What moves the talents of the startup project “Fasting & Autophagy”?
In this interview, we introduce the four talents of the project team “Fasting & Autophagy” in more detail. Kai Gensitz (sports psychologist), Muriel Ortelt (ecotrophologist), Dimitri Wilhelm (full stack developer & data scientist) and Candice Imanuel (nutrition management & dietetics) talk about their motivations for the 10-week business design program and why they want to found a startup in the field of “fasting” as a team.
Kai Gensitz | “Business offers a great opportunity to transfer scientific findings into practice and make them accessible to as many people as possible.”
Kai Gensitz is a sports psychologist, 27 years old and originally from Freiburg. He currently lives in Cologne, where he is conducting research on digital coaching in the field of motivational psychology at the German Sport University. In addition, he is interested in stress management with the interaction of body and psyche. Through his own website (gesundheit-kg.de), he offers courses on stress management. Kai is interested in new technologies, which he likes to try out and use himself. He has been privately familiar with interval fasting for several years and has also gone without food completely for several days. His big wish is to found a startup in the health psychology field.
Why did you apply to participate in the Tech Startup School project “Fasting & Autophagy”?
- The project appealed to me mainly because TSUS offers an environment in which freedom and ideas are encouraged, but equally supportive procedures and processes are available. I was attracted by the concept of TSUS and the content of the project “Fasting & Autophagy” because I have been dealing with this topic privately for a long time. Through the project I have the opportunity to combine private interest and professional development.
What do you find most fascinating in the business environment of “fasting”?
- I am fascinated by the topic of health in general. Through my current work in an academic context in the field of sports psychology, my focus so far has been on the interactions between physical activity and our psyche. However, this is only one piece of a large puzzle. I now find the next piece in the topic around fasting. This broadens my horizons and knowledge base. I also believe that science can contribute a great deal to understanding specific processes and developing health-promoting measures. However, I see the opportunity to transfer this knowledge into practice and thus make it accessible to as many people as possible, especially in the economy or the business environment.
Have you been thinking about founding a company for a while? What appeals to you in general about founding a startup?
- In fact, I have been thinking about founding a company for quite some time. I would like to realize my own ideas and concepts. The first approaches in this direction came to me at the end of 2020. So far, no idea has made it into the implementation. What appeals to me about founding a startup is the freedom to design procedures and processes in a company from the ground up – from working time models to team management to the development of projects. Previously, however, I lacked the willingness to take risks and the necessary small change to actually implement these plans. That’s why TSUS is exactly the right place for me.
What is the biggest challenge for you in this project?
- There are many hurdles to overcome before a feasible business model is in place. But I think the biggest challenge is to get away from personal bias regarding specific ideas and pay attention to what is really needed or has a place in the market. Bringing together appropriate information and drawing the relevant aspects from it is a mammoth task that can only be accomplished with time and continuous effort or adjustments (i.e. iterations). First of all, it is necessary to find an innovative entry-level product that can subsequently be scaled well. This is already where most fail. Nevertheless, I am confident that our team will master this challenge.
What has been your best moment in the project work so far?
- I am particularly impressed by the humanity and empathetic attitude of everyone involved. It’s great to see that in addition to the development of a business model, which has to be profit-oriented, value is always placed on the interpersonal level. This starts with the fact that in official meetings the team members are asked how they are feeling and ends with the enthusiasm and encouragement from outside for the process so far. It is also the bringing together of different expertise and perspectives. I am pleased with the interim results produced by the team so far. To have come up with three good ideas together after three weeks of the Discover and Design phase is quite an achievement. I can also live very well with the decision in the intermediate pitch about the first direction.
What is your motto in life and what personal goals do you want to achieve with this project?
- For my life, I want to achieve that I create an everyday life where vacation is just the icing on the cake. This means that I maintain my values and ideas throughout, both in my professional and private life. There should be a healthy balance between stress and recovery. Ergo, activities that consume resources should be balanced with activities that renew or expand resources. What could be better than the implementation of one’s own ideas into a business model that deals with long-term healthy living?
Muriel Ortel | “We have great visions as a team and I’m looking forward implementing them together.”
Muriel Ortelt is 25 years old and comes from Heidelberg. She studied ecotrophology at the Justus Liebig University in Giessen, with a focus on nutrition therapy. She dedicated her final thesis to fasting in breast cancer therapy. She gained practical experience in the Buchinger fasting clinic at Lake Constance. Most recently, she worked in a practice in Freiburg. Muriel wants to develop personally and seize the opportunities that arise from the Business Design Sprint.
