LEADERSHIP TALENT ACADEMY
Being a founder – becoming a leader

Poor leadership is one of the top reasons why startup teams fail. Avoid the pitfalls and unlock your personal growth with the Leadership Talent Academy (LTA).

Program Overview

The Leadership Talent Academy is organized in such a way that you can participate in the program in parallel to your responsibilities as a founder. The core of the program consists of eight intensive and application-based workshops with experienced experts on site in Heilbronn. In addition, personal leadership mentoring during the program offers you the opportunity to discuss challenges from your everyday management in a 1:1 setting. The exchange and peer-to-peer learning with other founders is particularly valuable, providing you with new insights and knowledge. To promote exchange not only during the workshops but also beyond, joint activities are organized during the program and after the program has ended.
Please note that the program is in German in summer and in English in winter.

Target Group

Founders with high personal motivation, and leadership potential. First employees already in place or planned for the near future

SETUP

The Leadership Talent Academy (LTA) empowers and guides you during your personal journey to become the leader you want to be for your startup team. We award 25 program scholarships supported by the Karl Schlecht Stiftung (KSG).

GOAL

Getting full responsibility for yourself and your team. Gaining knowledge of methods in good leadership, appreciative communication, conflict resolution as well as reflection and personal development.

DURATION

9 workshop days at Campus Founders on-site in Heilbronn in the period 25/09/2025 – 05/12/2025 Application Deadline: 20/07/2025

Program Highlights

Benefits of the program-scholarship:

• Access to experienced experts, mentors and Startup-Managers
• Individual mentoring sessions to address your challenges in day-to-day management
• Possibility of direct application in your startup team
• Peer-to-Peer-Learning with founders facing similar challenges
• A safe space to share thoughts, problems and questions
• Joint activities
• Access to our Campus Lab of Campus Founders
• Getting to know the regional ecosystem
• Opportunity to apply for the “Akademie Führung und Persönlichkeit” at the Institut für Philosophie und Leadership
• Program-scholarship supported by the Karl Schlecht Foundation (KSG)

Application Requirements: 

All participants agree to fully participate in all events and workshops on-site in Heilbronn. To fully engage with the program, we expect clearing your calendar during these days to give yourself space and energy to focus on the LTA program.

Please note that the program takes place twice a year in different languages: in German in the summer and in English in the winter.

Partner: Karl Schlecht Stiftung (KSG)

The KSG’s goal is to offer future leaders the chance to explore ethical issues in business and leadership beyond their specialist scientific training and fostering the holistic and humanistic personal development of these important decision-makers.

Our MENTORS
Our Workshop Coaches

Q&A online session

If you have any questions or need more detailed information, join our upcoming Q&A online session to learn more about the application process, program structure, and the benefits the LTA brings to founders and their team. Register now

Program Process & Timeline

1

SEND APPLICATION

June 02 – July 20, 2025

2

ONLINE INTERVIEWS

July 28 – August 07, 2025

3

NOTIFICATION OF ACCEPTENCE

August 14, 2025

KICK-OFF-EVENT September 25, 2025

Heilbronn, Campus Founders, Campus Lab

MODULE #1 :GOOD LEADERSHIP

Workshop: Leadership and Self-leadership
September 26, 2025

Workshop: Leadership at Eye level
September 27, 2025

MODUL #1

MODULE #2: CHALLENGES & RESILIENCE

Workshop: Stress Management & Psychological Safety
October 09, 2025

Workshop: Inner Strength & Resilience
October 10, 2025

MODUL #2

MODULE #3: COMMUNICATION

Workshop: Authentic Leadership
November 05, 2025

Workshop: LTA Check-in, Verbal Communication
November 06, 2025

Workshop: Body Language
November 07, 2025

MODUL #3

MODULE #4: TEAM MANAGEMENT

Workshop: Leading Remote & Ethical Leadership
December 04, 2025

Workshop: Team Culture & Recap LTA Journey
December 05, 2025

Closing Ceremony
December 05, 2025

MODUL #4
Meet the Team

Simone Harr

Program Manager

Regina Reusch

Program Coordinator

Testimonials

“Of all the start-up programs I've participated in so far, LTA Heilbronn has had the biggest impact - both on our company culture and on me personally. It not only gave me valuable tools, but also created the space to talk about leadership with like-minded people in similar phases. The LTA has managed to turn many of the open questions into a clear, tangible path - whether for new hires or internal and external communication. The result: a more authentic and open culture that has helped us to make lasting progress.”

Lars Pfleider, Co-Founder Texpeer

Alumni LTA Batch #1

"Being part of the LTA has been one of the best choices I made this year. As a first-time founder, I learned so much about the mindset and skills a leader needs to guide their team effectively. The LTA sessions were super helpful for my growth as a leader."

Shivangi Singh, Co-Founder AICU

LTA Alumni batch #2

FAQ

The program is especially designed for young founders and consists of 4 modules: Good Leadership, Challenges & Resilience, Communication and Team Management. During the workshops several experts will guide you through topics like self- leadership, authentic leadership, psychological safety, leadership experiences, appreciative communication, body language and self-management. The online sessions with successful founders will give you great insights. We managed to provide the participants with a digital leadership simulation experience accompanying the program. The online tool offers you the opportunity to experience your own leadership behavior in complex, realistic situations as well as a wide range of experiences and the space to reflect on them.

All founders with high personal motivation, and leadership potential, who have their first employees already in place or planned for the near future. Additionally, the foundation of your startup should not be longer than five years ago. Applications from female founders are highly appreciated.

We select scholars based on their motivation, their leadership potential and the group fit. However, we only have a limited number of scholarships. If you were able to convince us in your application, we will invite you to an online interview. We will then inform you whether you will receive the program scholarship. If all places are taken, we will let you know if you made it on the waiting list and inform you as early as possible if you can move up and join the Leadership Talent Academy. In case you won’t make it into the program, we would be pleased about your application for the next batch.

We are a non-profit organization that empowers founders to help to improve themselves and to co-create the future with us. In terms of the Leadership Talent Academy, we award 25 full scholarships supported by the Karl Schlecht Stiftung (KSG). Therefore, the program fee is covered. In case you are not located in Heilbronn or the vicinity you only must finance your accommodation and travel. If you were able to convince us in your application, we will invite you to an online interview. We will then inform you whether you will receive the program scholarship. If all places are taken, we will let you know if you made it on the waiting list and inform you as early as possible if you can move up and join the Leadership Talent Academy. In case you won’t make it into the program, we would be pleased about your application for the next batch.

The program usually takes place in German in the summer batch and in English in the winter batch.

Yes, this is one of our requirements. To get the most out of the program, physical attendance is very important. We believe in the benefits of peer learning and consider personal exchange with the other founders, experts, coaches, and our community. Therefore, all scholars agree to fully participate in the events and workshops on-site at Bildungscampus Heilbronn at Campus Founders. To engage with the program, we expect clearing your calendar during these days to give yourself space and energy to focus on the LTA program. We are convinced that the exchange in our space will provide you with incredible added value. That’s why we expect you to attend all workshops and events in person. The Digital Leadership Simulation will be online. The personal coaching sessions take place online or on site, depending on the coach.

Just reach out to Simone (simone@campusfounders.de) and Regina (regina@campusfounders.de).

LTA ALUMNI

Ready to unlock your personal growth?