Tech Conference at Deutsche Bank Park

Block im Park 2025

Joachim Wuermeling is Professor of Digital Finance at the European School of Management and Technology in Berlin with a special focus on advanced applications of digital currencies on blockchains. He was previously a member of the Executive Board of the Deutsche Bundesbank, State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Economics and a Member of the European Parliament. He has held various positions in the public and private sector. Joachim is a lawyer and of-counsel at the law firm Allen & Overy in Frankfurt.

Jeremy White is a public speaker, presenter and senior innovation editor for Wired, the influential technology and trends magazine that covers the innovations and companies of the future.

Axel Hellmann has been a member of the Executive Board of Eintracht Frankfurt Fußball AG since 2012 and has served as its Spokesman since April 2021. He has held various positions at Eintracht Frankfurt since 2001. He was a member of the Executive Committee of Eintracht Frankfurt e.V. from 2001-2012 and its Managing Director from 2005- 012. Hellmann completed his legal training between 1991-2000 in Würzburg, Bristol and Berlin and has been an assessor and lawyer in Frankfurt am Main since 2001. He has been of-counsel at the international commercial law firm White & Case LLP since 2020 and a member of the Supervisory Board of DFV Deutsche Familienversicherung AG since May 2022.

Born in Braunschweig, studied in Münster, worked in Frankfurt, London and Düsseldorf.

Paulina Jänsch is a financial expert in the field of impact investing and founding partner of the Impact Innovation and Gender Parity VC Fund Leanox. Previously, she worked as a project manager and led international teams in the realisation of successful projects. Her background in project finance at a family office marked the beginning of her investor journey and large LP network. Paulina is a mentor at various startup organisations, NGOs and universities. She is a strong advocate for women and gender equality and is known for her inclusive and empathetic leadership style. She was voted among the TOP100 most influential women in the VC and startup scene in Europe and the TOP10 investors in Germany. With Leanox, Paulina is on a mission to drive innovation and gender parity.

Michael Widowitz (aka “Wido”), Managing Director and Partner at BCG X, brings over 20 years of experience in the application of AI in various industries. Specialising in AI application in marketing/sales, personalisation and operations, he has developed transformative strategies that motivate companies to push the boundaries. His work ranges from the implementation of AI solutions to the design of innovative business models. “AI will make our lives better” is his guiding principle in this disruptive era.

Carlos Gómez-Sáez has been working in transaction banking for more than 20 years, specialising in payments. The business administration graduate has worked at Dresdner Bank, Deutsche Bank, GZS Gesellschaft für Zahlungssysteme, First Data International and Deutsche Telekom.

Over the past eight years, he led the strategic repositioning of VR Payment GmbH as the central payment service provider for the cooperative financial network and drove the company's transformation from a downstream transaction processor to a strong business partner for the Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken and the retail sector.

Dr. Cristina Freudenberger is partner in the Global Capital Markets practice group and advises issuers and investment banks on capital markets law. She specialises in digital assets and advising companies, financial institutions and fintechs on transaction-related and regulatory requirements for innovative financial products.

Born on 8 March 1982 in Frankfurt-Höchst, grew up in Hattersheim in the Main-Taunus district. After graduating from high school and completing his civilian service, he studied economics in Mainz, specialising in international economic relations and financial markets. During this time, he spent two years as a student trainee in the equity strategy team of a private bank. In April 2008, he began a traineeship at the FAZ. Since 1 April 2010, he has been business editor of the FAZ, initially in the financial market, then in the online business editorial department, which he now heads. Interested in technology, financial markets and globalisation. Responsible for Digitec. 

Alexander Bechtel is Head of Digital Product Strategy at DWS.He lectures on blockchain and financial technology at the University of St. Gallen and the University of Neuchâtel.
Alexander publishes a monthly column for the FAZ and co-hosts the podcast “Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock ‘n’ Roll”. Previously, he was Head of Digital Assets & Currencies Strategy at Deutsche Bank and external advisor at the ECB.

Alexander holds a PhD in Finance from the University of St. Gallen, including a research fellowship at Stanford University.

Alker originally comes from the world of advertising. He launched the Mini in Germany with Jung von Matt, founded several start-ups and was Managing Director at SinnerSchrader before joining Accenture.

