Build more purpose within the company with Groundbreaker Talents

During CloudFest 2023 we had the opportunity to speak with Leoni Rossberg. She is co-founder and managing director of Groundbreaker gGmbH and tells us about ways for IT companies to engage sustainably while also giving their own employees an additional sense of purpose within the organisation.

Hello Leoni, thank you for your time. Could you introduce your NGO to our readers?

Groundbreaker gGmbH is a non-profit organisation founded in 2019 and based in Cologne. Through our Foundation-as-a-Service concept we support mainly IT companies and private individuals to realise educational projects in the Global South as efficiently as possible. Because our board covers the administrative costs, 100% of donations can flow directly into the respective projects. We make corporate giving simple and effective for companies. This enables our donors to advocate for a fairer distribution of resources and to give young people a real chance at a self-determined life.

You have already worked with Terre des hommes and UNHCR in crisis regions. What led you to co-found Groundbreaker?

During that time I repeatedly came across smaller local organisations that do excellent work. They often know best how to tackle complex problems on the ground. Unfortunately, for donors from the Global North there is a significant hurdle both to get to know these organisations and to support them directly with funding. Together with our co-founder Jochen Berger I developed our Foundation-as-a-Service concept to act as a kind of matchmaker and address this hurdle.

Could you tell us a little more about your latest project Groundbreaker Talents?

Groundbreaker Talents enables, for the first time, the funding of full-time IT scholarships. The aim is to support young Ugandan women from disadvantaged backgrounds at the crucial entry points into the industry. The year-long bootcamp gives the female students the chance to develop practical skills in disciplines such as software development with Python and JavaScript, data science or UX/UI, so they can later successfully enter the national and international IT market.

What are the benefits for IT companies?

Through Groundbreaker Talents we create a genuine win-win situation: On the one hand, entry opportunities into the job market are created while at the same time combating the skills shortage. On the other hand, donor companies are given the opportunity to implement a progressive form of corporate engagement and involve their employees in our mentorship programme. Through our many years of work with donor companies from the IT sector, we know that these companies have so much more to offer than just financial resources! Many employees want to get personally involved but often do not know how. As mentors they can use their expertise, networks and experience effectively to make a long-term positive impact.

Can you say at what investment level IT companies can get in touch with you to become part of the new programme?

A one-year full-time scholarship for a female student means an investment of €6,800 each. This amount is based on the current conditions in Uganda. In principle, smaller amounts can also be donated to co-finance scholarships, for example together with other companies.

Thank you very much for your time, Leoni.

If this topic now seems interesting to a reader, they can contact Leoni directly to ask questions about the project. She is on LinkedIn and always reachable via email.

The interview was conducted by Marco Keul, operator and founder of hosttest, at CloudFest 2023 in Rust.