© Simon Kratzer
From theory to practice: In November 2021, the Executive MBA in Innovation & Business Creation started with its Class of 2023. 23 professionals kicked off their first semester of four—embarking on an innovation journey that will provide them with the skills, tools, and mindset needed to transform vision into action. Welcome to Technical University of Munich (TUM) and UnternehmerTUM!
In times of rapid change and uncertainty, these students are taking the opportunity to deepen their understanding of entrepreneurial and innovative processes. In the program, they also develop their personal potential in leading those. They all have professional experience of at least three years and are taking the MBA part-time.
From day one, the learning is deep and social. Spending one and a half years with like-minded, yet diverse and driven professionals and faculty usually creates powerful insights and bonds, as we’ve seen with previous alumni. And those connections span the globe: the class of 2023 includes people from twelve countries and five continents. Here’s how five of these professionals experienced the start of their journey.
1. Mete, Program Manager
The strategy module and the simulation game were disruptive ways of having a lecture. We all had a hands-on experience from the first day and the opportunity to learn by doing.
Mete, Program Manager at Mercedes Benz AG
"This brought the class to a high engagement level unconsciously, created a competitive environment from day one, and increased the sense of cooperation between the classmates. There is a balanced composition of participants in terms of geography, backgrounds, experiences, and even personalities. As you exchange with your classmates, you realize that each of them is a carefully selected individual with various capabilities. This diversity motivates participants to exchange more and give feedback—simultaneously enhancing creative ideas to grow in the long term", says Mete.
© Mete Eren
2. Cornelia, Business Development
The feeling of being back in the classroom after 20 years was marvelous, especially after nearly two years of Covid-19 restrictions.
Cornelia, Business Development and Special Projects at Humanocare GmbH
“It even felt a bit unreal to be on-site and get “in touch” with professors and students. I think it was a great idea to invest a whole day in cohort building and developing our team values. I could feel the positive effect of that shortly after in the TOPSIM simulation game where these values helped us to act and decide as a team. My highlight till today was the mindblowing guest lecture of Dr. Vivienne Ming. Thanks to TUM for having secured such inspiring speakers! I am eager for our next module to start.”
© Cornelia Auer
3. Susanna, Team Leader
From professors to classmates—you will be surrounded by brilliant minds that will accompany you in the journey, making it unique and fun.
Susanna, Team Leader at BMW Group
„So you decide to go back to school to change something in your life even though you do not really know where the journey might take you. And in the first week, you realize something fundamental: you will have a dramatic change, your certainties will find new ground for new ideas, you will learn so much about society, about others, and about yourself. But most of all, you will not be alone. You will be surrounded by extraordinary people dedicated to their job, their mission, their families, the public."
© Susanna Carbotti
4. Stefanie, Marketing Manager
The Executive MBA in Innovation & Business Creation gives me the opportunity to expand my expertise, sharpen my entrepreneurial skills, and broaden my network within such an amazing ecosystem.
Stefanie, Global Brand Marketing Manager at TÜV Süd
"My class is made up of many educational and professional backgrounds with different industry experts and about 30 percent start-up experience. The kick-off and the first course days were outstanding. The guest lectures by Dr. Vivienne Ming (Founder and Executive Chair of Socos Labs), Dr. Philipp Engelhardt (former CFO of Groupon), and Dr. Desiree-Jessica Pely (Founder and CEO of loyee) have been a great chance and inspiring for me. Looking forward to the next two years and this exciting journey!", says Stefanie.
© Stefanie Maschmeyer
5. Alessa, Executive Assistant
"For me, the first week of the EMBA was very inspiring and intense: in our great diverse group, we deep-dived into our first module, “Strategy”."
Here, my personal highlight was the very interactive group work in a company simulation game where we created a holistic strategy for our own company–this was super insightful and fun!
Alessa, Executive Assistant Chief Human Resources Officer at Allianz SE
© Alessa Hild
Over to You
Turning your world upside down is never easy. But if you’re ready to explore your inner entrepreneur or intrapreneur, you’ve found the place to be.
Learn more about the Executive MBA in Innovation & Business Creation!
You can find another article with video interviews from previous alumni here.
