Christiane Steinlechner

Teach for Austria

Christiane is the Regional Director of Teach For Austria in Upper Austria, a non-profit organization dedicated to educational equity. She is also a lecturer at the Johannes Kepler University (JKU) as well as the University of Applied Sciences in Steyr and Hagenberg. In addition to her expertise in various marketing topics such as communication, market research, and customer behavior, she is actively involved in cultural studies as a speaker. Her motto is interdisciplinary thinking - the courage to change perspectives. With this mantra, she has initiated numerous projects aimed at societal sustainability and has helped pave the way for them.

Michael Thaler

Teach for Austria

Since September 2021, Michael has served as the Recruitment Manager at Teach For Austria in Upper Austria. He is responsible for acquiring and supporting new fellows. Additionally, networking and communication with partners are among his duties. Before joining Teach For Austria, Michael led the Austrian branch of the European Space Education Resource Office for the European Space Agency (ESA) and founded and managed the Upper Austrian branch of the social enterprise "Sindbad Social Business."

Johannes Braumann (Online Mentoring)

University of Art and Design Linz

Johannes Braumann is a university professor and heads the interdisciplinary research department Creative Robotics at the University of Art and Design Linz. Creative Robotics views robots not just as manufacturing machines, but as universal interfaces between the digital and physical worlds. Johannes is a co-founder of the Association for Robots in Architecture and the lead developer of the parametric robot simulation and programming environment KUKA|prc, which is used by over 100 universities and 50 companies worldwide.

Sandra Prandstätter

Volkshilfe Oberösterreich

"As a Climate Puzzle workshop facilitator, I offer my expertise and insights into the methodology of the Climate Puzzle for teams interested in developing playful educational approaches. Thanks to its snowball effect, the Climate Puzzle has already reached 1.4 million people worldwide. Together with a wonderful Climate Puzzle community in Upper Austria, I am working to spread the Climate Puzzle here as well. Additionally, I work at Volkshilfe Upper Austria as a sustainability and innovation focal point, ready to connect my colleagues as needed and forward inquiries."

Marc Kletz

Rarebyte

"My name is Marc Kletz. I've been a game developer at Rarebyte for 3 years now. I studied Software Engineering for my Bachelor's degree in Vorarlberg, where I also worked as a full-time Software Engineer for 9 months. Following that, I pursued my dream of game development and completed my Master's in Multimedia Technology with a Major in Data Analysis in Salzburg. I have first-hand experience in the field of AI, as it was a major focus of my master's thesis. Together with my colleagues at Rarebyte, we have released We are Screwed (currently in Early Access) on Steam and Emergency Operator for iOS and Android. As a 'Generalist Programmer,' I primarily work in programming, but I also contribute to UI/UX design and gameplay design for games."

Katharina Gruber

Municipal Office Linz, Dep. Economy, Innovation, Climate Protection & EU 

Katharina is a sociologist with interests in system and hegemony theories, philosophy of science, and social connections. She previously served as the first speaker for climate protection and sustainability at the Austrian National Union of Students at the Johannes Kepler University (ÖH JKU) and is actively involved in various associations and organizations focusing on youth and climate policy. Since 2022, she has been employed as a project manager for climate communication and education in the Department of Economy, Innovation, Climate Protection, and EU at the Linz Municipal Office.

Hanna Mayrhofer

Municipal Office Linz, Dep. Economy, Innovation, Climate Protection & EU 

I'm Hanna, and since the summer of 2023, I've been working in the Department of Economy, Innovation, Climate Protection, and EU at the Linz Municipal Office. Specifically, I coordinate a comprehensive project called "Linz with Ambitio3xn," aimed at supporting Linz on its path to carbon neutrality. My studies in Environmental and Bioresource Management at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna have equipped me with solid knowledge that I now apply in my focus on climate protection. My master's thesis focused on the urban climate of Linz, highlighting my passion for environmental challenges. I strive to develop innovative solutions to enhance the quality of life in our city.

Tobias Zucali

mkrz lab OG

"I'm a designer, software developer, and maker of things.

At mkrz, we utilize the workshop as a method. We develop learning settings, methods, and tools that enable groups to unleash their innovation potential. Hands-on work in the workshop as a place of transformation challenges and fosters teams in their communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity, offering new perspectives on topics and tasks.

I can help you streamline your idea and find a prototype implementation for the hackathon."

Robert Bogner 

Pulpmedia

"With my fellow students at FH Hagenberg in 2005, I co-founded the online agency Pulpmedia. As a musician, I was very active for a long time, going on two European tours and releasing six albums. With Pulpmedia, we, for instance, established the website Unnützes Wissen, from which the books we published have sold over 250,000 copies. In the meantime, we've conceived many more ideas and have co-founded various startups. Today, my core areas of expertise lie in video marketing, social media, and performance marketing. In addition to Pulpmedia, I teach these subjects at FH Wiener Neustadt and Limak."

