Team
I'm Alessia and I'm from Italy. My journey started when I first moved to NYC and then followed an unconventional path that led me to Lugano and then Bern. In Switzerland I met BrainStore and was fascinated by their approach around creativity and innovation. I then joined Seedstars, whose mission is to impact people’s lives in emerging markets through entrepreneurship. In 2017 I relocated to Lagos, Nigeria, where I run Seedstars' operations, managing our innovation hub, delivering startup programs and events, and working with hundreds of entrepreneurs. During this time I also spearheaded the launch of a new hub in Lagos. More recently I've been working with international media companies, as I deeply believe in the power of representation in shaping society for the better. I am now based in Amsterdam, working as a freelance looking to create a positive impact. I'm a bit of a nomad. Whenever possible I travel to visit friends around the world and enjoy adventures in nature.
Florence Croizier, born in 1981, studied the German language and literature, Nordic studies, and environmental sciences in Zurich, Basel, and Reykjavík. Passionate about unconventional ways to work successfully in teams and discovering unknown-unknowns together with other people. As BrainStore partner, she has carried out more than 30 innovation projects in various industries over the last 3 years. She has also worked as a tour guide and translator. Florence likes to let the wind blow through her hair – preferably on a sailing boat– and is not afraid of nights in tents at -20° Celsius.
BrainStore's founder Markus was born in 1966 and grew up in Switzerland's Eastern part. In 1989 he successfully discontinued his economics studies at the University of Geneva and became an entrepreneur. His vision: decipher the DNA of innovation and develop scalable, robust, replicable processes to produce and implement ideas. Markus has worked on more than 1'000 innovation projects - his customer list includes BMW, Unilever, the Swiss Government, BASF, Greenpeace, the National Academy, and many start-up companies. Markus has lectured at Cornell University, Creative Mornings, IBM, the University of Geneva, etc. Markus is the author of the book “The Innovator's Handbook.” Markus lives in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland, and enjoys spending time in Brooklyn hanging out in nice cafés, thinking about life, meeting interesting people, and preparing for new adventures. ☎ +41 79 400 5220.
Nadja is one of BrainStore's co-founders and a BrainStore partner. She has been involved with BrainStore since 1989 and has conducted or participated in over 1'500 projects for companies around the globe. Nadja's purpose: «I am always new. I generously radiate my energy. Kindness will save us. I experiment and live courageously. I consider it is possible that I may be mistaken. I clear the path to creating an impact that will move us all forward. What grows big always starts with a small seed. I am interested in conversations that move everyone forward, in robust decision-making processes, and in purpose. I get to know these topics as a new language, practice them with others, and, with the emerging practice, enable people in different settings to work together in an excellent way. I am in my center when I am in constantly changing roles, contexts, and biotopes. I create projects and relationships based on equality and partnership.»
My name is Stefan and I grew up close to Zurich, Switzerland. After completing my studies in Economics & Marketing I have been working 10 years in different multinational companies as a customer and sales representative.
In 2020 our family of four decided to move to the Canary Island to live there for almost a year, before we travelled through Europe in a camper van. When coming back to Switzerland in summer 2022, I met Markus and Florence in a night train from Berlin to Zurich and since then I am excited about BrainStore and its idea finding and innovation products.
Work is about people and how people develop. Beeing creative and discovering new areas is inspiring me. I like people coming together and focus on a particular topic to figure out - with a positive, open-minded approach.