Today, he writes and speaks about new technologies, deals intensively with NFTs and the “metaverse” and helps companies to find and improve their strategy.

Holke Brammer is a political economist focussed on improving collective action through modern technology. He is the founder of the Hypercerts Foundation, where he develops open source protocols for financing collective goods through impact certificates. Previously, he was a public goods researcher at Protocol Labs, developed open social innovation at ProjectTogether, supported corporate social businesses at Yunus Social Business, and worked for the Boston Consulting Group. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Economy from Stanford Business School.

Sascha Dölker has been in charge of digitalisation at dwpbank since 2021. He previously worked as a Senior Manager for Strategy and Management Consulting at KPMG and as a Senior Project Manager at the consultancy Consileon, specialising in strategic transformation. He began his professional career in 2007 as a Client Relationship Manager in the corporate client business at Commerzbank (formerly Dresdner Bank).

Patrick Hansen is Director, EU Strategy & Policy at Circle, a global financial technology company that enables organisations of all sizes to harness the power of digital currencies and public blockchains for payments, commerce and financial applications worldwide.

Circle enables always-on, internet-based trading, payments and custody and is the issuer of USDC and EURC. Previously, Patrick was Head of Strategy and Business Development at crypto wallet startup Unstoppable Finance and Head of Blockchain Policy at Bitkom, Europe's largest tech trade association. Patrick holds a Master’s degree in Economics and Political Science.

Sebastian Heinz is a leading expert in data and artificial intelligence (AI) with over 10 years of experience in the industry. He is the founder and CEO of statworx, one of the leading data and AI consultancies in the DACH region.

Sebastian is a pioneer in the AI industry and has actively shaped the German AI landscape. He is not only a successful entrepreneur, but also an active business angel and early-stage investor in AI start-ups.With his initiative AI Hub Frankfurt and his role as Co-CEO at AI Frankfurt Rhein-Main e.V., he supports the AI transformation in the Frankfurt Rhine-Main region and Germany.

Nadja is CEO and co-founder of Bricksdock. She has held various positions in the property industry for over 20 years and, after working for EY, Jones Lang LaSalle and Intreal KVG, spent around eight years at Aquila Capital, an international fund and investment house in Hamburg, most recently as COO for Central and Northern Europe. From 2021 to 2023, she was Chief Investment Officer of EXPORO, a platform for digital property investments, where she was responsible for all property activities.Nadja holds a degree in business administration with a focus on real estate and finance and a Master of Science in Real Estate from GSU in Atlanta, GA, USA.

Hannah is a born host! Her authentic and charming moderation style is unique and refreshing. Since 2014, her focus has been on events with the topics of tech, digital, innovation and start-ups. As a coach, she offers practical stage and communication training for speakers and presenters.

Born in Dortmund in 1969. Started his traineeship at the FAZ in 1993; first editorial position in 1995: moved to Düsseldorf for the “Börsen-Zeitung”. Returned to the FAZ office there in 1996; business correspondent in New York from 1999. Moved to San Francisco in 2001. Returned to Frankfurt in 2003. Responsible for corporate reporting from the beginning of 2007, later also for business reporting. Editor-in-chief of digital products since 2018. Publisher since April 2020.

After having co-founded Kolibri Games, a Berlin-based mobile games studio, that developed games for the mass audience with more than 200m downloads, bootstrapping to a 9-figure-exit within 4 years, Oliver co-founded BLN Capital – an investment firm based in Berlin.

BLN Capital invests opportunistically across asset classes with a focus on public and private equity. Examples of direct investments include Unbound Nation, Eternal Dragons Youba.

Following his great passion for Web3 and Metaverse, he assembled a team and together they develop an open, decentralized game with no barriers: Angry Dynomites Lab.
 

Before joining Deutsche Telekom, Arno Selhorst worked for companies such as Publicis Sapient, Ogilvy & Mather Advertising and Scholz & Friends. Besides his focus on (generative) AI, Arno has a deep understanding and experience in the development of metaverse, XR and immersive experiences. His unique blend of technical expertise, creative passion and holistic thinking enables him to bridge the gap between the physical and binary domains. Today, Arno Selhorst acts as an AI evangelist at Deutsche Telekom, actively inspiring and training his colleagues to dive headfirst into a (generative) AI mindset, practices and toolsets.

