About us
People before ideas.
When people work in an environment that fits them, more succeeds. Founding a company is no exception. That is why innovating.work exists.
Why we exist
Most ideas do not fail because of the idea.
Our research shows: innovative projects usually do not fail because of the idea, but because nobody takes care of the people behind it. This applies to almost every kind of work.
That is why we start with people. What drives you? Which environment do you need? Who do you fit with in a team? Only then comes the idea.
What we stand for
Three principles.
People before ideas
A good team finds a good idea. The other way round rarely works.
Values before growth
Meaning comes before profit. But without profit, nothing lasts.
Together, not alone
It is not you alone who should found, but you together. In a team that fits you.
The people behind innovating.work
Steffen and Julia.
Steffen Raetzer
Entrepreneur, innovation consultant and INSEAD MBA with more than 25 years of experience in corporations and start-ups. He has founded three companies and knows why founding teams fail or grow. Today he supports teams at every stage in Mannheim’s start-up centres and sees every day where things get stuck in practice. With TEAMUP, he brings the right people together before the idea is fixed. His conviction: good ideas grow out of strong teams, not the other way round.
Julia Wagner
Business psychologist with more than 15 years of leadership and management experience across different industries, always focused on helping people unfold their potential in line with the company’s goals. Julia researches what makes teams successful and which organisational structures help them. She believes that every person can make a relevant contribution to the common good. Supporting people on that path is what drives her.
Who we work with
Partners along the way.
We are developing TEAMUP in cooperation with NEXT MANNHEIM, the start-up centres of the City of Mannheim. In the past we have worked with CERN and the International Committee of the Red Cross, among others.