Why did you apply to participate in the Tech Startup School project “Fasting & Autophagy”?
- I was looking for new challenges and set a goal to move more and more out of my comfort zone. I have been dealing with the topic of fasting for a long time during my studies in ecotrophology, which is why I completed an internship in a fasting clinic and also wrote my bachelor’s thesis on the topic of “Fasting as a supportive measure in breast cancer therapy”. The subject area is an incredibly exciting one and has always made me realize what a marvel the human body is. With this background, the project just felt right and fitting for me and I am incredibly grateful to be a part of it.
What do you find most fascinating about the business environment of “fasting”?
- In my opinion, it is unfortunately still far too unknown what positive effects the temporary abstention from food can bring about in our bodies. Both in the prevention of many diseases and the pursuit of a long, healthy and vital life, as well as in the therapy of various diseases. Even the restriction of calories for a few days, as Valter Longo was able to prove scientifically, can be a great relief for our body and set in motion processes that we have not even explored all. Fasting offers a holistic approach and I think it’s great to inspire people to try something out and explore how their body reacts and what it communicates to them in the same process. The subject area of fasting still offers a lot of potential for further development. I’m sure we’re just at the beginning. We have great visions as a team and I look forward to implementing them together.
Have you been thinking about founding a company for a while? What appeals to you in general about founding a startup?
- My goal has long been to one day start my own business and make a difference in healthcare. As part of our startup project, I can be there from the beginning and learn how a company is built. Here, I can not only contribute my expertise, but also learn an incredible amount of new things in completely different areas of competence. Experiencing the whole process and being a part of it is a great opportunity.
What is the biggest challenge for you in this project?
- In the workshops we learn an incredible amount of new things, which are implemented at the same time. To look at the process from all sides and to understand it is sometimes difficult for me. To actually move out of your comfort zone also requires a certain amount of willpower. But thanks to the support we have received from each other, we have mastered every challenge very well so far.
What has been your best moment in the project work so far?
- It’s great to see how our ideas are taking shape and how we are actually implementing the project. So there’s no specific moment that comes to mind, but simply witnessing and participating in the whole process. In addition, my teammates inspire me to strive for new goals, for which I am very grateful.
What is your motto in life and what personal goals would you like to achieve with this project?
- I don’t have a specific motto in life. However, I strive to give it my all, to get the best out of myself both personally and professionally. I want to make a difference and help people maintain their health or regain some of it. I have made this my life’s work and the project supports me in every way. I gain so many new insights, build something with a great team and together we help people do something good for their health in the context of fasting.
Dimitri Wilhelm | “Startups offer the opportunity to change the world.”
Dimitri (Dima for short) Wilhelm is 32 years old and the IT and business expert in the team. Dima lives and works as a Full Stack Developer and Data Scientist in Berlin. As a mathematician and economist, he is characterized by entrepreneurial thinking and enthusiasm for AI and digital business models. After gaining some startup and business design experience, he now wants to turn his passion for sports, health and nutrition into a profession with the help of new technologies and found a startup as part of a team.
Why did you apply to participate in the Tech Startup School project “Fasting & Autophagy”?
- I have been in the startup scene for over seven years by now and now wanted to take off as an entrepreneur. While looking for an opportunity, I was then made aware of the Tech Startup School. The combination of professional support with a previously assembled interdisciplinary team and an exciting topic in the field of health convinced me immediately.
What do you find most fascinating in the business environment of “fasting”?
- In Germany today, health has a higher status than ever before in society – and this is also true for me. When I first became involved with the topic of “Fasting & Autophagy”, I was fascinated by the many positive effects on body and health. I now wanted to make this accessible to as many people as possible.
Have you been thinking about founding a company for a while? What appeals to you in general about founding a startup?
- Yes, I already had my first startup experience a few years ago. For me, startups offer the opportunity to change the world. For me, it is the greatest enrichment to create something great out of ideas with other people and thus have a positive impact on people’s lives and the environment. Especially nowadays it is more important than ever to find solutions to the big problems of our world.
What is the biggest challenge for you in this project?
- The first step is always the hardest. My experience shows that the team is the decisive factor for the success of a startup, besides timing, and I see this as the biggest challenge.
What was your best moment in the project work so far?
- There is no one moment. It’s the atmosphere and the people around you that make the many moments very exciting and beautiful.
What is your motto in life and what personal goals would you like to achieve for yourself with this project?
- I don’t have a life motto. My personal goal with this project is to help shape the health market in the field of fasting and to get an entry into the world of entrepreneurship.
Candice Imanuel | “I’m impressed by the positive impact fasting has on life. Therefore, I want to support people in their fasting experience.”