Matthias, a founder and investor in Web3 based in Switzerland, has initiated and supported several ventures in the areas of DEFI, infrastructure, decentralised protocols and interfaces between AI and blockchain. He founded one of the largest venture studios in Europe, where he and his team have advised, invested and developed solutions for 120+ companies, governments and start-ups in the blockchain space. Matthias developed the blockchain curriculum at the University of St. Gallen, is a lecturer at Bocconi University and has been a member of several WEF / UN working groups. He is still passionate about sports; as a former professional basketball player, Matthias combines team spirit and competitive nature with strategic skills to drive innovation.

Joel Comm is a digital pioneer who has been building successful technology companies since 1995. As a New York Times bestselling author with 15 books, Joel is a sought-after speaker and strategist. As the co-host of two popular cryptocurrency and blockchain podcasts, Joel’s shows have been downloaded over 10 million times in more than 180 countries. He has personally minted over 1.5 million NFTs of original intellectual property and advises Web3 companies specializing in NFTs, play-to-earn, the metaverse, and social tokens. He has collaborated with major brands such as Microsoft, IBM, Twitter, Alibaba, and many others.

Inken Schönauer heads the 'finance' section of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (F.A.Z.). For many years, she worked as an editor for the Börsen-Zeitung, reporting from Frankfurt and as a correspondent from Düsseldorf. She also spent several years as a London correspondent for the daily newspaper 'Die Welt'. Before joining the F.A.Z., Inken Schönauer was Editor-in-Chief of the 'Euro Finance Magazine'.

Axel Hellmann has been a member of the Executive Board of Eintracht Frankfurt Fußball AG since 2012 and has served as its Spokesman since April 2021. He has held various positions at Eintracht Frankfurt since 2001. He was a member of the Executive Committee of Eintracht Frankfurt e.V. from 2001-2012 and its Managing Director from 2005- 012. Hellmann completed his legal training between 1991-2000 in Würzburg, Bristol and Berlin and has been an assessor and lawyer in Frankfurt am Main since 2001. He has been of-counsel at the international commercial law firm White & Case LLP since 2020 and a member of the Supervisory Board of DFV Deutsche Familienversicherung AG since May 2022.

Tobias Rehberger was born in 1966 in Esslingen and currently lives and works in Frankfurt and Berlin. A recipient of the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale and a professor of sculpture at the Städelschule in Frankfurt, he is regarded as one of the most internationally renowned contemporary artists. His works blend architecture, installation, sculpture, design, lighting design, and sociology. Rehberger is known for reinterpreting modern art and design classics into atmospheric installations, furniture pieces, landscape interventions, and clothing items. He creates a diverse range of objects, sculptures, and environments, transforming, modifying, and expanding familiar situations and objects using a repertoire of everyday items drawn from mass culture.

Entrepreneur, digital strategist, and Web3 thought leader. His interest in the world of cryptocurrencies began in 2013, which expanded to include NFTs in 2018 despite his initial skepticism. Before fully diving into the digital realm, he gained experience in business with Eastpak, Jung von Matt, and Dickies. In 2010, he founded the mobile agency 'Swipe', which was acquired by SinnerSchrader in 2005. As a member of the management team, he led the company through a successful merger with Accenture in 2017, remaining on board until early 2021. As a consultant, he has worked with Highsnobiety and other major brands, further demonstrating his understanding and interest in innovative business models that these new opportunities offer.

David is a Web3 Advisor and was previously a partner at Greenfield Capital, where he oversaw investments in NFTs, GameFi, and the Metaverse. Prior to his work at Greenfield, he served as Global BD Director at Binance, where he was responsible for NFT partnerships. David began his career at T-Venture, the corporate venture capital arm of Deutsche Telekom. He spent 15 years as an entrepreneur in game publishing and worked at Aeria Games (ProSiebenSat.1). David holds a PhD in Organizational Behavior from EBS in Oestrich-Winkel, an MBA from the University of St. Gallen, and an M.Sc. in Information Management from the University of Koblenz.

