Gülsah Wilke: Shooting Star of the Technology Scene

“Once, the German-Turkish woman was supposed to attend a secondary school. Today, Gülsah Wilke is a shooting star in the technology scene. The story of an unlikely rise,” reads the subtitle of the interview with Wilke in Handelsblatt.

“At just 36 years old, Wilke was already Chief Operating Officer at the digital health startup Ada Health, an investor at Springer, and founded a network for migrants in the tech scene. In 2023, the Startup Association (Startup-Verband) named her Impact Entrepreneur of the Year, ‘Capital’ selected her for their ‘Top 40 under 40,’ and Handelsblatt counted her among the ‘People of the Year 2023.’

She grew up in a ‘foreigners’ area’ in North Rhine-Westphalia and, despite receiving high marks, was recommended for secondary school. However, her mother’s efforts ensured that she was able to attend high school. Support from a class teacher later allowed her to attend a student academy organized by the Ministry of Education for gifted youth. After school, she was accepted at EBS University for Business and Law (EBS Universität für Wirtschaft und Recht)

“It is so important to see a migration background as an opportunity and enrichment,” says Wilke. “Many people with migration backgrounds have much worse starting conditions, even though they are no less talented. We need to support children with and without migration backgrounds, especially from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, much more. Unfortunately, there are also some teachers, like in all social strata, who have reservations about these children. (…) Ultimately, it is in everyone’s interest that people with migration histories are well integrated and contribute to our prosperity and future in Germany, especially in light of our aging population and the skilled labor shortage in almost all sectors.”

To address this, she founded 2hearts, a network for people with migration backgrounds in the tech scene. “Our more than 3,000 members all have two or more hearts, cultures, and perspectives—which is a great advantage, not a disadvantage. We want to celebrate our differences and see them as a great enrichment for our society, our economy, and our coexistence. (…) The technology sector is relatively young and thrives on innovation, diversity, and international minds. This is a great opportunity for Germany’s economic landscape. With 2hearts, we want to play an important role and contribute to building the major innovations and international tech companies of tomorrow in Europe.”