Candice Imanuel is originally from Indonesia and, at 22, is the youngest on the team. She has experienced the positive effects of interval fasting herself and thus came up with the idea of studying nutrition management and dietetics in Hohenheim. During her studies, she was able to prove in the form of a term paper that the eating behavior of overweight people changed in the direction of a healthier diet after fasting. Through internships and her thesis, Candice learned about the development of new product concepts in the food industry. She is now eager to use her expertise to build a company herself as part of a team.
Why did you apply to participate in the Tech Startup School project “Fasting & Autophagy”?
- For me, I have been able to make very positive experiences with interval fasting and I am also very interested in the scientific background on the topic of fasting. In addition, I have the desire to become self-employed. The advertised startup project has therefore exactly met my professional and personal interests.
What do you find most fascinating in the business environment “fasting”?
- I find it most fascinating to apply the scientific findings of different types of fasting to specific target groups. Our body is endowed with the ability to activate the cellular recycling process (autophagy). It is close to my heart to create a fasting offer for everyone, which precisely meets the various health-related needs.
Have you been thinking about founding a company for a while? What appeals to you in general about founding a startup?
- I come from a family of entrepreneurs. Since my childhood, I have seen my parents successfully build their business together and continue to develop it. They have overcome many challenges that come with owning their own business, going through good and bad times and realizing their entrepreneurial vision. That inspired me a lot, so now I want to be an entrepreneur myself as part of the team.
What is the biggest challenge for you in this project?
- For me, the greatest challenge is the wide range of tasks for which I have no previous experience. Therefore, I am very grateful for my team. Muriel, Dima, Kai and I all have different professional backgrounds. Everyone brings their own strengths to the team and so we complement each other very well.
What was your best moment in the project work so far?
- During the Discover phase, I was able to meet many experts and customers who have their own personal stories about fasting. I was impressed by how fasting changed their lives. These insights motivate me to support people in their fasting experience.
What is your life motto and what personal goals would you like to achieve for yourself with this project?
- “And when the time comes when I am weak and helpless, I now say my life was a blessing”. We stay on earth for a limited time. Whether I will still be here tomorrow, no one knows. But I know that my life is blessed with a mission and talents – not only for me, but also for the benefit of other people. It is my wish that through me and the company that will emerge from this project, the lives of other people will be improved.
In this interview, we introduce the four talents of the project team “Fasting & Autophagy” in more detail. Kai Gensitz (sports psychologist), Muriel Ortelt (ecotrophologist), Dimitri Wilhelm (full stack developer & data scientist) and Candice Imanuel (nutrition management & dietetics) talk about their motivations for the 10-week business design program and why they want to found a startup in the field of “fasting” as a team.
Kai Gensitz | “Business offers a great opportunity to transfer scientific findings into practice and make them accessible to as many people as possible.”
Kai Gensitz is a sports psychologist, 27 years old and originally from Freiburg. He currently lives in Cologne, where he is conducting research on digital coaching in the field of motivational psychology at the German Sport University. In addition, he is interested in stress management with the interaction of body and psyche. Through his own website (gesundheit-kg.de), he offers courses on stress management. Kai is interested in new technologies, which he likes to try out and use himself. He has been privately familiar with interval fasting for several years and has also gone without food completely for several days. His big wish is to found a startup in the health psychology field.
Why did you apply to participate in the Tech Startup School project “Fasting & Autophagy”?
- The project appealed to me mainly because TSUS offers an environment in which freedom and ideas are encouraged, but equally supportive procedures and processes are available. I was attracted by the concept of TSUS and the content of the project “Fasting & Autophagy” because I have been dealing with this topic privately for a long time. Through the project I have the opportunity to combine private interest and professional development.
What do you find most fascinating in the business environment of “fasting”?
- I am fascinated by the topic of health in general. Through my current work in an academic context in the field of sports psychology, my focus so far has been on the interactions between physical activity and our psyche. However, this is only one piece of a large puzzle. I now find the next piece in the topic around fasting. This broadens my horizons and knowledge base. I also believe that science can contribute a great deal to understanding specific processes and developing health-promoting measures. However, I see the opportunity to transfer this knowledge into practice and thus make it accessible to as many people as possible, especially in the economy or the business environment.
Have you been thinking about founding a company for a while? What appeals to you in general about founding a startup?
- In fact, I have been thinking about founding a company for quite some time. I would like to realize my own ideas and concepts. The first approaches in this direction came to me at the end of 2020. So far, no idea has made it into the implementation. What appeals to me about founding a startup is the freedom to design procedures and processes in a company from the ground up – from working time models to team management to the development of projects. Previously, however, I lacked the willingness to take risks and the necessary small change to actually implement these plans. That’s why TSUS is exactly the right place for me.