Sabih Behzad is the Head of Digital Assets & Currencies Transformation at the Corporate and Investment Bank. In this role, he is responsible for the strategy and implementation of use cases in the areas of asset tokenization, DeFi, and the Metaverse. He represents the bank in various industry bodies and forums and serves as a board member of Taurus AG, a leading Swiss digital assets company. Sabih has been with Deutsche Bank for 14 years, holding a variety of roles, including leading strategy and major transformation programs.

Sébastien Dessimoz, CFA, is a co-founder and Managing Partner of Taurus SA. Previously, he held several C-level executive and board positions at leading asset management firms, with strong expertise in product development, trading, IT, business development, and transformation. He spent 5 years at Syz Asset Management as Chief Operating Officer, a member of the executive committee, and a board member of several regulated entities. Prior to that, Sébastien worked for 3 years at Brevan Howard, Europe's largest hedge fund, as Managing Director and Head of the Swiss branch. He also worked at Lombard Odier, notably as Head of Hedge Fund Business Development and Investment Manager. Sébastien spent 5 years as a Senior Management Consultant at McKinsey & Company and began his career as an engineer in Silicon Valley for 3Com Corporation. He holds an MSc in Communication Systems Engineering from EPFL and an MBA from INSEAD. Sébastien is also a CFA charterholder.

Benedikt Faupel is responsible for the blockchain sector at Bitkom. In this role, he serves as the voice of the diverse blockchain industry and as a liaison to policymakers. He actively promotes networking within the industry and fosters dialogue while advocating for the creation of national and international frameworks for blockchain technology. Prior to this, he worked in political consulting and at a startup, and he studied politics and governance in England, the Netherlands, and Australia.

Cristina is a partner in the capital markets law practice at White & Case, advising companies on the issuance of debt instruments. She places a particular focus on supporting fintech companies in the structuring and issuance of innovative financial products, especially in the form of tokenized capital market instruments. Cristina studied and completed her doctorate at the University of Freiburg.

In his role as Senior Project Manager Metaverse at HUGO BOSS AG, Rafa is responsible for identifying the potential of the Metaverse and Web3 across the company, defining the strategy, and managing projects from concept to implementation.

Michael studied mathematics at Imperial College London. After working for several years as a derivatives trader at JP Morgan, he led teams of data scientists at Zalando, optimizing AI and algorithm-based payment systems. He has been active in the field of distributed ledger technologies for over ten years. Among other achievements, he founded the first publicly listed company in Europe solely focused on cryptocurrencies in 2013, served as the board member and CEO of Advanced Blockchain AG for five years, and most recently founded 21 Oaks Capital.

Sarah Gottwald worked for nine years at BMW in the finance sector and in the strategy department, focusing on fully autonomous driving. During that time, she negotiated various partnerships with startups and companies. In 2022, she joined Vanagon Ventures, a Munich-based venture capital firm focusing on Web3 and blockchain startups. In January 2023, she became the Managing Director of the Blockchain Founders Group, a startup builder in the Web3 and blockchain ecosystem. Additionally, she is part of the Frankfurt School of Blockchain Center Talents Program, hosts her own podcast, and serves on the board of the ITSA (International Token Standardization Association).

As a computer scientist specializing in cryptography and distributed systems, Frank Hartmann began working intensively on early Bitcoin applications as early as 2011. As an entrepreneur and business angel, Frank has since supported numerous young companies and founders in realizing their visions, particularly in operational roles as CTO and technical advisor, including companies like Blockchain Applications AG and Greenkeeper GmbH, which primarily focuses on ESG-compliant topics.

Chris Hana is a media and business development expert in the digital entertainment industry. He is part of the leadership team at Kolex. Chris gained recognition in the esports sector by founding the esports business media company "The Esports Observer" (acquired), serving as a member of the leadership team at Sports Business Journal, co-founding the marketing agency Level99, and acting as the director of the esports team Fnatic. Chris holds an MBA from WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management. Before his career in esports, he worked as a global IT program manager at Vodafone, one of the world's largest telecommunications providers.

Martin Hoefer leads the working group on algorithms and complexity at Goethe University Frankfurt. After earning his doctorate in 2007 from the University of Konstanz, he was a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University, a junior professor at RWTH Aachen, and a senior researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Computer Science. Since 2017, he has been a professor at the Institute of Computer Science in Frankfurt. His research focuses on the design and analysis of algorithms and distributed protocols, with an emphasis on the intersection of algorithms and microeconomic theory.

