ThankU ambassadors

Our ambassadors

As being a 100% non-profit organization, the striking success of ThankU is rooted in the commitment of some extraordinary supporters and much appreciated friends. As ThankU ambassadors they have greatly contributed to our ongoing growth by spreading the word for our mission and by being real role models for all of us.

Lothar Frenz

Lothar Frenz

ThankU ambassador

Lothar Frenz became aware of ThankU through one of our social media posts about our partner project Jocotoco. He was immediately enthusiastic about the ThankU idea and the careful selection of supported projects. Lothar is a biologist, successful book author and journalist with a focus on nature and species conservation. His books include works such as "Who Will Survive - The Future of Nature and Humankind" and "Lonesome George or the Disappearance of Species," which was awarded Environmental Book of the Year 2013 by the German Environmental Foundation. Among other things, he is involved in the advisory board of "GEO schützt den Regenwald e.V." and is also an ambassador for the renowned Loki Schmidt Foundation.

Lothar is a biologist, author and journalist and lives in Hamburg

Lea Podgajnik

Lea Podgajnik

ThankU ambassador

Lea discovered ThankU on LinkedIn at a time when she was just founding her own business. As she was always searching for a way to incorporate her private engagement for the environment and the protection of animals in her day-to-day work, she was quite impressed how easily, digitally and transparently this could be done by using ThankU. Ever since she is sending ThankUs to her clients - of which many are now avid ThankU users themselves - and keeps supporting our partner organizations by helping them cleaning the ocean, planting trees and protecting the rainforest and its inhabitants.

Lea is a Recruiting Consultant and lives in Berlin

Christoph Wiederhold

Christoph Wiederhold

ThankU ambassador

Christoph discovered ThankU out of sheer frustration. In December 2020, he received a package from a business partner as a thank you for the cooperation. Unfortunately, the contents (1 bottle of mulled wine, 1 cup as well as gingerbread) arrived only in shards. Well meant, but unfortunately missed the target. Christoph thought that there must be a better, greener and "safer" way to say thank you. So he discovered ThankU and has been one of our loyal partners and supporters ever since.

Christoph is a Startup Recruiter and lives in Tartu, Estonia

Gero Hesse

Gero Hesse

ThankU ambassador

As a well-known blogger, podcaster and expert for recruiting and HR marketing, Gero was one of the first to recognize ThankU's huge potential as an innovative tool to boost employer attractiveness and to say thank you in a modern and sustainable way. By using our platform himself to show gratitude to his SAATKORN podcast guests and by constantly spreading the word about ThankU, he helps us to raise further attention for our mission in business networks and on social media.

Gero is an expert for recruiting and personnel marketing and lives in Gütersloh, Germany

Anna & Nils Schnell

Anna & Nils Schnell

ThankU ambassadors

Anna and Nils Schnell learned about ThankU through their partner Gero Hesse and immediately partnered up with ThankU for the international Modern Work Award and the international Modern Work Tour. The Schnells love and support ThankU because of the impact they have on the environment and the social interaction. Sending a ThankU and doing good - for them the perfect combination. Honest Appreciation is for them a key factor for Modern Work because it fosters real human relationships.

Anna and Nils are leading international experts on Modern Work in Hamburg, Germany

Malte Clavin

Malte Clavin

ThankU ambassador

Malte Clavin is a speaker, adventurer, editor-in-chief, author, growth expert, and business advisor. He supported over 40 digital projects in 12 countries, among others for Deutsche Telekom, NZZ, UNO and 20th Century Fox. He travelled for 18 months through Southeast Asia with his wife and daughters, accompanied the WWF's tiger protection patrol as an adventure journalist, crossed deserts, climbed on jungle roofs, descended into caves and dived through the ice in swimming trunks. Many media reported on it, including Spiegel, Geo, National Geographic, Bild. He told more than 19,000 people in 17 countries live what fabulous treasure you can uncover if you have the courage to set out, to withstand risks and fears – and to live your potential as an entrepreneur.

Malte is mesmerized by the beautiful idea of ThankU – and he is fully committed to spread its word!

Sebastian Polesch

Sebastian Polesch

ThankU ambassador

Sebastian discovered ThankU through his work with ThankU early adopter and fellow ambassador, Lea Podgajnik, from Unterwald Recruiting Intelligence. He is particularly excited about ThankU's unique combination of appreciation and environmental impact. Sebastian not only uses ThankU extensively in his professional life as a headhunter at a renowned Berlin recruitment agency, but also in his personal life to express gratitude to applicants, customers, friends, and family. Growing up in the small, picturesque town of Plön, nestled between forests and lakes in northern Germany, Sebastian's father and grandfather instilled in him a deep respect for nature and the importance of collaborative efforts in maintaining its delicate balance. As a father himself, he's motivated to take an active role in environmental protection campaigns alongside his children, and as an ambassador for ThankU, he sees an opportunity to further support sustainability efforts.

Sebastian is a headhunter in supply chain management and works in Berlin metropolitan area.