The publisher (Herausgeber) of Berlin’s leading quality daily, Tagesspiegel, is a political scientist by training (Duke) and a honorary professor at the Berlin University for the Arts. Since the 80’s he has founded several companies, like the trade journal “Medium”, the first independent communication agency in East Germany then merged into the group Scholz & Friends, the start-up incubator Econa (now an internet holding) and the web service company Aperto. He is also involved in several non profit initiatives like the Max-Planck-Foundation, the Art Directors Club, the Berlin School of Creative Leadership and the “science for children” project “Haus der kleinen Forscher”. He initiated the Falling Walls Conference in 2009 and established the Falling Walls Foundation in 2010.