Manuel Koelman 🏴‍☠️

CEO

Germany22 yrs 3 mos experience
Most Likely To SwitchHighly Stable

Key Highlights

  • 20 years of entrepreneurial experience across multiple startups.
  • Expert in making business more human through leadership.
  • Keynote speaker on AI-first organizations and transformation.
Stackforce AI infers this person is a seasoned entrepreneur and leader in the Event Management and AI sectors.

Contact

Skills

Core Skills

EntrepreneurshipVenture BuildingEvent ManagementLeadershipExperience DesignArtificial Intelligence (ai)Business StrategyLead GenerationStorytellingLeadership DevelopmentCoachingSustainabilityMarketing Strategy

Other Skills

Company BuildingEvent StrategyEvent ConsultingEvent Design & ConceptEvent ProductionDigital TransformationChange ManagementSparringPersonal BrandingExecutive CoachingMentoringBusiness CoachingSustainability ReportingNoCodeLowCode

About

🏴‍☠️ Serial Entrepreneur, 🖤 PIRATE at heart, 🙏 Leadership Whisperer, 💡 Keynote Speaker Topics that I read, debate, and speak about (a lot of buzzwords, I know): 🔥 Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Transformation, Change 🔥 Making Business More Human 🔥 AI-first Organizations 🔥 Mindfulness, Self-Reflection, Meditation 🔥 Vibe Coding 🔥 Startups, Internet Business, Innovation 🔥 Memorable Events, Community --- How did I get here? My entrepreneurial journey started in earnest in the summer of 2003. I was a student and had just come back from one year studying in Barcelona. That summer, I started my first business with a friend. We were naive. To put it mildly. We had no idea what we had gotten ourselves into and what it meant to run a business. To the outside world, we could show some decent successes. After all, we had some paying clients and earned a fair amount of money. On the inside, we felt lost and overwhelmed. There was the constant feeling that we were way above our heads. The journey of 20 years of entrepreneurship that followed was a constant roller coaster ride. I have hired and fired. I have acquired and exited. I have invested and lost it all. I had to accept failure and had to shut down multiple products or even close companies. Sometimes, when giving up wasn’t an option, I worked tirelessly to avoid bankruptcy. More than once. That’s what factually happened. There is plenty to learn from this. Tactics, methods, how-tos. What to look for before you invest, the tax impact of selling your product unit, the best interview questions, how to structure a deal, how to fire someone, etc. That’s useful information, but it’s not what I get excited about. Exciting are the things happening under the surface. You might call it the human factor of running a business. It’s often overlooked or hard to grasp. It’s certainly hard to manage. What we often forget is that businesses don’t interact with businesses. Instead, humans interact with humans. Running a business intrinsically requires human skills. I've always built my businesses with that perspective in mind. PIRATE.global, my current - and probably last - company, is built as a training ground for aspiring entrepreneurs. Great if people join and then - when they are ready - leave to start something of their own. I share some of my observations, experiences, and learnings in "Making Business More Human" (https://www.arrr.co/) and here on LinkedIn. From my own experience running multiple businesses, but also from working with others that do. I hope you find it useful. 🙏

Experience

22 yrs 3 mos
Total Experience
5 yrs 1 mo
Average Tenure
9 yrs 3 mos
Current Experience

Funnelin

Partner

Jan 2025Present · 1 yr 3 mos · Estonia · Remote

  • Helping founders and executives turn LinkedIn into a lead engine – without sounding salesy or fake. Strategic storytelling, profile optimization, and content funnels that actually convert.
StorytellingLead GenerationPersonal BrandingDigital Transformation

Atlaszero

Partner

Jan 2023Dec 2024 · 1 yr 11 mos · Cologne Bonn Region · Remote

  • We make it easier for companies to be more sustainable. As a first step, we do that by making the market of sustainability solutions more transparent.
  • Currently, we have over 1.000 solutions in our database including detailed data like features, prices, etc.

Beez games

Partner

Jan 2022Dec 2023 · 1 yr 11 mos · Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

  • BEEZ is a small, quality oriented game studio dedicated to converting emotions into tech.
  • How we do this? We delve into 3D worlds through epic storytelling and with a fun experience.
LeadershipMarketing StrategySustainability ReportingSustainability

Nocode.one

Partner

Aug 2021Dec 2025 · 4 yrs 4 mos · Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

  • We build #NoCode and #LowCode products.
  • We automate workflows, build products/MVPs or simple websites a lot faster than with any traditional development methods.

