Careers today are no longer linear — they are experimental, strategic, and deeply personal. This edition of Thursday Gathering focuses on how students, professionals, and career switchers can rethink how they position themselves, build agency, and navigate an increasingly competitive job market.
From reimagining employee experience to developing personal audacity and mastering modern job-hunting strategies, the evening brings together perspectives from education, psychology, and career design. Expect practical insights, reflective exercises, and actionable frameworks to help you move from uncertainty to direction.
In the Demo Table zone you will discover various products, technologies and projects being presented by the founders or startup-representatives.
In the Info Table zone you will find out about projects, organisations and ideas.
Want to present your organisation? Send us an application!
However remember, this is NO HARD SALES zone.
Unwind, connect, and vibe to the rhythm! This lively session blends casual networking with great music, offering the perfect atmosphere to meet fellow innovators, exchange ideas, and forge new collaborations. Grab a drink, enjoy the beats, and build meaningful connections in a relaxed, energetic setting.
Could a group of students actually redesign how a major tech company makes its people feel valued? Spoiler: they did.
Forget the case studies. This one's real.
A team of third-year students from Forward College didn't just study employee experience design, they jumped into the deep end with one of Europe's biggest travel-tech names (with 500 million users) and took on a challenge that even seasoned HR teams struggle to crack: what does genuine appreciation actually look like at work, and how do you build it in?
Real brief. Real stakeholders. Real pressure to deliver.
In this session, they'll take you along their journey as external consultants — the process, the friction, the breakthroughs, and the honest lessons learned along the way. No corporate gloss. Just sharp thinking and straight talk from the people who did the work.
Founders & builders — if you've got a culture, people, or strategy challenge and wonder whether student talent could move the needle, this is your proof of concept.
Future students — done with theory and ready to work on something that actually matters? Hear first-hand what project-based learning at Forward College looks like in practice.
Potential partners — want to bring us a real challenge to solve next term? Come see what happens when ambitious students meet a real company brief. The results might just change how you think about talent.
Come for the insights, stay for the conversation.
Because the best ideas about the future of work? They're coming from people who haven't been told yet what's not possible.
Think you're underpaid? “That's very likely,” says Esther Anna Watorowski, “if you are a woman.” The gender pay gap in Germany remains stubbornly high: women still earn around 16% less than men (Statista, unadjusted Gender Pay Gap, 2026).
In her session at Venture Café, Berlin-based employment lawyer Esther Anna Watorowski will break down the EU Pay Transparency Directive (Entgelttransparenzrichtlinie), which must be implemented into national law by 7 June 2026 and explain the major changes it will create for employers.
Esther will also tackle the question many companies are already asking: What if Germany still hasn’t passed an implementation law by June 8, 2026 — do employers still need to prepare?
As a bonus, Esther will wrap up the session with practical, real-world tips on how to negotiate a higher salary with confidence.
AI can write, build, analyse, and optimise. The one thing it cannot do is decide that your life needs to change and then pay the price for changing it. In a world where skill, knowledge, or even creativity are getting cheaper every day, agency becomes the most valuable human asset. And when agency meets resistance — from systems, cultures, industries, or your own wiring — it has to become something fiercer: audacity.
Using stories and hands-on exercises, we'll look at how to grow your audacity muscle to live a truly extraordinary life. A life that is yours, and not someone else’s script. Leave with a question that changes how you make every next decision.
Job hunting in 2026 is brutal. Employers are chasing a "perfect candidate" that doesn't exist, while talented professionals who've spent years mastering their craft are suddenly expected to become expert job seekers overnight. It's a broken system.
This workshop is for people who are done sending applications into the void and are ready to play the game strategically, without letting the process shake their confidence.
In 30 minutes, we'll cover:
— Why the market feels so terrible right now
— How to build a market strategy around the right opportunities, not just any role
— How to optimize your Linkedin to bring Recruiters to YOU
— How to source roles with lower competition and stand out as an applicant
— Networking, communities, and the offline moves that actually open doors
This event is hosted by founder Vanessa Wachtmeister and Go Onwards — Europe's #1 job board without borders. We help you find and land roles faster with fresh jobs, personalized role matching, and smart application features across 30+ European countries.
Come ready to take notes. Leave with a real plan. 🌍
Berlin-based lawyer who focuses on employment law and IT law.
