Meet our experts! Today: Ulf Hallmann!
Our startups are, of course, experts for the circular economy. Nevertheless, they could also profit from exchange with other experts. That's what we are offering our Green Alley Award finalists in our so-called expert sessions! In these sessions, #circulareconomy as well as #startup experts provide hands-on advice and the startups will get the possibility to enlarge their network and to profit from knowledge of other experienced professionals.
Today we would like to introduce you to Ulf Hallmann, who is Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Landbell Group as well as President of Prodigentia Information Technology S.A. Ulf is an expert for Data and Operations Management for various waste streams and knows how to connect customers, operations and IT. Find out more about him and what startups can possibly learn from him in this interview.
What is your professional background and how will it help you to be a startup advisor for the Green Alley Award finalists?
I am a Mechanical Engineer by education, an entrepreneur at heart and a technician by profession. This adds a broad variety of flavor and experience and expertise which I am happy to share.
Most of the things you have to consider when starting a business, you don’t learn in any school. So, generally speaking, in what way could entrepreneurs profit from mentors or advisors like you?
I love to challenge ideas, to build from scratch and to learn from mistakes. In my case, there was plenty of time between finishing school and today, which I extensively used for challenging, building and learning – and also for having ideas, building things and, last but not least, making mistakes. I think this might be a valuable stepstone for starting new businesses.
When founding a startup one can have the perfect idea and the best conditions but still fail to be successful. As execution is key, what are you as an expert looking for in an entrepreneur, his team and his business idea?
All in one word: Passion.
The Green Alley Award is all about circular startups. In your opinion, which are the key challenges for a circular economy in Europe?
Before a cycle starts to spin, it needs to be pushed. While the time could not be better to create CE startups, the initial amount of energy to get it going is still relatively high. We need to now think “Next Generation”: Next Generation of people, business and, potentially, globe. Tomorrow is already here.
If you had the chance to start your own business, what kind of startup would it be?
I think it would be interesting to create a “social care currency” which allows me to generate savings by social contributions, e.g. doing grocery shopping for the elder lady next door. These virtual funds could be used in return for social services consumed by my parents, hundreds of kilometres away, or by myself, once I cannot do grocery shopping anymore.