What is FYT?

The FollowYourTalent Foundation wants to encourage people in all stages of their lives to identify their own needs, strengths and weaknesses. In contrast to the classical talent promotion, which often involves individual excellence, the Foundation supports and promotes people to take unusual paths in life, against inner and outer elements of resistance.

We are absolutely convinced: everybody has his or her own skills and talents. But these are not always obvious and easily identifiable. Many young people leave school without ever asking themselves the question: What do I really want? What interests ME? What is right for ME and what are MY strengths and weaknesses? The FollowYourTalent Foundation would like to help by means of a variety of projects in identifying and using your own talents in an optimal and targeted-oriented manner. In this process, supportive supervision is at the forefront of our activities. We illuminate the life paths of known and unknown figures who have discovered their talents (often in a roundabout way) and organize lectures and workshops with them. In addition, we provide support on both a non-material and material level for individual projects to develop your own talents.

The charitable foundation is fully funded by its own funds as well as donations and endowments.

If you want to go to the source, you must swim against the current.

Projects

The FollowYourTalent Foundation supports young people by means of a variety of projects in unfolding of their own potentials and talents. The following projects were already implemented in the past and supported by the foundation:

Encouragement workshops “Reboot”

In 2022, the FollowYourTalent Foundation provided free character strengths workshops to more than 2,300 youth in five German states.

 

 

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Anselm Grün at FollowYourTalent

The well-known Benedictine priest and best-selling author Dr. Anselm Grün in dialogue with the Foundation founders on the great questions of life.

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Surgical Clinic in Burkina Faso, Africa

With the support of the foundation, the surgical clinic SEDEGO became a reality in Burkina Faso, one of the poorest countries in the world. A clinic with a completely free treatment option.

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Jennifers Blog (German language only)

Jenni, a 2019 high school graduate, would like to use her passions in her career choice, but how? For FollowYourTalent she talks about how she wants to go about it, her experiences, and where life is taking her.

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Control wheelchairs with brain waves

Three students and their mentor had a vision: “Gedanken, die bewegen” (Ideas that Move) or “Lassen sich Rollstühle tatsächlich nur mit Gehirnströmen lenken?” (Can Wheelchairs Really Be Moved with Brainwaves?)

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Weekend-Scholarship for film & advertising

As part of a weekend bursary organized by the Foundation in Munich, three entrepreneurs reported in detail in a small circle how they made their dream their profession.

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Only those who are burning can set others on fire

Mentors

The basic idea of the FollowYourTalent Foundation is that we want to share the experiences and wisdom of people who have found their own way in life.

We have therefore started a mentor program, via which exceptional people from different professional fields sustainably support the Foundation’s ideas, by means of workshops, lectures or simply by means of their personal life history, intended to encourage others. Mentors der FollowYourTalent Foundation include, among others:
Go your own way

About us

Die FollowYourTalent Foundation wurde 2013 durch Thomas Falkenstein und Martin Behrens gegründet.

“Immer wieder sind wir beide im Laufe unseres Lebens Menschen begegnet, die uns außergewöhnlich fasziniert haben. Menschen, die mit ihrem Handeln, ihrer Ausstrahlung oder einfach ihrer Sicht auf das Leben vermittelt haben, dass sie im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes „angekommen“ sind. Ganz bei sich, ihren Idealen sehr nahe und voller Energie und Lebensfreude. Obwohl in vielen unterschiedlichen Bereichen, so war diesen Menschen immer eines gemeinsam: ihre Leidenschaft! Leidenschaft für eine Idee, für ein Projekt, für eine Firma, für ein Ehrenamt. Allesamt haben sie ihre individuellen Stärken genutzt, um „ihr Ding“ voranzutreiben. Und was uns dabei noch aufgefallen ist: in der Regel waren diese Menschen gerade nicht die klassischen „Einser-Schüler“ während ihrer Schulzeit. Vielmehr waren es oft Individualisten, oftmals „Querköpfe“ oder gar solche, die von ihren Mitschülern als „Spinner“ abgetan wurden.

Wir möchten mit unserer Stiftung insbesondere junge Menschen ermutigen, den eigenen Weg zu gehen, indem wir dabei helfen, sich der individuellen Stärken, aber auch Schwächen bewusst zu werden. Wir möchten Begegnungsfelder schaffen, wo Menschen, die ihren Weg gefunden haben, persönlichen Erfahrungen weitergeben und somit andere inspirieren und motivieren.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everyone has talents –
you only need to recognize them.