Event Recap: Transcultural Leadership Summit 2025
This year marked the 10-year anniversary of the Transcultural Leadership Summit (TLS), a milestone celebrated with an inspiring, and global community.
A special thank you to Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG, whose support made this open-access event possible and ensured that insights, ideas, and knowledge could be shared widely. With 200+ participants joining online and on campus at Zeppelin University, the TLS once again provided a vibrant platform for transcultural exchange and learning.
In his welcome address, Prof. Josef Wieland, Director of the Leadership Excellence Institute Zeppelin, reminded us: "We live in times of comprehensive transformations and continuous disruptions across all sectors of society. Perhaps this is the beginning of the 21st century, a period that may one day be viewed as a turning point in the history of social development. There is a lot at stake, and with the Transcultural Caravan, we aim to contribute by collaboratively seeking answers to these challenges."
Through a variety of formats, including a panel discussion, keynotes, and World Café, participants at Zeppelin University and online explored digital, social, and ecological transformations from a transcultural perspective. The discussions emphasized the urgent need to examine these transformations and their implications for our societies and the planet now, as waiting even a decade could make it too late to address some of these critical developments.
This year, the TLS was organized by the Transcultural Caravan Network and the Bodensee Innovationscluster (BIC). The whole summit would have not been possible without the colleagues and students from TLS, LEIZ, and BIC, whose dedication ensured that every element of the event came together seamlessly.
Our heartfelt thanks go to all speakers and moderators who enriched the programme with their expertise: Steffen Erath, Alexandra Deschamps-Sonsino, Elisabeth Lindt, Jenny Theolin, Cawa Younosi, Eva Simone Lihotzky, Bonza Majozi, Gabriel Cogo, Sook-Jung Dofel, Prof. Matthias Weiss, Prof. Frank Kramer, Prof. Lucina Odoi, Prof. Katrin Sontag, Dr. Matthias Niedenführ, Manav Sumara, Dr. Jessica Schwengber, and many more.
A special mention to Dr. des. Tobias Grünfelder and Prof. Julika Baumann Montecinos, whose thoughtful moderation guided us through the day and gave the programme structure, clarity, and momentum.
We are also deeply grateful to the bewegtbildwerft team, whose outstanding work made the event accessible through a seamless live transmission.
It was a remarkable day filled with dialogue, reflection, creativity, and a strong shared commitment to shaping transformation across cultures and regions.
Find more insights and highlights from the event in the following ZU-Daily-Article.
