An event where various student founder initiatives come together to exchange knowledge, meet engaged students, and mutually benefit from the “Best‑Practices”? That’s exactly what the Gründermagnet‑Summit, held annually, is all about! This is the DACH region of different student initiatives, all focused on founding, entrepreneurship, and the startup scene. We at VCM were invited to the Gründermagnet‑Summit 22 in June and were represented by six of our members.
Arrive, Exchange, Network
After a few longer journeys, all participants arrived at “THE SHIP” in Cologne – an impressive office campus for startups and various events. From all corners of Germany and Austria, about 60 motivated, young students gathered. The day kicked off with an opening plenary by the team, followed by a brief meet‑and‑greet among the participants, allowing everyone to network. This was followed by an exciting keynote from a successful startup investor, covering questions and ideas on the topic. After a revitalizing lunch featuring tasty chili sin carné, the second part of the day continued.
Workshops, Panel Discussion
In several design‑thinking workshops, we focused on advancing student founding initiatives around various questions. In addition to sponsorship, we also brainstormed actively on other topics such as diversity within the initiatives or knowledge transfer to other initiatives, developing a range of concepts and solutions.
After these productive workshops, we moved on to a panel discussion. Various leaders from diverse areas of the founding scene were invited, each having built one or more startups themselves. Different questions were debated, delivering plenty of experience and insightful input. Afterwards, everyone could exchange ideas together and let the official part of the day wind down.
Get‑Together at the Startup Center in Cologne
To round off the day perfectly, all participants from the various founding initiatives gathered at the Startup Center in Cologne. The skills they had learned were then put to the test in a “Cocktail Pitch,” and in a relaxed setting they networked and reflected together on a successful day.
