TEDxWHU: Beyond Boundaries

The eleventh annual TEDxWHU conference, “Beyond Boundaries,” took place at the Vallendar campus of WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management at the end of January, welcoming several students and other guests to hear from a diverse group of prominent expert speakers with a variety of personal and professional backgrounds. In attendance this year were racecar champion Daan Arrow, Allie Bangura (co-founder of ADAN Impact GmbH), bestselling author Thomas Friebe, Paralympian Lennart Sass, WHU alum David Schneider (co-founder of Zalando), and Sarah Theinert (Director Value Creation at UVC Partners).

From sports to business to academia, every aspect of life presents challenges to surmount and walls to climb. But they also offer a unique opportunity to learn and grow: “Every race holds the chance to surpass ourselves and redefine our lives,” said Arrow.

Together, the speakers encouraged the audience to not fear challenge, but rather to face it head on, as the rewards are often worth the risk. In telling their own stories of overcoming disadvantage or setbacks, they made clear that none of the boundaries people place in front of themselves—be they physical, mental, societal, or otherwise—are absolute. And, as parajudoka Lennart Sass noted, “success is a matter of mindset.” With the right mindset, courage, and support, anything can be made possible, as true growth is only possible when one dares to step beyond their own perceived limits.

WHUxTED is part of the TEDx- series of conferences, which take place all over the world. This year’s program gave participants a chance to partake in interesting panel discussions, exchange ideas, and network both during the event and at the buffet dinner held in WHU’s vaulted cellar.

Click here to learn more about TEDxWHU.