In July, the time came again: a new Board was elected. Our four organizational areas in VCM (Sponsoring & Relations, IT, Marketing, Core Business) are now led by new, motivated members. To get to know them a bit better and learn about their journey to the Board at VCM, we’re introducing them and the Board chair here.
First, we’d like to thank our dedicated former Board for their great work, specifically Anika Mahlmann, Anja Overwien, Mathis Hunke, Helena Alt, and Florian Faller. We wish them all the best and an exciting continued time at VCM.
Now onto the new Board members!
Sebastian Wiesmann (Sponsoring & Relations)
In 2015, Sebastian started in Münster with a brief detour toward teaching before he was drawn to the events sector. After completing his training as an event manager, he worked for a while in marketing & sales, then in 2019 decided to pursue a business administration degree at the University of Münster, where he is currently finishing his fourth semester.
What drives him about entrepreneurship is especially the determination to push an idea forward while constantly developing himself.
He joined VCM through the Kickstart Academy and then got involved in the Sponsoring & Relations team. He is now on the Board for that area and aims to better connect the association and consistently create the greatest possible value for sponsors and the organization itself. He also wants to advance the association’s knowledge management to sustainably strengthen VCM and continue his own personal growth.
A fun fact about Basti: he once took a semester of Arabic. Who knows when that might come in handy?
Youssef Sanati (Marketing)
Youssef earned his master’s in economics at the University of Münster in 2014 and then completed a PhD on “Strategies for entering foreign markets in politically unstable countries.”
Since the beginning of his studies he’s repeatedly worked on his own start‑up ideas and now, after his PhD, decided to actively pursue his own venture with help from the REACH Start‑Up Center at the University of Münster.
In April 2021 he joined VCM’s marketing team, where he helped analyze VCM’s content on the social‑media channels, among other things. His goals as Board member of the marketing team are twofold: to raise the quality of VCM’s content and to post significantly more informative material on entrepreneurship. He especially wants the VCM communication channels to become increasingly popular. His general Board responsibilities also include improving the marketing concepts for VCM’s various communication channels and enhancing communication with members and students.
Youssef is also pursuing other exciting projects alongside his VCM and REACH work. He independently produced three documentary films that have garnered over 150,000 views on his YouTube channel “Kashk & Quark.” On his Instagram page “Foodorial,” he shares high‑quality cooking videos featuring regional recipes from Persian cuisine.
Lena Morgenstern (IT)
In 2019 Lena decided to leave her hometown of Kiel to start her business administration studies in Münster. At first she worked part‑time as a tutor for the subject of business informatics at the university of applied sciences. Her enthusiasm for discovering new things and further learning led her not only to a working‑student job at an IT company in Münster, but ultimately also to VCM.
Through VCM she hopes, among other things, to raise awareness about entrepreneurship and spread her passion for it. In particular, the experiences you gain and the enthusiasm you bring to founding a venture are especially fascinating to her.
Through the Kickstart Academy, Lena participated in the winter semester 2020/2021, became an active member and has since been especially responsible for the website, the evaluation of survey and analysis data, and process automations. In addition, she handles administrative tasks and minor IT questions. Lena's core task is the redesign of the website and ensuring data consistency of member data, which she and her team are already working on diligently.
What relatively few people know about her: “A part of my family lives in Spain, and I spend a lot of time here in Münster with international students.”
Moritz Gilhaus (Board Chair)
Even during his business administration studies, Moritz realized that the technical side was missing for him, so after completing his B.A. in business administration he decided to pursue a bachelor's in business informatics in Münster.
For him, founding means the opportunity to create a new product according to his own vision, ideally having a positive impact on other people's lives.
Moritz started at VCM in the HR team. He is now primarily responsible for the Make Your Start Academy, which VCM runs together with REACH and four other initiatives. In addition, as Board Chair he serves as a point of contact both inside and outside the association.
Through his work, he wants to make VCM more visible externally and help shape Münster into an attractive startup hub.
Fun fact about Moritz: He has four brothers.
Lukas Schmuck (Core Business)
Lukas initially studied two semesters of English and History for teaching before deciding to study business administration at the University of Applied Sciences. He is now about to complete his B.A. in business administration.
What excites him most about founding are the challenges that arise regularly. They force you to work with the team on solutions and develop new ideas, says Lukas.
In recent semesters, as part of the HR team, he took care of the socials that VCM regularly organizes, including the Fuckup Night, the semester celebration at Cuba, and many other great events. Nowadays, Lukas focuses in the HR team especially on recruiting new members. In his role as Core Business Board, he also works with the Finance & Law Team to ensure VCM’s finances are in order.
Lukas wants, in his role as Board member, not only to support the association but also to empower VCM members, creating value for everyone through a great work environment and exciting events.
Fun fact: “I like things that nobody else likes. For example, helping with moves, getting goosebumps, and sneezing.”
