industries partner with startups. It’s a match made in heaven; startups need scale while corporates need speed – each has what the other is lacking.” Why did you decide to study for an MBA at ESMT? “I’d learned a lot in corporate but lacked direction. When a promotion was awarded to an MBA student, I knew that I needed to make a change. ESMT stood out from the rest because of its focus on entrepreneurship and sustainability. Berlin provided just the right blend of startup energy and business accessibility – it was a place I really wanted to be.” What single course, project, initiative or programme aspect was your favourite part? “Running the Entrepreneurship Club. We invited founders and investors, worked on projects and discussed our entrepreneurial aspirations. A course in decision-making also stuck with me. It taught me about biases affecting decisions and gave me tools I still use. “And then there were the people – I met some of my closest friends that year. My partner can’t believe it was just one year – judging by the number of stories, he thought I’d studied for five years at least.” How has the programme made a difference to your career and development as a manager?
I learned to value –and even enjoy – working with feet-on-the-ground, detail- oriented personalities. “The most important thing I learned is ‘hard on the topic, soft on the people’. This means dividing personal connection and the actual conflict, or task, at hand.” Can you give an example of a lesson learnt during your programme that you have been able to apply to your current role and workplace? “One: kindle the fire. Founders operate on obsession, not organisational charts. On an MBA project about a music app, which was the first time I met a founder up close, their passion was contagious. “Two: exit the building. When research had stalled, we went into a Kreuzberg music store and talked to real human beings. That was worth 10 times more than any online market research.” What are the next steps on your career journey? “I’m dedicated to growing Klimatic Group. We’re helping climate-critical industries solve real issues by piloting startup technology faster and with lower risk. We match corporate scale with startup speed, tackling urgent needs like grid
DASH MARKOVA Qualification: MBA, class of 2014 Current role: Co-founder of Klimatic Group Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your career to date? “My journey hasn’t been straightforward, but the progression is clear: I enjoy creating things that don’t yet exist and enabling others to do the same. Before my MBA, I tried many things: organising non- profit events, running a photo studio for artists and working in corporate marketing. “After I graduated, a classmate asked for help with a consulting project in real estate. That became Space Shack, a 3,500-square-metre co-working space in Berlin – and my first business. We wanted to build a life hub where work-hard, play- hard founders could do business, sleep, eat and party. I led revenue, raised investment, built the team and left after four years as managing director. “Then came the Co-working Festival Berlin. WeWork was becoming established and smaller spaces couldn’t compete, so we teamed up for a city-wide open- door week. Next, I launched Blockchain Pirates, a founder-investor club during 2017’s crypto frenzy, connecting genuine blockchain startups with cautious investors. Then I tried (and failed) to set up another new venture, a reskilling tool. “After that, I took a break to focus on helping others, building accelerator programmes in Asia, Africa and Latin America. There, I saw a pattern that led to my latest business, Klimatic Group. We help energy, mobility and real estate
modernisation, net-zero buildings and e-mobility infrastructure. The ultimate purpose is to fight the climate crisis by scaling existing solutions (instead of reinventing and rebuilding the bicycle over and over again). “We’re also launching a podcast, sharing success
“I learned teamwork and how to cope with clashing styles, deadlines and real pressure. Constantly changing working groups
stories and running three-
made me flexible. I learned to run projects under pressure and also to value contrast. As an extrovert and creative person,
month Pilot Sprints tied to specific industry needs. Less talk, more traction – that’s the goal.”
28 Ambition • ISSUE 5 • 2025
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