Once upon a Student

Before you raise money, you should understand what venture capital really means. In this special crossover episode of Once Upon a Student x Entrepreneurs Talk, we explore what every founder should know before entering the fundraising journey: when VC makes sense, when it might not be the right path, what investors actually look for, and how founders can navigate the emotional reality behind raisin...

Every student wants better grades. Almost none of them are taught how to actually get them. Lennard Klein went from struggling student to perfect GPA using a system built entirely on neuroscience and peer-reviewed research. Not motivation, not grinding, not luck. In this episode of Once Upon a Student , he shares the exact framework he now teaches to students across Europe through his company Brai...

In this episode of Once Upon a Student, we sit down with Rosa Bergmann — social entrepreneur, former teacher, founder of Hobby Lobby, Teach For Austria alumna, and nominee for Austrian of the Year. Rosa has seen inequality where most people stop looking. Not just inside classrooms, but long before and long after them. She argues that the biggest educational gaps are often inherited, shaped by fami...

What if the biggest opportunities are already right in front of you? In this episode of Once Upon a Student, we sit down with Cornelia Daniel, founder of Dachgold and one of Austria’s leading voices in renewable energy. While many of her classmates were preparing for traditional careers in consulting and banking, Cornelia followed a different path. What started as curiosity during her master’s the...

What does it really take to build a high-growth AI startup in Europe? In this episode of Once Upon a Student, we sit down with Daniel Keinrath, founder of Fonio, a fast-growing AI phone assistant startup generating over €300,000 in monthly revenue and growing 30% month over month. At 18, Daniel was organizing nightclub events and got screwed over by the Mafia on his first major event. Years later,...

Want to grow on TikTok, get more views and maybe even land brand deals or clients? Then you should probably listen to the person who built a 40+ person TikTok agency out of “having nothing to lose.”In this episode of Once Upon a Student, I sit down with Victor Vécsei , founder & CEO of marswalk – one of the leading TikTok / Gen Z agencies in the DACH region. Victor started as a student creator...

"If I ever get to roll the dice again, I’ll do it differently"Busuu co-founder Bernhard Niesner made that vow after a "mass walkout" left him with just 10 employees. Having already survived launching in the 2008 financial crisis, this was the moment that changed everything. In this conversation, we trace the 15-year arc from near-bankruptcy to a €385M exit , exploring the "TEACH" Values (Trust, Ef...

This is the playbook for winning the AI decade. We're in the next Industrial Revolution, and the old rules for success no longer apply. This conversation is a practical and emotional guide to the new strategies that actually work. Your guide is Dr. Isabell Claus. After co-founding and successfully exiting one of Europe's fastest-growing cybersecurity companies, she started again from zero....

“Discipline outlasts talent. Reinvention isn’t weakness—it’s courage.” Vesela Dimova began dancing at six. By her teens she was a national champion; later, a TV star on Dancing Stars in Vietnam. Then the lights dimmed—and a new chapter began in a small dorm room at WU Vienna . No headlines. No stage. Just the quiet work of starting over. In our 10th episode of Once Upon a Student , we trace the ar...

Betting on yourself means stepping into uncertainty and building something anyway. In Episode 9 of Once Upon a Student, we sit down with Elias Aruna, WU-Alumnus and Co-Founder of Scale Energy, a bold startup that’s tackling one of Europe’s most urgent and overlooked challenges: our outdated, overloaded energy grid. From his early days as a student full of questions, to launching one of Europe’s mo...

You don’t need investors, inventory, or hype to build a real brand. You need resourcefulness, trust, and relentless learning. In Episode 6 of Once Upon a Student, we sit down with Nino Pérez-Salado, a student entrepreneur who turned a small budget and a laptop into Plusgear Sports, one of Austria’s fastest-growing sportswear brands. Nino shares his raw journey from testing dropshipping ideas durin...

Success isn’t always what it seems—and sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is walk away from it. In Episode 7 of Once Upon a Student, we sit down with Marlene Johler, a former investment banker who left behind a “dream career” to pursue something far more meaningful: building a sustainable future for Europe. In this deeply honest and inspiring conversation, Marlene shares her journey of lettin...

Cybersecurity isn’t just about protecting systems—it’s about safeguarding our freedom, our economy, and our future. In Episode 6 of Once Upon a Student, we sit down with Christian Polster, a cybersecurity leader and visionary entrepreneur. Starting as a curious 3-year-old “hacker,” Christian grew to co-found and lead Radar Cyber Security, one of Europe’s top companies in the field. For the first t...

Networking isn’t about collecting business cards—it’s about creating authentic relationships. In Episode 5 of Once Upon a Student, we sit down with Sophie Zechmeister, a leading voice in community building and personal transformation. Sophie shares her journey from a self-described ‘lone wolf’ to becoming a TEDx speaker, author, and expert in fostering meaningful connections. Learn how curiosity,...

In this episode of Once Upon a Student, we sit down with Tamas Petrovics, former McKinsey consultant turned healthtech entrepreneur, who shares an honest and unfiltered look at his journey from university parties to building a company that’s transforming healthcare. Tamas opens up about the struggles of navigating life as a student, the challenges of the consulting world, and the moment he realize...

In today’s conversation, I sit down with Hannah Wundsam, the Managing Director at Austrian Startups, Austria’s largest startup platform and think tank. In this episode, we explore: 0:00 Introduction 1:43 The Early Context: Shaping the Future 3:19 Discovering Social Entrepreneurship in Australia 5:54 Childhood Indicators and Early Motivations 7:51 The Spark for Entrepreneurship: From Idea to Realit...

Today, we're honored to host Mahdis Gharaei , a pivotal figure in promoting female entrepreneurship. As the founder of one of the most successful female-focused networks , she has significantly impacted over 20,000 women across 75 countries , empowering them through education and professional opportunities. Mahdis is also renowned for her viral TEDx talk which addresses the systemic challenges...

In today's conversation, I sit down with Kambis Kohansal Vajargah, the dynamic co-founder of Whatchado and a celebrated venture capitalist.  Join us as we delve into his journey, uncovering the principles and strategies that have guided him from being a student to the forefront of innovation and investment. In this conversation, we delve into 👇🏽 The art of balancing a multifaceted career wit...