Theresa Schaffer (Online Mentoring)

MYI Entertainment

"I'm Theresa Schaffer, one of the few gaming and esports experts in Austria. Currently, I work as a consultant at MYI Entertainment, an esports and gaming agency in the DACH region. My responsibilities mainly involve advising companies on gaming-related matters. How can a company position itself in the gaming market? What are its goals, and how can it achieve them (e.g., increasing awareness among the gaming audience, becoming a beloved brand, reaching as many gamers as possible)? What activations can be done throughout the year to engage gamers? In addition to my professional work, I study esports management and support "Wave Esports" in organizing charity events.

I'm excited to assist you in brainstorming ideas, gamification strategies, or adapting to the gaming audience."

Anna Weghuber  

EduFunk, teacher and Linz city councilor 

"Whether in the digital realm, on a musical journey, or in active sports – my motto is 'Get into action.' As a creative mind, I not only organize fascinating projects like the Children's Sound Cloud and captivating theater plays during the Children & Youth Book Days but also develop innovative training formats for teachers around iPad usage at the Private Pedagogical University of the Diocese of Linz. Additionally, I am the proud founder of EduFunk, the first German digital education podcast.

In my role as a teacher and member of the Linz City Council, I advocate for connecting people and initiating exciting projects in the sports and education sectors. If you want to discover how to implement your ideas with students or simply need assistance with brainstorming, you're in the right place with me. There are no limits to creativity.

I look forward to supporting you with your ideas!"

Martin Bernecker

Director of the Auwiesen Neighborhood Center

Martin has been a social worker for 30 years, currently serving as a community worker in the Kleinmünchen/Auwiesen district.

Alexandra Fruhstorfer  

design & research studio

Alexandra Fruhstorfer works as a designer and researcher in Vienna. She utilizes design as an experimental tool to challenge prevailing political and cultural paradigms and to examine them in the context of accelerated technological and ecological change. She ponders new professional profiles for the future, calculates whether it is possible to live synergistically with a sheep, and designs architectural models that meet the needs of crows, pigs, and raccoons. Fruhstorfer studied Industrial Design at the University of Applied Arts. Since 2019, her work has been represented in the MAK Design Lab collection. In 2021, she was nominated for the Ralph Saltzman Prize at the Design Museum in London. Her works have been exhibited at venues such as the Triennale di Milano, the Porto Design Biennale, MoMA New York, and the Jerusalem Design Week.

Elzbieta Berger

University of Art and Design Linz 

Elzbieta Berger has been working as a university assistant at the "University of Art and Industrial Design Linz," at the Institute of "Space and Design," in the field of "Industrial Design" since January 2023. She teaches "Fundamentals of three-dimensional design" and supervises projects in the main subject of Industrial Design. In the automotive design field, Ms. Berger has worked for POLYTEC Group, VOLKSWAGEN Design, and ŠKODA Auto, as well as MAGNA. She contributed to projects such as the exterior design of the Skoda Rapid Sport 2013 show car and the interior concept of the Qoros 3 at MAGNA. In product design, she has collaborated with brands like Fischer, Fill, Skidata, and Swarovski Optik, producing products such as the Swarovski CL bag series and the redesign of the CL Pocket, in collaboration with the design agency formquadrat. Currently, Ms. Berger's focus is on design education and consulting.

Manfred Lamplmair

Gamelab

Alongside two childhood friends, Manfred co-founded the Linz-based game studio "Rudy Games" in 2013 (now known as Gamelab). Together with his team, he has developed unique board games with app support and won awards such as "Game of the Year," "The Golden Rocking Horse," and the German Children's Software Award "Tommy." "I am delighted to mentor participants in developing an innovative game idea and look forward to many enjoyable gaming sessions.

Carina Schmiedseder

Die Digitalagentur

Carina has been running her own business, "Die Digitalagentur," for 10 years and has extensive experience in online marketing and startups. Last year, she also took on the role of managing director at Gamelab. At Gamelab, in addition to developing their own games, they specialize in creating and implementing gamification projects for businesses. "I am particularly excited to mentor young talents as they develop their ideas and turn the city of Linz into our playground."

Daniel Gawlowksi

Presentation, Performance and Storytelling

After a productive and creative weekend marathon, your prototype is ready. Now, it's time for the final push in preparing your presentation, and for this last stretch, actor, designer, storyteller, and presentation trainer Daniel Gawlowski is here to help you with his extensive expertise and practical experience. With him, you can clear away any uncertainties and ambiguities that may arise during the pitch sprint. How does the target audience for the pitch think? What do they want to hear? What do they want to see? And what don't they want? Who will be presenting... and if so, how many? Should you focus on creating a polished PowerPoint presentation, or should you engage with the jury directly, perhaps even testing the product on the spot? Maybe you should shoot a short product video? And most importantly, what AI-based tools are available to save time in this process, allowing you to dedicate more time to rehearsing your performance.

Michael Zelenka

papierspiele.at

As a passionate board gamer and gamer, I've always known that games are crucial to our culture. I didn't just want to play games; I wanted to understand and know why games can be so captivating. That's why I completed my Master's in Applied Game Studies in 2020 and gradually specialized in the topic of user experience. At LIWEST, I'm responsible for websites and pretty much everything related to gaming. Additionally, I founded the first German-language print-and-play game platform, Papierspiele.at, and enjoy supporting game developers with usability and UX questions. For me, games are not just a wonderful medium; they're a way of life. Because without objectives, without rules, and without fellow players, life is only half as much fun!