Antonia Bachmann
Headline from 2013: Women are now allowed to cycle in Saudi Arabia (*subject to certain conditions)
More than ten years later, I still remember those words. What was actually positive news deeply shocked me at the time. I learnt to ride a bike very early on; my first bike was so small that you could almost have mistaken it for a toy. From today’s German perspective, it seems unimaginable that a large part of the population should be denied this basic means of transport.
It was clear to me: there is so much that still needs to change in this world, and I want to do my bit to contribute to positive change. But my initial determination was quickly followed by disillusionment and a sense of powerlessness. How can I possibly make a difference on my own?
This is where my start-up idea comes in. Because to achieve great things, small steps must be taken. Drawing on my strengths in creativity and communication, I want to launch projects that draw attention to injustices and enable every individual to contribute to a slightly better world.
What are your biggest challenges at the moment?
One of the biggest challenges is deciding on a specific project idea. My head is buzzing with lots of different approaches that I’d like to implement as part of my start-up idea. However, some of them are too ambitious for the start and require too many resources. What’s more, finding and securing suitable service providers and (second-hand) equipment for the projects is proving more difficult than expected and is very time-consuming.
What is your goal for the duration of the EXIST-Women programme?
The EXIST Women grant gives me the opportunity to focus intensively on developing my project ideas. During the grant period, I would like to flesh out one of these ideas and take the first steps towards implementing it. My goal is to design the first creative products and bring them to interested customers via a vending machine.
"Hoping for change without doing anything yourself is like standing at a station waiting for a ship."