AI Pioneers is a free AI talent program that provides curious minds and engaged thinkers with relevant knowledge, networking opportunities, and career options.
Our mission:
Empowering the next generation of leaders to successfully drive innovation in the era of AI
In each session…
What is "hot and new" in AI
A quick dive into the latest breakthroughs, trends, and applications in AI, highlighting what's shaping the field right now.
Homework Discussion
A look back at the previous assignment, what participants explored, the insights they uncovered, and the challenges they faced along the way.
Topic Introduction and Hands-on Demo
An interactive session that introduces the day's focus topic, followed by a guided demo to put concepts into practice.
Guest Lecture
Each session welcomes an expert guest speaker who brings valuable perspectives, from academic research to real-world applications, offering background knowledge, practical insights, and technical expertise.
Testimonials
"The course gets you thinking deeply about applications in your own area of work - by the time you're done, you already have ideas you're ready to implement once AI rolls out company-wide."
"I'd recommend this course without hesitation. You get weekly updates on the latest in AI, practical tips and tricks, and a dedicated time block to engage with AI beyond your day-to-day tasks."
"It's not just about using AI to work more efficiently - it's about making the impact measurable and visible in terms of business success."
Guided program and independent learning
AI Pioneers offers you a 20-week learning experience, with a 90-minute virtual session every 2 weeks. Sessions combine insights from international experts and close mentoring regarding self-study assignments. The program is free of charge!
AI Experts from around the globe
Learn from renowned international AI scholars and practitioners, while meeting ambitious, tech-savvy, and like-minded participants.
Certificate upon completion
Upon completion, a certificate will be issued to you with an outline of what you have learned. Signed and ready to be shared with your network and friends.
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Session Schedule - Cohort 4
01
Session
Kick-Off
29.06.2026, 17:00 CEST
02
Session
Fundamentals
13.07.2026, 17:00 CEST
03
Session
AI Agents
27.07.2026, 17:00 CEST
04
Session
Advanced Fundamentals
10.08.2026, 17:00 CEST
05
Session
Business Impact
24.08.2026, 17:00 CEST
06
Session
AI in Action
07.09.2026, 17:00 CEST
07
Session
AI in Finance
21.09.2026, 17:00 CEST
08
Session
AI Ethics
05.10.2026, 17:00 CEST
09
Session
AI and Strategy
19.10.2026, 17:00 CEST
10
Session
Pitches and Celebration
02.11.2026, 17:00 CEST
Certificate of Completion
Newsletter
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Applications for Cohort 4 are currently closed. Join our newsletter to be the first to hear about future cohorts, program updates, and other opportunities with AI Pioneers.
Benedict (Ben) Kerres is an applied AI expert based in Munich who is part of the founding team of OpenAI's first German office. He previously served as a Team Lead at Palantir Technologies, where he worked on deploying software for mission-critical systems. He has spoken publicly on AI topics at events including AI House Davos alongside Andrew Ng.
Prof. Dr. Stefan Feuerriegel
Speaker
LMU Munich
Stefan Feuerriegel is Full Professor at LMU Munich School of Management and the Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics, and Statistics at LMU Munich, where he heads the Institute of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Management. Previously, he was an Assistant Professor at ETH Zurich and a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University (2024) and the University of Cambridge (2025). He holds a PhD from the University of Freiburg (2015). His research has resulted in 70+ journal articles and 80+ conference papers, published in outlets including Nature, Management Science, NeurIPS, and ICML, with over 13,000 citations. He co-founded three spin-offs: TonalityTech, BLP Digital, and ethonAI.
Jannik Wiedenhaupt
Speaker
supplyco
Jannik Wiedenhaupt studied Management and Computer Science (B.Sc.) at TU Munich and completed an M.Sc. in Data Science at Columbia University. He holds an additional Honours degree from the Center for Digital Technology and Management (CDTM), a joint program of LMU and TU Munich. He previously worked as a Data Scientist at QuantumBlack, AI by McKinsey, where his work focused on building and scaling enterprise AI applications including large language model architectures. He is currently a co-founder of supplyco focused on helping industrial sales teams reach their best customers.
Prof. Dr. Eyke Hüllermeier
Speaker
LMU Munich
Eyke Hüllermeier is Full Professor at the Institute of Informatics at LMU Munich, where he heads the Chair of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. He studied mathematics and business computing, received his PhD in computer science from Paderborn University in 1997, and his Habilitation in 2002. Prior to joining LMU, he held professorships at the universities of Dortmund, Magdeburg, Marburg, and Paderborn, and spent two years as a Marie Curie Fellow at the IRIT in Toulouse, France. He is also affiliated with the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI). He has published over 300 articles on machine learning and reasoning under uncertainty, serves as Editor-in-Chief of Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery, and is a Fellow of IFSA and ELLIS.
Summer Shaw
Speaker
Attian AI
Summer Shaw is the Founder of Attian AI, an AI advisory and capability-building firm that helps organizations cut through the hype and achieve real results with AI. Prior to founding Attian AI, she worked as a consultant at McKinsey & Company and built AI moonshots at Google X. She also led data infrastructure upgrades and developed predictive machine learning models in state government in response to Covid-19. She holds a BA in International Affairs from Princeton University and completed a joint JD/MBA degree from Stanford University as a Knight-Hennessy Scholar on full scholarship.
Dr. Lydia Mammen
Speaker
adidas
Dr. Lydia Mammen is Vice President of Digital Analytics & Data Science at adidas AG. She holds a PhD in Statistics from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (2009–2014). At adidas, she built the Data Science hub from a small incubation project into a strategic partner across all business functions, with a focus on machine learning applications including recommendation engines and product demand forecasting. She is also a host of the seminar "AI & Data in Business and Management" at FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg.
