Scaling for Social Good: I-House Entrepreneurs Shine at Götz Talks

Where cultures meet, entrepreneurial innovation grows. But what if that growth were measured by community impact as much as market value?

Entrepreneurs took center stage at the very first Götz Talks event on April 18, featuring the inaugural cohort of the Götz Mäuser ’91 Global Entrepreneurship Fellowship. The event represented the culmination of the fellows’ year-long journey in learning what it takes to launch successful ventures and drive meaningful change in their home countries.

Founded by I-House alumnus and lifelong entrepreneur Götz Mäuser ’91, the program is designed to empower the next generation of changemakers to lead with empathy, resilience, integrity, and cultural intelligence. The opportunity is open to four rising entrepreneurs at I-House, with priority given to candidates from U.N.-designated emerging and developing countries and low-income developing countries.

Mäuser was in attendance for the inaugural event named in his honor. Götz Talks, modeled after TED Talks, brought fellows, residents, and alumni together for a lively afternoon of pitching, presenting, and networking. But how did the event, and the fellowship behind it, come to be?

Mäuser lived at I-House from 1990-91 while pursuing his MBA at New York University, before embarking on a long and fruitful career as an investor and business advisor. At the event, he spoke about his own entrepreneurial journey and the experiences that ultimately led him to more philanthropic ventures, including his support for the new I-House fellowship that bears his name.

“As I was very lucky in my life, I wanted to give back to society,” he said. “And so I thought about what I could do, and it was clear to me that I wanted to help those who are most in need. Most in need, according to my experience, was the region of the Sub-Saharan.”

Mäuser shared his experience building wells and water systems to support vegetable gardens in Gambia, a successful venture that ultimately scaled to include multiple drilling rigs imported from Germany. He spoke about building sustainable companies as a means of stimulating job growth, skill-building, and lasting economic impact for the host country. In Gambia, he saw a model for using his business acumen to help those who need it most.

“But if you want to build these companies, you need entrepreneurs,” he said. “And that’s when I came back to International House. All those highly talented people from all over the world, who made it to New York to study there—they must have some skills, right? Why not access this pool of young, talented, ambitious people to seed new companies in these developing countries?”

This year’s inaugural cohort included four rising entrepreneurs: Jayat Gonzalez Palomera (Mexico), Allison Karabu (U.S. & Kenya), Sumit Karn (India), and Sezim Zhenishbekova (Kyrgyzstan). In their Götz Talks, each fellow shared the story of their own budding businesses, specializing in everything from plant-based proteins and handcrafted tote bags to scholarship-matching services and AI-assisted sports prediction models. Though diverse in focus, each venture shared a common goal: serving communities back home.

French entrepreneur Joséphine Goube served as the group’s senior advisor in residence. In her remarks, she noted what a privilege it was to see the fellows progress throughout the year.

“I’ve seen the fellows grow, I’ve seen the fellows learn, and I’ve also seen the fellows fail. And that’s what entrepreneurship is. It’s a lot about failure and getting back on,” she said. “It’s hard to start something. It takes grit. It takes courage. It takes a lot of energy and hard work. We should all applaud the fellows for all they’ve given this year and the leap of faith they’ve taken in starting their ventures.”

Following their presentations, Mäuser expressed his enthusiasm and appreciation for all the fellows brought to the program’s first year. He looked forward to seeing how the fellowship will continue to grow and what future fellows will bring to the program.

“I’m hugely proud of this first cohort. Look at these young people. It’s amazing,” he said. “I really think this program is a great idea, and it’s going to fly.”