An orientation and inspiration event for every young person asking that question. Whether you are leaving school, studying, doing an apprenticeship or starting your first job.
Not a careers fair. Not a business event.
“und jetzt?” is a free event for every young person asking exactly that question. The point is not to answer it once and for all, but to inspire and encourage you to go your own way.
“und jetzt?” closes the gap between student counselling and the business stage. It is not about job profiles, company advertising or recipes for success, but about how you can answer your own questions.
People from art, culture, technology, research and entrepreneurship talk about what a finished CV usually leaves out: doubt, failure, detours and the decisions in between.
A free event by the people it is for: The event and its content are co-curated, organised and run by the people it is for, as equals. There are no hidden interests of political parties, commercial players or any other interest groups behind it.
For
School leavers, students of any subject, apprentices and everyone who is finding their bearings right now and wondering what comes next.
The event is open to everyone, regardless of social or ethnic background, religion, gender or sexual orientation. Respectful, appreciative exchange is at the centre of it. Discrimination, hate and any form of exclusion have no place at this event.
Confirmed speakers
From a wide range of voices in culture, music, film, founding & business, science, sport and technology.
01Urban dance & entrepreneurship
Born in Lebanon, he founded the Flying Steps in Berlin in 1993, now four-time breakdance world champions and an international brand. With “Red Bull Flying Bach” he brought urban dance to the big stages, and his academy reaches around 3,000 students a week.
Website of Vartan Bassil
02Future mindset & innovation
Bestselling author and Google's first Chief Innovation Evangelist. He is developing the workshop “Future YOU / The Next YOU” for the day.
Website of Dr. Frederik Pferdt
03Quantum computing & film
At thirteen she stood in front of the camera next to Kate Winslet. Today she builds quantum computing applications with her own company, Amazing Thought, after three months of research at Caltech, publications with more than 270 citations and talks at international quantum summits.
LinkedIn of Alissa Wilms
04Gen Z & founding
At twenty she founded FeMentor, Europe's first reverse mentoring platform. Today she advises companies on winning over young talent, speaks at TEDx and has written a book about the start-up scene, “(Ge)Gründet”. Die Zeit calls her a “generation whisperer”.
Website of Anastasia Barner
05Directing & screenwriting
From hip-hop videos in Berlin to productions for Disney+, Amazon Prime, ARD and ZDF.
Website of Arabella Bartsch
06Author & innovation
From a teenager without a school leaving certificate, written off as “hard to place”, to Spiegel bestselling author and Senior Innovator at SAP.
Website of Christian Wehner
07Music & entrepreneurship
From a passion for music to sold-out concerts at the Elbphilharmonie, Montreux and Amsterdam – and to his own start-up.
Website of Henrik Schwarz
08Entrepreneurship & impact
Serial entrepreneur, co-founder of eBay Germany and betterplace.org, and investor in more than 400 companies.
LinkedIn of Jörg Rheinboldt
09Gaming & founding
From music journalism at Metal Hammer to founding his own company: LVL in Berlin is now one of Germany's most innovative gaming locations.
LinkedIn of Dorian Gorr
10Literature & mental health
Spiegel bestselling author at Heyne and founder of FiveDiamonds PR. She speaks about mental health, setbacks and starting over professionally.
LinkedIn of Franziska Hohmann
11Science & entrepreneurship
Professor of Innovation and Strategy at Tomorrow University and co-founder of the strategy consultancy philoneos, after stints as a snowboard instructor and running a wine kiosk. His talk plots career paths somewhere between entrepreneurial thinking and Pippi Longstocking.
Website of Prof. Dr. Max Lude
12Strategy & coaching
The stage, the Boston Consulting Group, arts management, clowning in hospitals, coaching. Five stations, one inner compass. Today she works as a strategist and trainer with young people on getting clear about what matters and finding the nerve to act on it.
Website of Kati Gruner
13Marketing & hip hop
She studied international development, then spent more than 16 years in marketing, over a decade of it at adidas. Today she is Brand & Commercial Growth Strategist at KISS FM, and founder and managing director of the HipHop Ball. Born in Tehran, with Viennese roots and her home in Berlin, her work brings different cultural worlds together.
Website of Sajeh Tavassoli
14Radio & music
Trained in linguistics and literature with a focus on Hispanic and Arabic studies, then several years as a professional jazz and soul singer. Radio came next: for five years she hosted the afternoon show at Berliner Rundfunk 91.4. Today she is programme manager there and also runs the content unit of Medienzentrum Berlin.
