Ruth Schöllhammer is Co-Founder and CMO of smartaxxess, a digital ecosystem that empowers young and small businesses to access financing, manage risk, and plan for sustainable growth. She is also Chairwoman of Deutscher Gründerverband e.V., which she co-founded in 2010 to advocate for better conditions for founders and entrepreneurs in Germany.

With a professional background spanning business development, strategic consulting, and media, Ruth combines in-depth knowledge of startup challenges with a keen understanding of the financial sector’s structural barriers. Her career includes leadership roles at Süddeutscher Verlag, where she headed business development, and in editorial management for specialist magazines and online platforms.

She is a passionate educator and has lectured at institutions such as the International School of Management, eMBIS, Leipzig School of Media, and the German School of Journalism.

“As a manager, I encountered firsthand the barriers that young businesses face when dealing with large corporations – especially banks. That experience inspired me to found the German Startups Association. Through our work with experts and researchers, we developed the idea for a fully digital, standardized end-to-end financing process that meets the needs of all stakeholders.”