Build more purpose in 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 giving their own employees an additional sense of purpose.

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 primarily support IT companies and private individuals in implementing education 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 straightforward and effective for companies. This enables our donors to advocate for a fairer distribution of resources and to open up a real prospect of a self-determined life for young people.

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

During that time I repeatedly encountered smaller local organisations that do fantastic work. They often know best how to tackle complex problems on the ground. Unfortunately, for donors from the Global North there is a major hurdle both in getting to know these organisations and in directly supporting them financially. Together with our co-founder Jochen Berger, I developed our Foundation-as-a-Service concept to act as a kind of matchmaker to overcome 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 precarious backgrounds at the crucial entry points into the industry. The one-year bootcamp gives the students the opportunity to develop their practical skills in disciplines such as software development through Python and JavaScript, data science or UX/UI, so they can later establish themselves successfully in 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 made possible while simultaneously tackling the skills shortage. On the other hand, donor companies are offered the chance 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 wish to get involved personally but often do not know how. As mentors they can use their expertise, their networks and experience to good effect and have a long‑term positive impact.

Can you say which Invest IT companies can contact you to become part of the new programme?

A one‑year, full‑time scholarship for a female student requires an investment of €6,800. This amount is based on current conditions in Uganda. In principle, smaller sums can of course also be donated to co‑finance scholarships, e.g. together with other companies.

Thank you very much for your time, Leoni.

If a reader finds the topic interesting, they can contact Leoni directly with questions about the project. She is on LinkedIn and can be reached at any time by email.

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