We welcomed Lena Pieper, co-founder of the FreeMOM platform, to an inspiring networking event that took place on June 3, 2025 as part of a collaboration between the Start-up Office and the MBA degree programs in Business Administration (BIS) at the Graduate School Rhine-Neckar. After the introductory welcome by Iris Zimmermann, Lena Pieper took the audience on her personal start-up journey - and it quickly became clear: "One day I'll start a company" was not a vague thought for her, but a firm plan. During a phase of professional upheaval, she and her co-founder Anika Schmidt developed the idea of a platform that combines freelancing and family-friendliness. Her goal: to enable professional self-determination, in particular through part-time models and location-independent working - and thus counteract the shortage of skilled workers.
The platform was established with the support of two accelerator programs and support measures for female founders. A milestone on this path was the appearance on "Die Höhle der Löwen", where Lena and Annika successfully secured an investment from Tijen Onaran. It was clear from the start: a strong vision, a clearly defined USP and a targeted approach to the target group are crucial for success. For Lena, founding a company as a team is an intensive process - almost like a marriage. Openness and exchange are essential, as is the willingness to critically question one's own concept time and again. A key learning was therefore also: "Don't fall in love with your idea." Flexibility and market orientation are essential.
Lena gave valuable tips for aspiring founders - from the importance of having a pitch deck available at all times, to access to knowledge, capital and networks, to the most important ingredient: courage. However, she also spoke openly about the downsides of self-employment - from existential fears and mental stress to rejection and setbacks that often remain hidden. And yet the positives outweigh the negatives for her: self-determination, purpose, impact and personal growth - that's what she wouldn't want to miss about being self-employed today.
The lecture was very well received - especially by the students of the MBA degree programs, who enriched the discussion with numerous interested questions. Prof. Dr. Bernhard Wasmayr (Director of Studies), Prof. Dr. Christina Stadler (Head of the Start-up Office) and Ralf Blasek (Managing Director of GSRN and current lecturer of the BIS cohort) were also very impressed by the event.
We would like to thank Lena Pieper for her openness and honest insight into the highs and lows of founding a company and wish her and FreeMOM continued success and effectiveness!
Contact:
Chrisa Papadopoulou: gruendung@ 8< SPAM protection, please remove >8 hwg-lu.de
Iris Zimmermann: info@ 8< SPAM protection, please remove >8 gsrn.de
