Meet a Sandbox Ambassador: Katharina Beck and Nico Köllner
Katharina and Nico are two of our Sandbox Ambassadors. Together they are taking care of the growing Sandbox community in Cologne and Dusseldorf by organizing regular events. Besides that Katharina is Head of Communications and Project Developer at the Institute for Social Banking, Project Manager at oikos International and she’s writing her own blog on new lifestyles. Nico is currently working for the German utility E.ON in Dusseldorf, being active in the area of Strategy & Business Development.
What are your current projects?
Katharina: A seminar about Social Banking in Practice, the 3rd International Summer School on Social Banking 2010 in Florence, a Seminar for Marketing Experts in Social Banking, developing a social network for the Institute for Social Banking, ambassador for oikos International - promoting the foundation of new oikos Local Chapters, advisor to oikos Cologne.
Nico: I am currently working in the international renewable energy business, being active in the area of Strategy & Business Development for the German utility E.ON in Düsseldorf.
How could Sandboxers help you?
Katharina: Promoting the events I am organising and the organisations I am attached to. Joining these events. ;) Establishing contacts to other change-makers in the broad area of “sustainability”, e.g. to people from Social Finance or to students who want to start an oikos Chapter at their university.
Nico: Sandboxers can help by challenging me and enriching my views and ideas with their visions, their experience, advise and their mixture of backgrounds and culture, which enables a great 360 degree perspective on things.
What is your vision/objective for your local hub?
Katharina: A group of action-oriented people who start and run projects together, e.g. designing strategies to adapt our existing lifestyles to the upcoming challenges, and have a lot of fun doing this!
Nico: My vision for the local hub “Cologne/Dusseldorf” is to, together with my fellow ambassador Katharina, build a sustainable network of highly diversified and open-minded people, that creates value for both its members, personally and professionally, as well as for Sandbox by creating access to talent, ideas, business opportunities and passion.
What was your most inspiring incidence within Sandbox?
Katharina: Our first Sandbox Dinner and the Ambassador call. The network and its potential became tangible.
Nico: My most inspiring moment was the first Sandbox Dinner in Dusseldorf, when I first met potential other Sandboxers and realized how powerful Sandbox can be, for each one of its members, purely by offering such a high level of diversity and strong density of talent and passion.
Their favourite quotes:
Katharina: “You can’t change a problem with the same way of thinking that led to the problem.” (Einstein)
Nico: „Be aware of your strengths and confident about your weaknesses.” (unknown source)
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