Who we are

We – Rubin Ritter, Robert Gentz and David Schneider – were very lucky. We were able to celebrate great success with Zalando from 2008 onwards. That brought us closer together. We are still friends today and continue to invest together in start-ups and growth companies.

Now we are going one step further. With the Kinnings Foundation, we are investing in players who help children and young people to discover their passion, develop their strengths and take on responsibility. Young people who are given the opportunity to go their own way. Just like we did back then. We have achieved our entrepreneurial success ourselves with a great deal of energy and passion – but we are aware that all of this was only possible because we had people at our side who gave us a great deal along the way and opened up opportunities for us.

There is no question that opportunities are never perfectly distributed in a society. But we want to do our bit to ensure that as many young people as possible have a fair chance and that no one feels left behind or without opportunities. After all, this is the basis for the cohesion and performance of our society. And therefore for the future of us all.

Michael Okrob

CEO

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»What could be more motivating than opening up opportunities for young people? I know from my own experience that we all need people who believe in us and support us wholeheartedly. I firmly believe in the teams we work with, and we work hard to empower many children and young people together with them.«

Christina Lagemann

CEO

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»Seeing children and young people grow beyond themselves inspires me! It is often particularly formative encounters or experiences that broaden horizons and unleash potential. I look forward to working together with our impact partners to release this additional energy and open up new opportunities.«

Cristina Bendiek Laranjo

Partnerships & Impact Officer

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»Thuringia is full of young visionaries and people who want to actively shape the future. My enthusiasm lies in working locally! In creating connections and appreciation, in mutual understanding and in overcoming boundaries and differences.«

Judith Schneider

Office Manager

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»At Kinnings, we are passionate about networking and promoting social entrepreneurial talent and social entrepreneurs. From my own networking experience, I know the transformative power and multiplier effect that this can have.«

Amani Al-Addous

Project manager

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»More courage for more opportunities! I am impressed by the variety of ideas and the will with which initiatives are working to take responsibility, to get even more out of existing ideas and to strongly promote what is important: strengthening young people and helping them with their interests and concerns to get the opportunities they deserve.«

Ha Thu Atticos Nguyen

Project Assistant

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»The young generations of today are the movers and shakers of tomorrow. As a former Berlin state student representative, I believe that supporting children and young people takes us the furthest. This idea is shared by the entire Kinnings team, where I am able to support them with my expertise in public relations and communication.«