Community
Community, to me, means more than connection.
It is about belonging, mutual support and the ability to remain resilient together.
Both online and offline, I create spaces where trust can grow, diversity becomes visible and people connect with one another.
My focus is on enabling encounters that do not only matter in the moment, but that allow long-term relationships and networks to emerge.
Approach
There are few things more powerful to me than people coming together.
Even without a large program, something meaningful can happen: a space where exchange becomes possible and connections begin to grow.
Especially in large cities, where many people live side by side without truly meeting, community spaces can become an important counterbalance. They create belonging, encourage dialogue and strengthen people in supporting one another.
Although I am rather introverted myself, I am fascinated by the energy that emerges when people gather and share their experiences.
Community, to me, is not simply a network. It is a living space where trust, solidarity and new ideas can grow.
African Futures, Cologne
Principles
Building community also means taking responsibility — locally and internationally, online and offline.
I contribute by opening spaces, developing formats and enabling encounters. In doing so, I consciously focus on accessibility, diversity and safe environments in which people can participate and feel welcome.
What matters to me is that not only individual events take place, but that connections endure beyond them. People should be able to build relationships, learn from one another and create networks that last.
Alongside my professional work, I therefore also engage in volunteer initiatives such as the Upward Kollektiv, a network of young professionals in Cologne that I co-founded. Together we initiate projects, secure funding and reinvest resources into the local community.
Upward Kollektiv Logo
Spring Equinox by Upward, Cologne
My community work takes many different forms:
from cultural events and dialogue spaces to workshops and retreats, as well as simple open gatherings such as picnics in the park.
What matters most is not the format itself, but its impact: connecting people, enabling exchange and creating spaces where community can be experienced.
The photo series on this page offers a glimpse into this diversity of encounters and formats.
Formats
Christmas Market by Upward, Cologne
Climate Fest by Upward, Cologne
Diverse Upward Kollektiv Flyer
Mission
In the long term, I want to strengthen networks and support structures that are sustained by the people themselves: open, accessible and resilient.
I am particularly interested in the kinds of communities that emerge when people with different perspectives come together and take responsibility for one another.
Community work does not mean that everyone has to think alike.
It means creating spaces where people can meet with respect, openness and a shared willingness to learn from one another.
Artists, activists, cultural institutions, cities and international networks all play an important role in this process, as does every individual who brings time, ideas and commitment.