Hamidreza Hosseini has over 24 years of experience in consulting, working for a global IT / telecommunications DAX company, and as a startup founder. After his education at MIT and Y Combinator, he founded Ecodynamics, focusing on platform economy, ecosystems, and data-driven business models. Since 2013, he has been advising companies on platform economy, data-driven, and digital business models. Since 2020, he has been an early user of OpenAI/GPT, applying the models in various projects. He has served as an Advisory Committee representative for the W3C since 2022 and is a keynote speaker who conducts workshops and lectures at WHU. Additionally, he is a conceptual partner for the Handelsblatt conference on 'Digital Ecosystems and Business Models' and a co-researcher for the global Top 100 platforms.

Mag. Marcel Javor is the CEO and owner of Frankstahl, thesteel.com, and steelcoin—the newest member of the Frankstahl family. Marcel Javor was born on October 17, 1974, in Vienna. He completed his studies at the Vienna University of Economics and Business and in the USA. For many years, he has been based between Vienna, Tel Aviv, and New York.

Philipp has been in the gaming industry for thirteen years, primarily on the publishing side. He has worked at Aeria Games (now Gamigo) in Berlin and Santa Clara, and most recently served as General Manager for Europe at GREE, where he established and led the Berlin office. There, he managed publishing and licensing for Europe. Philipp is the CEO and co-founder of Legendary Play, a mobile games developer focused on esports.

Kathrin Kern has a diverse professional background that began in 2013 as a guest service employee at the Berliner Ensemble. In 2014, she worked as an assistant to the management and production assistant at Propellerfilm Berlin GmbH, while also serving as the Sponsorship Team Lead for the FILMZ Festival of German Film on a voluntary basis. In 2016, she held positions as a Content Marketing intern at Thinksurance (formerly Gewerbeversicherung24) and as a project manager for Port au Prince Pictures GmbH. In 2018, she worked as a Finance Commercial Sales Planning intern for Twentieth Century Fox. By 2019, she had become an Online Marketing Manager at Expedia Group. In 2020, she co-founded and became the CEO of Purefy GmbH. In 2021, she co-founded NO MORE gGmbH, and in 2022, she took on the role of Crypto Community Growth Manager at holoride.

Stephan Koch is the founder of ElbBlox, a Hamburg-based blockchain startup that specializes in supporting meaningful blockchain applications. After five years in corporate development and coffee marketing at Tchibo GmbH, a stay at a coffee farm in Tanzania inspired Stephan to join the Hanns R. Neumann Foundation (HRNS), where he supported smallholder families in coffee-growing regions. During his three years at HRNS, he implemented digital asset fundraising as a new donation channel as a blockchain enthusiast. Today, through ElbBlox, he focuses on the tokenization of impact.

Julien Morel has been a member of the board of directors at RIMOWA, a subsidiary of LVMH, since 2018. He has been involved in the transformation of the business model from wholesale to direct sales. Julien currently serves as the Director of E-Commerce, CRM, and Client Experience at RIMOWA.

Matthias Reichert has been the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) and a member of the management board at Sport1 GmbH since April 2019. In this role, he is responsible for all activities related to the marketing unit SPORT1 Business and the consulting unit LEITMOTIF, focusing on marketing and communication. In his previous position at the then Sport1 Media GmbH (now SPORT1 Business), he developed the direct sales for clients as the Director of Media Sales Clients. Before that, he led marketing activities for the SPORT1 brand in various roles, including Head of TV and Deputy Director of Media Sales. From 2004 to 2007, he served as Head of Key Accounts and Sales Manager at the former DSF Deutsches SportFernsehen GmbH (now Sport1 GmbH). Matthias began his career as a Marketing Manager at the pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim. After studying sports management and earning his diploma in business administration at FH Koblenz, he worked for NFL Europe in event management and marketing from 2003 to 2004. Prior to that, he was responsible for establishing and marketing the sports section of the regional newspaper BIG from 2001 to 2004 and worked at the office of the football club FSV Mainz 05 from 1998 to 2000.

