Wunderbar Together

On his last day in office as director of Wunderbar Together – the celebration of German-American friendship that gave this podcast its name – historian Christoph Mücher takes stock: Together with his team, he coordinated, co-created or supported 2.800 events in 560 places in all 50 states of the U.S. since October 2018. He oversaw a budget of 20 million Euros. And he met thousands of everyday Amer...

Dr. Frederik G. Pferdt is the Chief Innovation Evangelist at Google – a zealous advocate of turning challenges into opportunities. How? Any challenge, as big and harrowing it might seem, can be turned into a question, he says. That question takes away anxiety and inspires action. Even if it takes weeks or months to find and reframe that question. And even if it's highly uncomfortable, because most...

After playing soccer for most of his childhood, Moritz Wagner discovered his ease with mastering the game of basketball. As a teen, he skyrocketed through the ranks of his home town club Alba Berlin, before trying the impossible: At age 17, he turned down an offer to play professionally in Germany and joined the college team at University of Michigan with the dream of becoming a NBA player. And he...

Nora Abousteit grew up in a household of makers and tinkerers. Today, as the founder & CEO of CraftJam, she teaches the U.S. and the world how to craft, reintroducing the digital generation to using their hands. "We are what we make" is her mantra, and wants us all to make more – and consume less. Join Nora on her journey from Munich to Cairo to New York, discovering her cultural identities, befor...

Marco Schnabl's affinity for all things cars and engines goes back to his childhood near Cologne. But after putting himself through a tough dual study program with Daimler and starting a career in one of Germany's key industries, he left his secure job to become a car salesman in America's largest city. „Selling cars in Manhattan exposes you to all walks of life.” In episode 10 of the Wunderbar To...

"How did a guy from Heidelberg end up in the hills of L.A.? I got lucky", says Paul Ripke, who moved to California with his family four years ago. He works as a visual storyteller, photographer, fashion designer and influencer – a creator of the digital age with over half a million followers on Instagram alone. In episode 8 of the Wunderbar Together podcast, Paul discusses his journey from djing f...

Mel, born in Ireland, wanted to learn German. Anita, born in Germany, wanted to improve her English. As an intercultural couple in New York City, they wanted to understand each other and their respective cultures better. But they couldn't find any lessons or teachers they liked. Taking life by the horns, they started their own thing in 2016: Talaera, a platform for personalized English training. T...

From Papua New Guinea to Saudi Arabia to the Turks and Caicos islands – Sebastian Steinau has worked in some of the most exotic places on our planet. Without ever planning on it, he became the broker of the wealthy. And eventually, he moved to New York, to make it in the toughest real estate market of all. On episode 7 of the Wunderbar Together, Sebastian Steinau, Senior Global Real Estate Advisor...

Vince Ebert is a physicist and comedian – and a big hit in his native Germany. But after two decades of playing sold-out theaters, publishing bestselling books and hosting his own television show, he recently relocated to New York City. His goal: Breaking through in the toughest stand-up scene in the world. His opening line: "German physicist – double the fun." His takeaway: "It wasn't a complete...

Hilke Schellmann is one of the few Germans who ever won an Emmy for documentary filmmaking. She is an investigative reporter at The Wall Street Journal and an Assistant Professor for Journalism at New York University. In episode 5 of the Wunderbar Together podcast, she dives into the different approaches to journalism in the U.S. and in Germany, #MeToo in media and her recent investigations of art...

He is one of the most experienced and well-known investors in technology in the United States, and also somebody who permanently lives a few steps ahead in the future. Please welcome Albert Wenger, Managing Partner at Union Square Ventures.

In December 2013, artist Uli Beutter Cohen asked a young woman on the Q train what she was reading, and if she was ok to have her picture taken. It had caught Uli's attention that New York City was a place where more people would read on the subway than anywhere else – always with a special sense of pride, and many emotions. Uli posted the picture of the women – a young dancer – reading “Catching...

Five years ago, Theresa and Corinna Williams left their well-paid jobs to open a laundromat in Brooklyn – together. It led them through endless bureau-crazy, construction sites, bursting water pipes, endless and even more endless hours of daunting work. But they did it. They opened Celsious, the first-ever sustainable laundromat in New York City, including a café and an open-air patio. They built...

The first guest on Wunderbar Together is among the most esteemed architects of his generation. His architecture firm Hollwich Kushner is based in New York City and has been ranked among the world's most innovative companies by Fast Company magazine. He is also the co-creator of Architizer, the largest platform for architecture online. And he's a thought leader and author on the topic of aging. But...

Hi and welcome to Wunderbar Together! We're excited to take you on a journey to the coolest Germans in the United States. Together, we learn how our guests combine two cultures and create something wonderful. This podcast is inspired and party funded by Wunderbar Together, the Year of German-American friendship. Wunderbar Together 2018/19 was a comprehensive and collaborative initiative funded by...