Young Leonardo Laureates 2015

Christoph Brosius, Germany, Founder and CEO of “Die Hobrechts” in the category Young Leonardo – Fun Energized Learning”

"The new category “Young Leonardo – Fun Energized Learning” emphasizes work and approaches inspired by the idea and concept of creating possibilities of joyful, playful discovery and learning, and even behavioral change. In cooperation with your friends and cofounders of Hobrecht you have created amazing examples of changing perspectives in learning, be it in the corporate world itself or in the communication with customers. Your concepts of learning integrate strategic thinking as well as decision making, and involve team members in games that provide fascinating learning effects in combination with sheer fun.

The Advisory Board was impressed not only by the products generated by your corporate philosophy but also by the way you live this spirit personally. Your high competence results in finding ways to transfer innovative ideas into inspirational solutions for others in an open-minded and interested way. The blend of your outstanding work, your inspiring modest personality and your service-orientated approach creates value for your clients, customers and partners, but also provides a wonderful example of Leonardo-inspired learning – energized by fun."
(says spokesman for the judges, Günther M. Szogs)

Dr. Thieu Besselink, The Netherlands, Founder and CEO of “The Learning Lab” in the category “Young Leonardo - Wisely Smart”

The new category “Young Leonardo – Wisely Smart” touches on the traditional category “Thought Leadership” but places a particular emphasis on work at the intersection between business, art, communities and societal innovation in learning and knowing in today´s economy.

Our Dutch colleague Professor Wim Veen made us aware of your far-reaching pioneering work as an innovator, philosopher and adviser, who combines academic fundamental research with practical implementation in a rather diverse context. The variety of aspects you have focused your important work on are truly holistic in the spirit of Leonardo.

This is underlined by your “Learning Lab”, which you maintain was started as “a place of inquiry and creation in a collective effort to understand and form ourselves and the not yet sustainable world around us, to contribute to it with audacity and respect, and to grow in what makes us human – our creative capacity for meaningful action.” And what is particularly “wisely smart” is your conviction “that with the end of systemic certainty in our society you cannot understand the increasingly complex world unless you participate in its creation” (cited in the proposal). The Leonardo European Corporate Learning Award attempts to be a companion to make these insights heard, better understood and consciously implemented.

We know that this work of yours is embedded in studies, research, teachings, writings in diverse fields of thought and action. This is true for your multidisciplinary PhD on authority and leadership in the open society as well as for your studies at the theater academy in Florence (for us an often underestimated aspect in the world of learning), your learning in piano and music technology and your philosophy and urban studies at London School of Economics. We were very impressed by how you succeeded in making all of this a source for meaningful initiatives to help business people and underprivileged learners alike.

The decision of the Advisory Board was based on the reasons briefly depicted here, and we sincerely hope you accept this laureateship. You will be part of a still young but powerful legacy honoring exceptional personalities, the outreach of which is now extended through the “Young Leonardos”. With such generous support, “Leonardo” creates a narrative to assist stimulating a mind shift in corporate and societal learning in Europe and beyond.
(Extract from the jury decision)

"The Leonardo for “Trans-Generational Learning” focuses on meaningful contributions to better understanding how to learn together across generations. We became aware of your tireless efforts – even in your still young life – to foster potential in learning and knowing in all the challenges we are confronted with in different phases of our life. You already addressed a project called “My name is young European” to students in 2007 as well as one for the elder generation called “A day for two generations”. Four years ago you developed your first company which provided educational courses, camps and events for children aged 5 to 13. We have learned that your expertise in children’s economic education is highly valued and that you are also engaged in coaching parents.

But it is not just the diversity of age you are addressing. It is also the diversity of people and the diversity of their skills and ambitions you take into account smartly. Personal Development Training for children includes "Touch the Sky", "Speak Your Mind", "Follow Me", "Fun & Money", course comics for children, economic and entrepreneurial education courses for children, "Juniors in Business", digital art lectures, IT clubs for children – to name only a few from the large variety of your projects, mentoring and learning initiatives.

We know that your work has been recognized before through awards, nominations and the opportunity to give a TED talk. Obviously all this creates impact and supports your activities. The international advisory board looks more at the holistic side of your approach, the integration of your concerns with practical solutions, your willingness to address people in their diverse roles as business people, pupils of different ages, parents, children, citizens and the combination of important ethics with children’s learning needs. The consciousness of the interdependency of those aspects in your work in such an early stage truly impressed us. That is why we would like to grant you the laureateship"
(says the international Leonardo Advisory Board)

"The Leonardo “Humanity in Digitization” puts an emphasis on outstanding new developments that provoke a fundamental challenge to predominant mind-sets that enable us to bridge the gap of big data and digitization of all ways of life, and to truly adapt this impact for the benefit of society. The outcomes are of great importance for both Corporate Learning as well as Community Education. We feel that – at a particularly early stage in your life – you have pioneered astonishing new approaches in integrating brand-new technological developments with people´s ambition to learn about themselves and the communities within which they live. Despite your relatively young age, you already insisted on a paradigm shift in formal and informal education years ago, involving all relevant assets of technology and placing people at the center. In doing so, you are well aware of the dangers institutional restrictions impose upon us and the challenges the professional world confronts us with.

The Leonardo Ambassadors are most impressed with your pioneering ideas in the area of digital society and the intersection between man and machine, including the spheres of social media, big data, business analytics, quantified self, mobile & cloud services, the future of work and online learning.

Corporate learning will be inspired by your insights and your proposals to foster the potentials that can emerge even in times of crisis for global corporations like NOKIA in your country, by setting free energies for start ups and new ideas.

The International Advisory Board believes that your impressive achievements are fully in line with Leonardo’s spirit to which we feel a deep obligation, and we greatly respect your work." (excerpt from the jury decision)