Tobias is a crypto specialist and thought leader in the financial industry with extensive experience and a vast network. During his master's studies, he wrote his thesis under Prof. Philipp Sandner on the tokenization of business processes, laying the foundation for his expertise. Early in his career, he worked as a consultant at Deloitte, focusing on blockchain and supporting various crypto startups during their founding phase. Today, he is responsible for the institutionalization of crypto assets at Steubing AG and is actively shaping the transformation within the financial sector. Tobias is a speaker at numerous conferences and workshops both domestically and internationally.

Barbara is responsible for Digital Products and Solutions at DWS. She focuses on digital asset and asset management-as-a-service products and solutions, assessing how asset managers can bridge the traditional and blockchain financial ecosystems as well as how digital distribution efforts can be strengthened. Barbara first joined DWS in 2014 as a student trainee during which she gained experience across multiple divisions and locations including coverage and portfolio management in Frankfurt and New York. After successful completion of her student trainee, she worked full time in the COO office of the investment division. During her masters she studied Management of Information Systems and Digital Innovation at the London School of Economics (LSE). In her undergraduate studies she focused on business administration and finance at Frankfurt School of Finance and Management and at Harvard College during a year abroad.

Dennis Schmelz is not just a content creator; he is a photo and video artist. This becomes evident as soon as you look at his works. The locations he captures are incredible, and the storytelling in his images is unique. Dennis has a particular passion for nature and wildlife, which drives him to travel the world, always with his finger on the shutter. He has journeyed to the 'ends of the earth', as he puts it, and his stunning photographs from Antarctica stand as silent yet highly emotional witnesses to his adventures.

A personal milestone for him was the presentation of some of his NFTs in Times Square, New York—larger than life and in front of hundreds of thousands of people. This year, he released his second photo calendar, which quickly sold out. Together with Alexander Sachs and Mike Hager, Dennis brought his calendar 'On the Road 2023' to the blockchain. From a free mint event, where over 20,000 calendar motifs were minted, a massive community project emerged, complete with numerous utilities, including physical calendars, free claims, reduced mint prices for future projects, masterclasses, IRL events, a photo contest for his collectors, and even a special collection for his top 13 holders. He shares insights on how he keeps his community engaged and what successful community building means to him in person.

Patrick is an artist, architect, super creative director, and the founder of ALT/Shift, his boutique visual design studio. As a creative visionary, he serves as the lead artist for Porsche's first virtual collectibles. Recognized as one of the top 3D designers in Germany, he is not only a passionate artist, motion designer, and NFT creator but also the creative mind behind a variety of projects. His other major passions include skateboards and craft beer; he owns a craft beer brewery where he produces for family and close friends. Patrick lives in Hamburg, Germany, with his wife Tanja, who is a co-founder of ALT/Shift.

Dr. Philipp Wagner is the Deputy Head of Digitalization Management at Deutsche WertpapierService Bank AG (dwpbank) and is responsible for digital assets, crypto, and blockchain topics. He is also the Product Owner of wpNex, dwpbank's platform for digital assets, which he has been leading the development of since early 2022. Prior to this, Dr. Wagner worked in the fields of innovation, strategy, and management consulting. He began his career as an analyst at a large international bank before transitioning into capital markets and securities processing.

Julia Wilner is a manager in the Advisory Team at PwC Germany, serving as the Gaming and Esports Lead and Metaverse Marketing Specialist. Her previous experiences include roles as COO in an esports agency, owner of an esports team, and marketing manager at Google. In her role as Gaming and Esports Lead, she leverages over 12 years of industry experience to assist both local and international players in addressing challenges related to professionalization, business development, and strategic activities within the gaming and esports ecosystem. As a Metaverse Marketing Specialist, she applies her extensive marketing experience and knowledge of the gaming sector to help companies build communities, gamify transformation processes, and address other aspects critical for the successful introduction of the Metaverse.

Bastian is the CEO and COO of DFL Digital Sports GmbH. After seven years in management consulting at PwC, he transitioned to DFL Digital Sports, where he has been responsible for the company's development in various roles for over ten years, serving as managing director since 2019. Bastian is a digital and organizational expert, focusing particularly on product and technology, content production and content marketing, design and branding, as well as the creation of high-performance organizations.