Prof. Dr. Christoph Lütge
Speaker
TUM
Christoph Lütge is Full Professor of Business Ethics and Director of the Institute for Ethics in Artificial Intelligence (IEAI) at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), where he holds the Peter Löscher Chair. He studied business informatics and philosophy, received his PhD at TU Braunschweig in 1999, and his Habilitation at LMU Munich in 2005. He has held visiting positions at Harvard, the University of Pittsburgh, UC San Diego, Kyoto, Taipei, Venice, and was appointed Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Tokyo in 2020. He is a member of the Scientific Board of the European AI Ethics initiative AI4People and was a member of the German Ethics Commission on Automated and Connected Driving.
Prof. Dr. Florian Weigert
Speaker
University of Neuchâtel
Florian Weigert is Full Professor of Financial Risk Management at the University of Neuchâtel (Switzerland), where he also directs the Master of Science in Finance program. He studied mathematical economics at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, received his PhD in Finance from the University of Mannheim in 2013 (summa cum laude), and his Habilitation from the University of St. Gallen in 2020. He previously served as Assistant Professor of Finance at the University of St. Gallen and was a Visiting Scholar at New York University, Georgetown University, Georgia State University, and the University of Texas at Austin. His research focuses on empirical asset pricing, hedge funds, mutual funds, behavioral finance, and the use of machine learning in investment contexts.
Prof. Dr. Jan Marco Leimeister
Speaker
University of St. Gallen
Jan Marco Leimeister is Full Professor and Director of the Institute of Information Management (IWI-HSG) at the University of St. Gallen, and holds a Chair for Information Systems at the University of Kassel. He received his doctorate (with distinction) from the University of Hohenheim in 2004 and his Habilitation from TU Munich in 2008. His research covers digital business, service engineering, IT innovation management, crowdsourcing, and the strategic use of AI including Generative AI. He has published over 300 scientific articles and more than 13 books, and has been ranked among the top 25 IS researchers worldwide. He was honored as an AIS Fellow by the Association for Information Systems.
Prof. Dr. Jochen Hartmann
Speaker
TUM
Jochen Hartmann is Professor of Digital Marketing at TUM School of Management, Technical University of Munich, a position he has held since January 2023. His research sits at the intersection of digital marketing and machine learning, with a focus on unstructured data analytics (computer vision, NLP) and generative AI. He received his PhD from the University of Hamburg, subsequently served as Assistant Professor at the University of Groningen, and previously worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company. His large language models for text analysis have been downloaded millions of times. He received the Best Teaching Award of the TUM School of Management in 2024.
Prof. Dr. Isabell Welpe
Core Team
TUM
Isabell M. Welpe holds the Chair for Strategy and Organization at the Technical University of Munich, Germany. Her research interests are in digital transformation of companies, business model innovation, the impact of digital technologies on the economy and organizations and the future of leadership and work/organizational design.
PD Dr. Theresa Treffers
Core Team
TUM
Theresa Treffers is an expert in individual and team behavior in entrepreneurship and innovation, as well as in artificial intelligence at work and in leadership. She holds dual roles as a Research Group Leader at the Technical University of Munich and as an Associate Professor at Seeburg Castle University.
Jannik Nolden is a PhD candidate at the Technical University of Munich. He earned his B.Sc. in Business Administration from the University of Cologne and holds an M.Sc. in Management, with a specialization in Data & Business Analytics, from Nova School of Business and Economics in Lisbon. At TUM's Chair for Strategy and Organization, his research centers on deep tech ventures, including topics such as the influence of human capital on funding outcomes, early success prediction for startups, and high-impact studies like the European Unicorn project. Jannik has +3 years of consulting experience. In his spare time, he enjoys padel, tennis, football, and travel.
Nathalie Schenk is a PhD candidate at the Technical University of Munich, holds an MSc in Information Systems from TUM, and researches at the intersection of (Gen)AI and entrepreneurship. With her experience in consulting, she has worked on digital transformations across various industries.
Lisa Maria-Schober is a PhD candidate at the Technical University of Munich. Her research focuses on the human dimensions of AI, particularly its adoption, effective use, and its impact on workplace dynamics. She holds degrees in Business Administration and Information Systems Management from the University of Bamberg and gained international experience through several academic stays abroad. Alongside her academic work, she brings extensive experience in strategy consulting on tech topics across various industries.
Paul Kaiser
Core Team
TUM
Paul Kaiser is a Master's student in Information Systems at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). He completed his Bachelor's degree in Information Systems at the University of Mannheim, where he wrote his thesis on the creative potential of AI-AI collaboration. Currently, Paul serves as the Head of Community at TUM.ai, Germany's leading student initiative for artificial intelligence, where he drives engagement and fosters collaboration across the AI ecosystem.
Milena Serbinova
Core Team
TUM
Milena Serbinova is a Master's student in Informatics at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), where she also completed her Bachelor's degree. Her research sits at the intersection of large language models and software engineering, focusing on software testing and LLM-driven client-facing applications. She has gained international experience through academic stays at the University of Exeter (UK) and DTU in Copenhagen, and brings practical experience in generative AI transformation and automation from consulting on large-scale enterprise projects.
David Meyer
Core Team
TUM
David Meyer is a PhD student at the Chair for Strategy and Organization at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and part of the Management Team at the Center for Digital Technology and Management (CDTM), where he teaches Managing Product Development (MPD). His first project, How Capability and Well-being Shape AI-Driven Productivity, is a longitudinal field study of a generative AI assistant deployed in retail banking. He holds a BSc and MSc in Computer Science from ETH Zurich and a BSc in International Management from WHU. Before academia, he spent nearly two years at BCG Switzerland and conducted speech-processing research with Disney Research|Studios Zurich, producing an Interspeech 2024 paper and a pending patent.