What is the biggest challenge for you in this project?
- There are many hurdles to overcome before a feasible business model is in place. But I think the biggest challenge is to get away from personal bias regarding specific ideas and pay attention to what is really needed or has a place in the market. Bringing together appropriate information and drawing the relevant aspects from it is a mammoth task that can only be accomplished with time and continuous effort or adjustments (i.e. iterations). First of all, it is necessary to find an innovative entry-level product that can subsequently be scaled well. This is already where most fail. Nevertheless, I am confident that our team will master this challenge.
What has been your best moment in the project work so far?
- I am particularly impressed by the humanity and empathetic attitude of everyone involved. It’s great to see that in addition to the development of a business model, which has to be profit-oriented, value is always placed on the interpersonal level. This starts with the fact that in official meetings the team members are asked how they are feeling and ends with the enthusiasm and encouragement from outside for the process so far. It is also the bringing together of different expertise and perspectives. I am pleased with the interim results produced by the team so far. To have come up with three good ideas together after three weeks of the Discover and Design phase is quite an achievement. I can also live very well with the decision in the intermediate pitch about the first direction.
What is your motto in life and what personal goals do you want to achieve with this project?
- For my life, I want to achieve that I create an everyday life where vacation is just the icing on the cake. This means that I maintain my values and ideas throughout, both in my professional and private life. There should be a healthy balance between stress and recovery. Ergo, activities that consume resources should be balanced with activities that renew or expand resources. What could be better than the implementation of one’s own ideas into a business model that deals with long-term healthy living?
Muriel Ortel | “We have great visions as a team and I’m looking forward implementing them together.”
Muriel Ortelt is 25 years old and comes from Heidelberg. She studied ecotrophology at the Justus Liebig University in Giessen, with a focus on nutrition therapy. She dedicated her final thesis to fasting in breast cancer therapy. She gained practical experience in the Buchinger fasting clinic at Lake Constance. Most recently, she worked in a practice in Freiburg. Muriel wants to develop personally and seize the opportunities that arise from the Business Design Sprint.
Why did you apply to participate in the Tech Startup School project “Fasting & Autophagy”?
- I was looking for new challenges and set a goal to move more and more out of my comfort zone. I have been dealing with the topic of fasting for a long time during my studies in ecotrophology, which is why I completed an internship in a fasting clinic and also wrote my bachelor’s thesis on the topic of “Fasting as a supportive measure in breast cancer therapy”. The subject area is an incredibly exciting one and has always made me realize what a marvel the human body is. With this background, the project just felt right and fitting for me and I am incredibly grateful to be a part of it.
What do you find most fascinating about the business environment of “fasting”?
- In my opinion, it is unfortunately still far too unknown what positive effects the temporary abstention from food can bring about in our bodies. Both in the prevention of many diseases and the pursuit of a long, healthy and vital life, as well as in the therapy of various diseases. Even the restriction of calories for a few days, as Valter Longo was able to prove scientifically, can be a great relief for our body and set in motion processes that we have not even explored all. Fasting offers a holistic approach and I think it’s great to inspire people to try something out and explore how their body reacts and what it communicates to them in the same process. The subject area of fasting still offers a lot of potential for further development. I’m sure we’re just at the beginning. We have great visions as a team and I look forward to implementing them together.
Have you been thinking about founding a company for a while? What appeals to you in general about founding a startup?
- My goal has long been to one day start my own business and make a difference in healthcare. As part of our startup project, I can be there from the beginning and learn how a company is built. Here, I can not only contribute my expertise, but also learn an incredible amount of new things in completely different areas of competence. Experiencing the whole process and being a part of it is a great opportunity.
What is the biggest challenge for you in this project?
- In the workshops we learn an incredible amount of new things, which are implemented at the same time. To look at the process from all sides and to understand it is sometimes difficult for me. To actually move out of your comfort zone also requires a certain amount of willpower. But thanks to the support we have received from each other, we have mastered every challenge very well so far.
What has been your best moment in the project work so far?
- It’s great to see how our ideas are taking shape and how we are actually implementing the project. So there’s no specific moment that comes to mind, but simply witnessing and participating in the whole process. In addition, my teammates inspire me to strive for new goals, for which I am very grateful.
What is your motto in life and what personal goals would you like to achieve with this project?