Careers today are no longer linear — they are experimental, strategic, and deeply personal. This edition of Thursday Gathering focuses on how students, professionals, and career switchers can rethink how they position themselves, build agency, and navigate an increasingly competitive job market.
From reimagining employee experience to developing personal audacity and mastering modern job-hunting strategies, the evening brings together perspectives from education, psychology, and career design. Expect practical insights, reflective exercises, and actionable frameworks to help you move from uncertainty to direction.
In the Demo Table zone you will discover various products, technologies and projects being presented by the founders or startup-representatives.
In the Info Table zone you will find out about projects, organisations and ideas.
Want to present your organisation? Send us an application!
However remember, this is NO HARD SALES zone.
Unwind, connect, and vibe to the rhythm! This lively session blends casual networking with great music, offering the perfect atmosphere to meet fellow innovators, exchange ideas, and forge new collaborations. Grab a drink, enjoy the beats, and build meaningful connections in a relaxed, energetic setting.
Could a group of students actually redesign how a major tech company makes its people feel valued? Spoiler: they did.
Forget the case studies. This one's real.
A team of third-year students from Forward College didn't just study employee experience design, they jumped into the deep end with one of Europe's biggest travel-tech names (with 500 million users) and took on a challenge that even seasoned HR teams struggle to crack: what does genuine appreciation actually look like at work, and how do you build it in?
Real brief. Real stakeholders. Real pressure to deliver.
In this session, they'll take you along their journey as external consultants — the process, the friction, the breakthroughs, and the honest lessons learned along the way. No corporate gloss. Just sharp thinking and straight talk from the people who did the work.
Founders & builders — if you've got a culture, people, or strategy challenge and wonder whether student talent could move the needle, this is your proof of concept.
Future students — done with theory and ready to work on something that actually matters? Hear first-hand what project-based learning at Forward College looks like in practice.
Potential partners — want to bring us a real challenge to solve next term? Come see what happens when ambitious students meet a real company brief. The results might just change how you think about talent.
Come for the insights, stay for the conversation.
Because the best ideas about the future of work? They're coming from people who haven't been told yet what's not possible.
Think you're underpaid? “That's very likely,” says Esther Anna Watorowski, “if you are a woman.” The gender pay gap in Germany remains stubbornly high: women still earn around 16% less than men (Statista, unadjusted Gender Pay Gap, 2026).
In her session at Venture Café, Berlin-based employment lawyer Esther Anna Watorowski will break down the EU Pay Transparency Directive (Entgelttransparenzrichtlinie), which must be implemented into national law by 7 June 2026 and explain the major changes it will create for employers.
Esther will also tackle the question many companies are already asking: What if Germany still hasn’t passed an implementation law by June 8, 2026 — do employers still need to prepare?
As a bonus, Esther will wrap up the session with practical, real-world tips on how to negotiate a higher salary with confidence.
AI can write, build, analyse, and optimise. The one thing it cannot do is decide that your life needs to change and then pay the price for changing it. In a world where skill, knowledge, or even creativity are getting cheaper every day, agency becomes the most valuable human asset. And when agency meets resistance — from systems, cultures, industries, or your own wiring — it has to become something fiercer: audacity.
Using stories and hands-on exercises, we'll look at how to grow your audacity muscle to live a truly extraordinary life. A life that is yours, and not someone else’s script. Leave with a question that changes how you make every next decision.
Job hunting in 2026 is brutal. Employers are chasing a "perfect candidate" that doesn't exist, while talented professionals who've spent years mastering their craft are suddenly expected to become expert job seekers overnight. It's a broken system.
This workshop is for people who are done sending applications into the void and are ready to play the game strategically, without letting the process shake their confidence.
In 30 minutes, we'll cover:
— Why the market feels so terrible right now
— How to build a market strategy around the right opportunities, not just any role
— How to optimize your Linkedin to bring Recruiters to YOU
— How to source roles with lower competition and stand out as an applicant
— Networking, communities, and the offline moves that actually open doors
This event is hosted by founder Vanessa Wachtmeister and Go Onwards — Europe's #1 job board without borders. We help you find and land roles faster with fresh jobs, personalized role matching, and smart application features across 30+ European countries.
Come ready to take notes. Leave with a real plan. 🌍
Berlin-based lawyer who focuses on employment law and IT law.