Driving momentum for social change
Strengthening Social Entrepreneurship: An Interview with Melis Güler and Jonas Süß of Talente Spenden e.V.
Ms. Güler, you’ve said that you want your future career to contribute to society or the environment. That’s why you chose to study Environmental Engineering at TUM. Since your second semester, you’ve been actively involved with Talente Spenden, already contributing to the common good. What motivates your volunteer work?
Melis Güler: What excites me most about Talente Spenden is collaborating with so many dedicated and motivated people who all pursue the same goal. I’m convinced that we can only make real change as a society if we work together. My involvement is my personal contribution to that. I view it as a privilege to be able to study, and I believe it is essential to give back.
Mr. Süß, you are also actively involved with Talente Spenden. What drives your engagement?
Jonas Süß: I’ve always wanted to work on something that creates real social value. I enjoy using my skills for something meaningful. Talente Spenden gives me exactly that opportunity. And I find it fascinating how much impact an organization with 2,000 alumni and 300 active members can generate.
You recently restructured and repositioned Talente Spenden. What were your goals, and what has changed?
Melis Güler: The restructuring was initiated in 2024 and has been an ongoing process since then. A key element was the introduction of two clearly defined tracks: the “Charity Track,” which bundles our classic social projects, and the new “Entrepreneurship Track,” designed to support students in creating social value through entrepreneurial ideas.
Jonas Süß: Our goal was to strengthen Talente Spenden in the long term without losing focus on the Charity Track, which remains at the core of our work. The new structure allows us to leverage our network of committed STEM students and our close ties to industry more effectively, while strengthening this network through the Entrepreneurship Track. We want to make even better use of the Talente Spenden community—so that in the end, more emerges than “just” financial support.
In one sentence, what has improved through the restructuring?
Jonas Süß: The new structure—with Core, Charity, and Entrepreneurship—helps us coordinate our many projects more effectively and develop them strategically.
Melis Güler: The restructuring has improved our internal processes, allowed us to integrate new members more effectively, and expanded our overall reach.
Ms. Güler, what are your areas of responsibility?
Melis Güler: As part of the management team and Head of Events, I’m responsible for planning and organizing events. I also regularly participate in outreach events such as the Student Club Fair or Sustainability Day, where I try to motivate even more people to get involved. The diversity of tasks and the opportunity to implement my own ideas make this work especially meaningful to me.
Mr. Süß, implementing your own ideas and achieving tangible outcomes is also essential to you. The new Social Entrepreneurship Track is a result of that effort. Could you describe the track in more detail?
Jonas Süß: One thing I truly value at TUM is its entrepreneurial mindset—and I wanted to bring that perspective into Talente Spenden. With the Social Entrepreneurship Track (TSET), we have launched a new support program within Munich’s start-up landscape. We aim to help students develop socially impactful ideas through their own start-ups. A central element is bringing together students from different disciplines so they can collaborate and contribute their unique strengths.
My focus—beyond the structural work—is on building strong partnerships that provide participants with valuable knowledge and practical tools. I’m particularly excited about our partnership with an internationally active venture capital firm, which is not only contributing a keynote to our first Social Entrepreneurship Track but also co-moderating a pitch contest—and is even open to investing in compelling ideas.
What are your short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals for Talente Spenden?
Jonas Süß: My goal is to establish the Social Entrepreneurship Track as a long-term, sustainable program and to anchor it firmly within Munich’s start-up ecosystem.
Melis Güler: In the short term, we want to establish a dedicated office space for our work and deepen collaboration with the TUM Deutschlandstipendium network. In the medium term, we aim to organize larger events, such as a Social Value Hackathon. In the long term, we strive for Talente Spenden to become a platform where students take on social responsibility and bring their own ideas to life.
Because together, we can achieve more: Join hands, share talents, make a difference.
Technical University of Munich
- Dr. Christine Stenzer