- I don’t have a specific motto in life. However, I strive to give it my all, to get the best out of myself both personally and professionally. I want to make a difference and help people maintain their health or regain some of it. I have made this my life’s work and the project supports me in every way. I gain so many new insights, build something with a great team and together we help people do something good for their health in the context of fasting.
Dimitri Wilhelm | “Startups offer the opportunity to change the world.”
Dimitri (Dima for short) Wilhelm is 32 years old and the IT and business expert in the team. Dima lives and works as a Full Stack Developer and Data Scientist in Berlin. As a mathematician and economist, he is characterized by entrepreneurial thinking and enthusiasm for AI and digital business models. After gaining some startup and business design experience, he now wants to turn his passion for sports, health and nutrition into a profession with the help of new technologies and found a startup as part of a team.
Why did you apply to participate in the Tech Startup School project “Fasting & Autophagy”?
- I have been in the startup scene for over seven years by now and now wanted to take off as an entrepreneur. While looking for an opportunity, I was then made aware of the Tech Startup School. The combination of professional support with a previously assembled interdisciplinary team and an exciting topic in the field of health convinced me immediately.
What do you find most fascinating in the business environment of “fasting”?
- In Germany today, health has a higher status than ever before in society – and this is also true for me. When I first became involved with the topic of “Fasting & Autophagy”, I was fascinated by the many positive effects on body and health. I now wanted to make this accessible to as many people as possible.
Have you been thinking about founding a company for a while? What appeals to you in general about founding a startup?
- Yes, I already had my first startup experience a few years ago. For me, startups offer the opportunity to change the world. For me, it is the greatest enrichment to create something great out of ideas with other people and thus have a positive impact on people’s lives and the environment. Especially nowadays it is more important than ever to find solutions to the big problems of our world.
What is the biggest challenge for you in this project?
- The first step is always the hardest. My experience shows that the team is the decisive factor for the success of a startup, besides timing, and I see this as the biggest challenge.
What was your best moment in the project work so far?
- There is no one moment. It’s the atmosphere and the people around you that make the many moments very exciting and beautiful.
What is your motto in life and what personal goals would you like to achieve for yourself with this project?
- I don’t have a life motto. My personal goal with this project is to help shape the health market in the field of fasting and to get an entry into the world of entrepreneurship.
Candice Imanuel | “I’m impressed by the positive impact fasting has on life. Therefore, I want to support people in their fasting experience.”
Candice Imanuel is originally from Indonesia and, at 22, is the youngest on the team. She has experienced the positive effects of interval fasting herself and thus came up with the idea of studying nutrition management and dietetics in Hohenheim. During her studies, she was able to prove in the form of a term paper that the eating behavior of overweight people changed in the direction of a healthier diet after fasting. Through internships and her thesis, Candice learned about the development of new product concepts in the food industry. She is now eager to use her expertise to build a company herself as part of a team.
Why did you apply to participate in the Tech Startup School project “Fasting & Autophagy”?
- For me, I have been able to make very positive experiences with interval fasting and I am also very interested in the scientific background on the topic of fasting. In addition, I have the desire to become self-employed. The advertised startup project has therefore exactly met my professional and personal interests.
What do you find most fascinating in the business environment “fasting”?
- I find it most fascinating to apply the scientific findings of different types of fasting to specific target groups. Our body is endowed with the ability to activate the cellular recycling process (autophagy). It is close to my heart to create a fasting offer for everyone, which precisely meets the various health-related needs.
Have you been thinking about founding a company for a while? What appeals to you in general about founding a startup?
- I come from a family of entrepreneurs. Since my childhood, I have seen my parents successfully build their business together and continue to develop it. They have overcome many challenges that come with owning their own business, going through good and bad times and realizing their entrepreneurial vision. That inspired me a lot, so now I want to be an entrepreneur myself as part of the team.
What is the biggest challenge for you in this project?
- For me, the greatest challenge is the wide range of tasks for which I have no previous experience. Therefore, I am very grateful for my team. Muriel, Dima, Kai and I all have different professional backgrounds. Everyone brings their own strengths to the team and so we complement each other very well.
What was your best moment in the project work so far?
- During the Discover phase, I was able to meet many experts and customers who have their own personal stories about fasting. I was impressed by how fasting changed their lives. These insights motivate me to support people in their fasting experience.
What is your life motto and what personal goals would you like to achieve for yourself with this project?
- “And when the time comes when I am weak and helpless, I now say my life was a blessing”. We stay on earth for a limited time. Whether I will still be here tomorrow, no one knows. But I know that my life is blessed with a mission and talents – not only for me, but also for the benefit of other people. It is my wish that through me and the company that will emerge from this project, the lives of other people will be improved.
