Today marks the first episode of our LeipGlo Botcast. Hosted by Louise the Light Bulb Bot, the bot podcast will focus on business and the technology industry in Mitteldeutschland. Light bulb – bright ideas – get it?
Why a bot (or botcast)? It seemed fitting for the topic of innovation; plus, Louise never gets tired of talking or needs bathroom breaks.
Our botcast series will feature human reporters hitting the field to find and record cool companies and projects, and the humans behind them. The info will then be delivered to the robotic-voiced anchor. This includes what business students are up to around here, which is a lot.
Indeed, the startup and business student communities in Leipzig are very active. Just a week or so ago, I attended the student-organized Accelerate@HHL, a forum where corporate leaders shared their stories and aspiring startup leaders pitched their ideas. And in a little over a month, it’s once again time for the annual TEDxHLL, which we covered last year.
TEDxHHL is organized by students and other volunteers. It’s the Leipzig version of the famous TED Talks, with inspirational speakers from diverse backgrounds and origins presenting under a common – though broad – theme.
Speakers’ imaginations are allowed to run, to some extent. This year’s theme is “The Power of Attraction.”
Sounded like an attractive idea for kicking off our botcast series. Just hear how excited Louise the Bot sounds in her show.
With Louise anchoring back at the studio, I went to a bakery at Leipzig city center to hear from two of these HHL students. Tim Rauch, from Germany, is the head of the TEDxHHL initiative this year, while the Russian Nataliya Demayenko takes care of marketing. Those working the event donate their time and energy, says Nayaliya: “All the money we make goes back into the event.” It’s the second year both students have been involved in it.
Tim says different initiatives presented to students at HHL in one evening to try to get them to participate, but this one appeared to him as the most full of potential and purpose, as an idea platform, and he “got hooked.”
I wanted to know how the event will work this year, what motivates them, and some personal insights into their endeavors.
They’re currently rounding out their speaker selection, and I’m excited to see the full roster once it’s online.
Please feel free to share your feedback about the LeipGlo Botcast here, and don’t forget to check out TEDxHHL 2018 if you have a chance. I enjoyed attending it in 2017 – the quality of the moderator, speakers and music performers was high.
TEDxHHL
13 June 2018
WERK 2 – Kulturfabrik Leipzig
Kochstraße 132
04277, Leipzig (Connewitz)
Visit their website for more info, tickets, and a look at the list of speakers & artists, as well as past events (2017 | 2016 | 2015).
If you’d like to nominate a company, project, person or even a bot to be featured in The Leipzig Glocal Botcast series, email us at contact@leipglo.com.