Website of Annika Sesterhenn
15Photo: Jana LeglerPodcast & creator
Gianni Matheja was born in Berlin in 2005. At 16 he started the podcast “Social Germany”, whose guests included Katja Riemann, Aurel Mertz, Marcel Fratzscher and many more. After finishing school in 2023 he became an intern in Caren Miosga’s editorial team. In 2024 he began studying at Freie Universität Berlin on a scholarship from the German Academic Scholarship Foundation. At the same time he launched the channel “Gianni studiert” on Instagram and TikTok. Within a month, his videos from campus reached more than 100,000 followers.
16GenAI & beauty
Expert GenAI at cosnova, the beauty company behind essence and Catrice. She shapes how the company uses generative AI, with an eye on responsibility, leadership and the work in each department. For 15 years she has watched technologies come and go, from blockchain to NFTs and the metaverse to AI. Many of the jobs she finds exciting today did not exist 15 years ago.
LinkedIn of Constance Stein
17Sustainability & communication
She leads corporate social responsibility at cosnova and treats it as a leadership task and a question of culture. Before that she shaped the brand communication of essence and Catrice and created Trash2Treasure, an upcycling concept that turns supposed waste into new design products. She studied German, sport and politics, then spent many years as an account director at agencies.
LinkedIn of Astrid Claudia Haury
18AI literacy & founding
Co-founder of Generation AI e.V. at 24, and chief of staff at a frontier AI startup in Berlin. Her non-profit has taught over 500 students how to work with AI, free of charge and for every subject. Before that she played volleyball for the national team.
Website of Janna SchweigmannA Sunday that sets something in motion
The exact sessions and times are being curated by the team and added step by step.
The doors at Fotografiska open. Time to arrive and find your bearings.
A shared opening, then personal stories, expert input and new perspectives on success, uncertainty and GenAI.
Time for a shared close to the programme, the exhibition, music and new contacts.
You can visit the exhibitions at Fotografiska until 11pm.
Curated as equals
The team of young students from different universities and subjects leads the curation.
The formats
On the main stage, people talk openly about mistakes, detours and the decisions that actually moved them forward.
You work with the tools yourself and try out what GenAI can do for your own questions and ideas.
Short, confidential conversations you can book directly, with experienced mentors, on your own questions about work and life.
Breaks, conversations and the party afterwards leave plenty of room to meet people and encourage each other.
The day, for everyone
From the day of the event you will find talks, workshops and conversations here, in full length and as short, shareable clips.
Talks / from 25.10.26
Workshops / from 25.10.26
Interviews / ongoing
25 October is the starting point
Every talk and session is recorded properly, in full length and as short social media clips. Out of that grows a content platform where young people find inspiration and guidance beyond the event itself.
An iconic place
Included with your ticket
The Emmy-winning photographer and filmmaker followed twelve teenagers through a school year. The exhibition shows without flinching how smartphones and social media change relationships, self-image and mental health.
Your place on 25 October
Taking part is free because all the speakers have waived their fees! Places are limited, though, so please answer a few short questions here. We will get back to you as soon as we can once your place is certain.
Requests are open. Tell us a bit about you, it takes a few minutes.
You answer a few questions about yourself and what is on your mind right now. Free, and possible until the day itself, as long as places are left.
Once your place is confirmed, you get everything about choosing sessions, getting there and how the day runs.
Already signed up but haven't seen an email from us? Our emails come from hallo@undjetzt.io. Please check your spam folder too, especially with a university address. At the door, your name is enough if in doubt.
Free, limited places, register until 25 October
Sponsoring & partnering principle
Special thanks go to all the partners and sponsors who make this event possible. The companies and organisations supporting it do so without influencing the programme and without hidden interests of their own. Their support rests on belief in the format and the wish to give something of value to the community.
Questions?
For young people between 18 and 25: school leavers, students of any subject, apprentices and everyone who is finding their bearings right now.
You tell us a bit about yourself and request a place. You can do that until the day of the event, there is no deadline. Once all places are taken, you join the waiting list.
Nothing. Taking part is free. Because places are limited, we do have to select who joins.
No. That is the whole point. You need neither a perfect CV nor a clear answer, just curiosity and your own questions.
Yes. Your ticket also gives you access to “Social Studies” by Lauren Greenfield at Fotografiska.
Fotografiska has a lift, is wheelchair accessible and has accessible toilets. If you need anything beyond that, please write it in your request. We will sort it out before the day.
Until the day of the event, as long as places are left. We read every request and get back to you with a confirmation as soon as your place is certain. Once all places are taken, there is a waiting list.
Yes, and it is part of taking part. We photograph and film for reporting and to promote the event. On the day itself there is no way to separate that in the room. We take individual shots down again on request, write to us at hallo@undjetzt.io.
Places are limited, so we have to choose. We look for a mixed group: age, gender, school, apprenticeship, university, own projects, detours. The day works because different paths sit in the same room, not the same ones.
