Optimism is my investment strategy | Cornelia Jahnel | TEDxDresden

The speaker recounts growing up in socialist East Germany, where opportunities were limited, forcing individuals to actively seek out "gaps in the system" to pursue their dreams. This required optimism and support from mentors. The speaker's personal gap was travel, which they pursued by working in an industrial kitchen peeling potatoes at age 15. This seemingly mundane task became a powerful metaphor for taking action and expanding possibilities, demonstrating that even within rigid systems, space can be found. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the speaker embraced freedom and pursued further education internationally. Twenty years later, a similar challenge arose in venture financing within the life sciences. Despite significant investment in young companies, many innovative biotech and medtech firms, working on crucial therapies for diseases like cancer and COPD, struggled to find financing. The speaker highlights how the phrase "maybe later" is not an option for those suffering from life-threatening conditions, illustrating this with the story of a COPD patient who regained his life thanks to a timely therapy. Observing this bottleneck, the speaker was inspired by the "now" mentality at the LEAP technology conference in Riyadh. This led to proactive efforts to bridge the gap for Saxon biotech companies, including facilitating discussions with Saudi Arabian investment ministries and establishing a biotech growth fund. The core message is that systemic change requires individual initiative and consistent, small steps, much like peeling the first potato from a mountain. The future belongs to those who begin, taking responsibility and acting now, rather than waiting for systems to change or opportunities to be granted.