"We want to offer street artists from the Global South a stage in Europe!"
That is the vision of Felix Budde, Thorben Scholz and Lindsey Jackson. Together they founded UFUNDI and are well on the way to realising their vision. All three are studying at the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics at Paderborn University. UFUNDI imports hand-painted paintings from Tanzania to Germany in order to offer the artists a stage on the European market. "The art is there, but the local attention and infrastructure are lacking to reach an international market," say the founders. The aim is to support local artists and donate part of the profits to local education projects.
How it all began...
It all began when Felix travelled to Tanzania in 2019. During his last week there, he got to know Tanzania's street art. His enthusiasm had a long-lasting effect until it clicked in his everyday life as a student in the business start-up module. While searching for ideas for a start-up, Felix remembered his encounter with street art and developed a suitable business model to make the artworks accessible to the European market. "For me, the focus was on fair trade at eye level," recalls Felix. A short time later, he attended the Social Entrepreneurship module and met Thorben there. Together they developed the idea further. This was quickly followed by free coaching from garage33 and the company foundation came closer.
A profile of the three founders
Felix is 25 years old and comes from Minden-Lübbecke. After graduating from high school, he spent a year abroad and then decided to study at Paderborn University. He first studied International Business Studies for his Bachelor's degree and then International Economics and Management for his Master's degree. In addition to his studies, Felix is socially committed and was able to finance his studies through football. His enthusiasm for travelling has taken him to Tanzania, among other places.
Thorben is 25 and studied Economics in his Bachelor's degree, specialising in Taxation, Accounting and Finance. He is currently enrolled on the International Economics and Management Master's programme . He always saw potential in Paderborn, which is why he came back after a year abroad to study and develop his skills here. "My dream is to work in a company or organisation that reflects my personal values," Thorben enthuses about his plans for the future. For Thorben, this is a key reason for setting up his own company. In his free time, he enjoys travelling in nature and pursuing his passion for photography. What Thorben appreciates about Paderborn University is that there are many opportunities and that the city and the study location are developing more and more.
Lindsey is 25 years old and is currently studying for a Master's degree in International Business Studies at Paderborn University. During her Bachelor's degree in International Business Studies, she already spent a semester abroad in Montevideo (Uruguay) and this year she travelled to Medellín (Colombia). What Lindsey particularly appreciates about Paderborn is the network of students, university institutions and the city. "The size of the city makes it possible to build up a large network in a short space of time, which is hugely important for us as founders." Her dream is to have a flexible job that is fun and offers the opportunity to live abroad. This is one of many reasons why Lindsey, like Thorben, decided to start her own company.
Mission
Despite the different focuses of their studies and their broad fields of interest, Felix, Thorben and Lindsey were able to agree on three goals that they want to pursue with UFUNDI.
- By selling the artworks and transferring the profits to the local artists, they want to take a step towards creating a regular income for street artists in emerging and developing countries.
- Further donations to local educational projects are intended to create socially sustainable added value.
- Networking, exchange and the representation of street art across different continents should connect cultures.
Paderborn as the founding location
"Paderborn is a small, up-and-coming city. In larger cities, there are far more start-ups and you might get lost," explains Felix. "The student base, cool events, close contact and personality are extremely helpful when starting up." For all three founders, studying was a great help when starting up. "Writing a business plan and founding a startup in theory" is particularly helpful in practice. The garage33 modules and the constant contact with lecturers and coaches proved particularly useful. They also value events in the field of management and business start-ups for their development.
What's next?
UFUNDI has been awarded the NRW start-up grant for the first year and will be supported for one year. This takes a lot of risk and enables Felix, Thorben and Lindsey to set up a company alongside their Master's degree. The founders hope to be able to stand on their own two feet afterwards, rent an office space and remain in contact with garage33. They have far-reaching ideas: "New products in the range, more countries and their own salary to live on." These are the next steps for Felix, Thorben and Lindsey. The aim is to fully commit UFUNDI as a social enterprise to the non-profit sector.
In February 2023, the pictures from Tanzania will go on sale in the webshop.
The 5 start-up tips from Felix, Thorben and Lindsey
- Dare to take a risk!
- Get help, be open to support!
- Think big and believe in yourself!
- Don't be discouraged!
- Be creative!
You want that too?
You can find more information about starting a business at Paderborn University at garage33.
