Theme: Turn of the times

What actually is the present? It is the moment in which we act, make decisions, have experiences and enter into an exchange with our environment. This is where the fascinating zeitgeist lies hidden - that phenomenon that shapes the mood climate, the prevailing values and beliefs of our society. The present is the only time in which we can really live.

Together we travel into the here and now! We search for the underlying essence of our zeitgeist to uncover the mood climate, the prevailing values and beliefs of our society. How is our collective consciousness shaped, and why? Because only by understanding the reality of the present can we shape the future.

Let's be inspired by the spirit of our times! Together we will explore the possibilities that the present offers us and use them wisely to shape a better world.

During the evening you can expect seven exciting lectures on the turn of the times in German and in English.

Hans-Otto Theather
Schiffbauergasse 11
Potsdam, Brandenburg, 14467
Germany

Charlotte Vorbeck

Charlotte is a UX designer with a background in technology. She spent the first ten years of her career as a front-end developer for apps, websites, and games, before switching to the field of user experience. Charlotte is passionate about creating technology that solves real problems for real users by combining context, empathy, and design tools into the art of engineering. Today she is consulting and building software for the German administration to help them adopt user-centered and agile methodologies with the goal to build software that works better for everyone. Besides technology, Charlotte loves to cook and bake for friends, dance in every possible way from modern to ballet to salsa, or to re-discover the world together with her two young daughters.

David Grüning

David is a PhD student and researcher affiliated with the Department of Psychology at the University of Heidelberg and the Department of Survey Methodology and Design at GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences. Beyond his academic roles, he holds the position of research director for the consumption-regulating app "one sec," and he leads research efforts involving other applications like "Structured," "RoutineFlow," and "Subwords." Additionally, he serves as the chair of the Science Board within the Prosocial Design Network (PDN). His current research is primarily focused on the development of digital and app-based interventions designed to apply psychological mechanisms within online environments. He aims to accurately measure the effects of these interventions using both subjective methods such as self-reports and objective measures like digital behavior screening. His work encompasses two main dimensions. Firstly, he engages in direct applied research, where he works on creating, refining, and documenting digital interventions in a manner that is accessible and understandable to the general public. Secondly, he displays an interest in theoretical approaches within the field, including categorical frameworks that distinguish between different types of interventions, while also addressing existing gaps in the current body of literature. Ultimately, his goal is to enable individuals to take on the role of architects for their digital worlds.

Dr. Jana Reuther

Dr. Jana Reuther isn't just a former strategy consultant and venture capitalist in Silicon Valley and London. She's a beacon of transformation, a mental health coach committed to unlocking your peak performance at work through ground-breaking coaching that dives deep into the roots of psychological and physical well-being. Imagine a world where your mental blocks and resistances aren't just obstacles, but stepping stones to your greatest potential. That's the world Jana creates through a fusion of cognitive behavioral techniques, psychology, NLP, and the revolutionary power of hypnotherapy. This isn't just coaching; it's a journey to the subconscious, updating your internal autopilot for quick, lasting results. Jana's journey, from the high-pressure realms of academia and the corporate world, armed with a Ph.D. in Venturing from Universität St.Gallen, Switzerland, to the innovative fields of AI-driven integrative approaches, has shaped her into a powerhouse of business acumen and mental health expertise.

Isabelle Rogge

Isabelle Rogge ist freiberufliche Journalistin, Moderatorin, Produzentin für Videos und Podcasts sowie Dozentin für Wissenschaftskommunikation. Ihr Schwerpunkt liegt auf Umwelt und sozialer Gerechtigkeit. Letzteres steht auch in Verbindung mit ihrem sozialen Hintergrund. Als Arbeiter-Kind erlebte Isabelle sowohl in ihrer Kindheit als auch im Studium unmittelbar, was Armut bedeutet. In ihrem Podcast "Halbwaisheiten" spricht sie mit diversen Gästen über aktuelle Ereignisse, das Leben und ihre eigene Verletzlichkeit. Isabelle, die im Alter von elf Jahren zur Halbwaise wurde, geht dabei auch offen mit ihrer eigenen Biographie um.

Josefine Hintz

Marie Josefine Hintz is a Doctoral Researcher at Technical University Berlin and, a visiting researcher both at Mercator Research Institute for Global Commons and Climate Change as well as Hertie School. She is part of the Climate Change Center Berlin-Brandenburg and her work is supported through a scholarship from the Heinrich Böll Foundation. Josefine's research focuses on the governance of artificial intelligence (AI) for climate action in European cities. During her Master's Studies at the Bartlett, UCL 2016/2017 Josefine explored initial connections between AI and urban sustainability. Whilst working for ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, Josefine worked on the pioneering EU project 'AI4Cities' in which 6 cities developed AI-based prototypes together with start-ups to reduce carbon emissions.

Lilli Berger

Im Alter von 13 Jahren Bestatterin werden zu wollen, mag ungewöhnlich erscheinen, zumal der Tod Lilli bis dahin nicht begegnet war. Sie war jedoch fest entschlossen, sich mit ihm vertraut zu machen - dem Tabuthema, vor dem sich jeder fürchtet und das er zu besprechen vermeidet. Während ihrer Ausbildung zur Bestattungsunternehmerin im Jahr 2011 lernte sie die entscheidende Rolle kennen, die ein Bestatter bei der Unterstützung des Trauerprozesses spielt. Ihre Aufgaben gingen über die Beerdigung der Verstorbenen hinaus und umfassten auch die Begleitung der Angehörigen auf ihrem Weg der Trauer. Für ihre Masterarbeit im Jahr 2019 beschäftigte sie sich mit der "Digitalisierung in der Bestattungsbranche". Zu ihrer Überraschung stellte sie fest, dass sich in den zehn Jahren seit ihrer Ausbildung nur wenig in der Bestattungsbranche verändert hat. In den vergangenen zwei Jahren hat Lilli zusammen mit zwei Mitbegründern den ersten virtuellen 3D-Gedenkraum namens farvel entwickelt. In ihrer neuen Firma VYVYT Innovations GmbH entwickelt sie zusammen mit Anton Krause und anderen Talenten weiterhin virtuelle Räume und auf den Trauerkontext zugeschnittene Softwarelösungen, um der Bestattungsbranche den Weg in das Metaverse zu ebnen.

Prof. Dr. Soyoung Park

Prof. Dr. Soyoung Q Park is a neuroscientist and psychologist. She investigates how human decisions emerge in the brain and how these can be changed, with the goal of designing innovative strategies to optimize decisions and behavior. On one hand, she focuses on how our social environment shapes our decisions, on the other hand, how our body and brain interact to form decisions. She tackles diverse kinds of decisions, such as decisions to trust others, what to buy and consume, and investment decisions, just to mention a few. Her research has attracted much media attention, her work has been featured among others by the New York Times, The Guardian, ARTE, and International Business Times. She is currently the Department Head of ‘Decision Neuroscience and Nutrition’ at the German Institute for Human Nutrition and is a professor at the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin.