotline, and de-roling—protection without censorship. Following this session, there will be short exercises to take with you for everyday life.

Shaping the future, managing challenges, and making a difference in society—the public service offers more than many people think. In a fireside chat, State Secretary Michael Biel shares his personal career path, explains entry-level opportunities in public administration, dispels prejudices, and highlights opportunities to assume responsibility early on. In short: How to become a State Secretary? An invitation to everyone who wants to make an impact—not just a career.

The session presents a tech-optimistic yet humanistic AI vision: Instead of a threat to jobs, AI is understood as a tool for augmentation and the development of potential. Discussions will cover not only the philosophical and socio-economic foundations but also concrete implementation: how companies can create spaces for self-directed AI learning and practice, and how individual AI can develop sovereignty.

Berlin is considered a hotspot for startups, creative minds, and pioneering technologies. But how can innovations be made sustainable – economically, socially, and ecologically? How can Berlin, with its high level of startup activity, excellent research landscape, and strong network, position itself even more effectively internationally? In this panel, experts from politics and business will discuss new approaches to economic activity, Berlin’s role as a center of innovation, and the opportunities and challenges of a sustainable economy “Made in Berlin.” The focus will be on issues of location attractiveness, the promotion of technology and creative industries, crisis resilience, and the expansion of educational structures.