Interview with our alumnus Helge Straube

After studying Business Administration, Helge took the plunge and founded Jicki.

Where am I & what am I doing?
Since March 2015, I have been living in sunny Freiburg and exploring the question of how language learning can be made simple, relaxed, and effective. This question led to the creation of Jicki language showers, which we offer as an app and via the learning platform.

What are language showers?
We call our audio language courses language showers because, just like a real shower, you simply let the language wash over you and feel completely relaxed in the process. This way of learning a language allows you to immerse yourself in the language, acquire a large vocabulary in a very short time, and develop a good feel for the respective language.

At Jicki GmbH, I take on the role of Managing Director. That means I am the “go-to person for everything” – from financial planning and customer support to strategy development and making coffee, my tasks are very diverse and often not clearly defined. But I believe that this is exactly what founding a company is all about.

 
How did I get here?
The idea for the language showers came to me during my studies in Business Administration – Rethinking Economics and never let go of me. Despite the wonderful time I had at Alnatura, my practical training partner during my studies, I decided after graduation to venture into self-employment. Today, I am very glad to have founded Jicki GmbH and to be surrounded by such a great team and my co-founders.
 

To what extent did my time at Alanus University shape me?
My time at Alanus University was very formative for me. It was a time during which I was able to learn a great deal – professionally, but also about myself. The degree program with economics, art, sociology, and philosophy opened up many new perspectives for me and strongly shaped my personality both personally and professionally. Above all, however, it is the people at Alanus University that I remember fondly. Diverse, creative, and critical people come together at Alanus University, which creates a very invigorating atmosphere. There was probably no party where political or sociological discussions did not flare up at some point and could only be ended by loud music. All in all, it was a very wonderful and formative time that I look back on with great fondness.