Interviews & Profiles
We have interviewed dozens of startup teams and written many more profiles of social entrepreneurs, change-makers, and thought leaders.
In a 1-on-1 conversation, we seek to tap into the essence of individuals, their work, product, or service.
Through storytelling, we place interviewees in a new light and reveal unknown aspects of themselves to them and the reader. The outcome is engaging writing with a clear call-to-action that is both timely and timeless.
Copywriting
Storytelling
Interviews
Co-creating Communities of Belonging
In conversation with Jessica von Farkas
“ I really like to speak about belonging and not inclusion because inclusion means I am including you, but there is still a component of power imbalance, and I can take that inclusion away from you at any time.”
In anticipation of her workshop at We Create Meaning, Niels spoke with Jessica von Farkas about what it means to belong in today’s world. They dive deeper into Jessica’s mission and experience cultivating diverse communities of belonging through her work at the BMW Foundation and beyond.
There is a deep undercurrent of devotion and care that runs beneath her words. She radiates a commitment to be vulnerable, to admit that creating community is a co-creative process, not a fixed outcome, that requires responsibility and a willingness to learn.
What is the secret fear of the hero, that the hero doesn’t know?
In conversation with Raymond Miranda
“The only thing I can do is keep facing the fear, transforming it, and seeing what emerges again. And in that, there's greater discovery. In that, I discover the hidden parts of my ego and I find greater forms of love.”
Narrative strategist and ex-scriptwriting professor Raymond Miranda talks about how he went from madness to miracle, developing his own Fear and its Opposite method which he now uses with diverse clients.
What if we could hold each other with greater compassion to look at our own fears and name their opposite? What beautiful stories could emerge from that? “The only thing I can do is keep facing the fear, transforming it, and seeing what emerges again. And in that, there's greater discovery. In that, I discover the hidden parts of my ego and I find greater forms of love.”
Insights into Humanist Experience Design
With experience design expert Pigalle Tavakkoli
“If we can create those sparks and have that alchemical moment during the experience where people open up and connect to themselves, they will discover untapped potential and start to behave in ways they wouldn't have done before.”
This article explores Pigalle’s deeply humanist approach to Experience Design, which combines Eastern and ancestral wisdom with rigorous science. Niels learned quickly that Pigalle loves to savor works of psychology and philosophy, as much as she likes to strategize and use spreadsheets. This might not be a surprise, because, as she herself points out, “Experience Design is interdisciplinary and sits at the intersections, because that’s where things overlap and merge, to spark new ways of thinking.”
The Art of Transformation
How Art Moves Hearts and Systems with Nicole Loeser
“We have to think outside the box, and it's only possible when we can inspire each other from different disciplines and cultural backgrounds. To step out of old structures, and really start imagining positive futures and experimenting with new pathways together.”
Niels spoke with Institute for Art and Innovation co-founder Nicole Loeser on the Art of Transformation. In their conversation, they traversed a falling Berlin Wall and collapsing political systems, guided by the question of how art can inspire systemic change and innovation.
As the climate emergency continues to worsen and scientists realize that facts alone aren’t enough, people are increasingly turning to artists for answers. The artist weaves new stories and waves her magic paintbrush, yielding the power to transform consciousness and systems. But as Nicole emphasized, this is only possible when artists work across disciplines and focus on the most pressing challenges of the moment.