Visualmakers

Partner

Jun 2021Present · 4 yrs 10 mos · Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany · Hybrid

  • We help businesses use the power of AI achieve their goals.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)Digital TransformationChange ManagementSparringBusiness Strategy

Piratex

CEO

Jan 2019Present · 7 yrs 3 mos · Cologne Bonn Region · Hybrid

  • We bring our expertise as event organizer to help you create the best event for your audience, no matter the format: in-person, hybrid or digital.
  • PIRATEx has been producing memorable experiences for audiences everywhere since 2010. From conferences, roadshows and internal company events up to major congresses, award shows, parties as well as international trade fairs, we can do it all. Our team works with you to turn your ideas into reality and bring your event concept to life.
  • As an event agency, we treat your event as our own and strive to develop the right event concept to ensure you reach your goals. Whether your audience is a small or large group, aiming at start-ups or executives, we adapt the format to suit your audience. Bringing people together and creating memorable experiences is our passion. We pride ourselves on using state-of-the-art technologies to transform your event into a one-of-a-kind experience that is memorable for years to come.
  • What we can do for you:
  • ✨ Event Consulting
  • ✨ Event Design & Concept
  • ✨ Event Production
LeadershipExperience DesignEvent StrategyEvent Management

Division5

Partner

Jan 2019Present · 7 yrs 3 mos · Cologne Bonn Region

  • Do you need to extend your development team to grow your business? Are you struggling to find engineering talent to hire?
  • We offer a pool of talented developers with the right skillset to join forces with you. Fast, reliable and affordable.
  • Find out more here: http://portfolio.division5.co/

Pirate.coach

Sparring Partner to Entrepreneurs

Jan 2017Present · 9 yrs 3 mos · Germany · Remote

  • Become a better Leader with clarity in your vision, confidence in your actions, and calmness in your mind.
  • Entrepreneurs can become part of my „Inner Circle“ and I will help them grow their businesses and themselves.
  • Entrepreneurs get direct access to me, my know-how, and my experience of 20+ years building, running, and investing in companies, as well as the PIRATE network.
  • A few years ago I realized that I was slowly transitioning from an operational into a sparring partner role for the Leaders of the companies in the PIRATE family.
  • Right now, I spend 50% of my time with them. The other 50% I spend with ambitious Leaders that are on the journey to build and grow meaningful businesses. And themselves.
  • Find out more at: www.PIRATE.coach
Leadership DevelopmentSparringExecutive CoachingMentoringBusiness CoachingCoaching

Startup safari

Chairman

Jan 2017Mar 2020 · 3 yrs 2 mos · Cologne Bonn Region

  • Startup SAFARI is days of open doors for startup ecosystems. It means that startups, VCs, accelerators, incubators, co-working spaces and other community hotspots open their doors to network, inspire, learn and have fun.
  • More info at startupsafari.com

Omclub

Producer

Jan 2016Sep 2022 · 6 yrs 8 mos · Cologne Bonn Region

  • When the OMClub was hosted for the first time in 2008, we wanted to offer an alternative to the official trade-fair party. Instead of white collars, restricting ties and awkward exchanges, with us the only goal is to party all out!
  • Over the years, we have evolved. Now, every year 4000+ online marketeers celebrate with us. Free drinks and the best entertainment of any business party included.

Douglas cosmetics/ parfumerie douglas

Head of Product Management & Innovations (a.I.)

Apr 2014Dec 2015 · 1 yr 8 mos · Cologne Bonn Region

  • Responsible for Desktop and Mobile innovations.

Getcontext

Managing Partner

Jan 2011Jan 2017 · 6 yrs · Cologne Bonn Region

  • Interim and management consulting boutique from Cologne. We think, talk and most importantly do corporate innovation, intrapreneurship and product management. We bring startup dna and customer centricity to corporates to help them transform their organisation and culture to increase speed, agility and foster innovation.
  • We do what we do out of passion for the digital economy and entrepreneurship.

Pirate.global

CEO

Nov 2010Present · 15 yrs 5 mos · Cologne Bonn Region

  • Our mission is to help entrepreneurs succeed.
  • PIRATE is a family of companies:
  • DivisionAI - Real engineers powered by AI.
  • Visualmakers - Enabling organizations to become AI-fluent.
  • division5 - Reliable and affordable developers to extend your team and/or build your MVP.
  • FunnelIn - Authentic storytelling for entrepreneurs to consistently generate leads.
  • PIRATEx - Event agency specialized in creating outstanding event experiences.
  • NoCode.ONE - Building products and automating workflows.
  • PIRATE.coach - Sparring partner for entrepreneurs.
EntrepreneurshipVenture BuildingCompany Building

Neckermann.com

Manager Online Sales & Web Development (a.I.)

Jul 2010Mar 2011 · 8 mos

  • Responsible for the Online Shop
  • Increasing overall conversion rate
  • Decreasing bounce rate in the checkout process
  • Increasing avg. order value
  • Managing the web development
  • Developing and pushing forward the eCommerce strategy

Talential.com

Managing Director

Jan 2008Jan 2012 · 4 yrs · Cologne Area, Germany

  • Building up an online recruiting platform to disrupt headhunting.

Kienbaum management consultants gmbh

Senior Consultant

Jan 2006Apr 2008 · 2 yrs 3 mos

  • Information Management, IT-Strategy, Change Management.

Farbquadrat

Managing Director

Dec 2003Dec 2005 · 2 yrs

  • Web- & Design agency. Building web products for Siemens, Daimler etc.

Education

University of Mannheim

Diplom-Kaufmann

Jan 2000Jan 2005

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Business Administration

Jan 2002Jan 2003

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