Our story

Raised in the US, Karen moved to Europe, living in Barcelona before settling in Berlin in 1994. She worked at Deutsche Welle TV and a political PR agency before starting her own communications agency with clients such as Sony Ericsson, BMW and Onitsuka Tiger. In 2013, she received her Executive Master’s degree with a thesis on integrating international talent into local labor markets. After cofounding an executive search firm, Karen consulted for local startups, international companies and the city of Berlin before founding Rising in November 2019.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Kimberly moved to Berlin, where she started her career in digital creative agencies in the late 90’s. She was instrumental in shaping the landscape for how digital was perceived in Germany. With over 10 years’ experience in talent acquisition, Kimberly has worked with agencies, in-house at tech companies and in executive search, with clients including Zalando, SumUp, Choco, Apple, IBM, Lego, BCGDV, McKinsey, MOMA, AKQA, Publicis Sapient and Ogilvy.

A UK native, Ian has worked for Ministry of Sound, Ignition, Jack Morton Worldwide and Universal Music on global live events and campaigns for Coca-Cola, Bacardi, Samsung and Formula One. In 2010 he launched Posto Six in Rio de Janeiro, delivering entertainment and experiential platforms for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympics. Most recently, Ian founded Anthem, a London-based consultancy. A core member of Rising, Ian is currently developing the UK pavilion for Expo 2020 (now 2021).

​​​​​​​​Born in the UK, Amy moved to Berlin in 2010 after graduating from MA in Photography at the UCCA. After relocating to Germany, she worked as Photo Editor for the art and fashion magazine Sleek, and later went on to take the role as Editor in Chief for the online platform Independent Collectors, where she worked on the BMW Art Guide. Since 2018, Amy has worked in digital communications and content strategy for contemporary art galleries including Esther Schipper and carlier | gebauer. She joined the Rising team in 2021 and is currently studying for her qualification in UX Design.

Born in Berlin with a German-American background, Vivian earned her MA in the US and worked in advertising in Detroit before becoming a freelance editor for German and American publications. A move to Chicago was the catalyst for a career shift: She began supporting others moving and relocating to other cities and countries. On returning to Berlin in 2013, Vivian launched Make it Berlin, a full-service relocation company. She also leads the Welcome Team for Rising’s Because Berlin project.

Originally from Italy, Ale was literally raised in the art and design world in his father’s illustration studio. Living in Italy, Amsterdam and Berlin has helped his style and creative career as an artist, designer and illustrator. His work includes everything from company branding to user interfaces and typography, offering fresh, thoughtful artwork for tech companies. Before Rising, Ale worked for major European clients, including the leading technology festival, Tech Open Air.

Digital and brand communication specialist Prue Duggan is based in the Netherlands. An Australian native, she got her start in advertising at StrawberryFrog in Amsterdam before freelancing for various brands, including Heineken, TomTom and Nike. Prue became fascinated by the potential impact of user experience refinement for brands at Booking.com, and she was the lead UX writer for Philips Personal Health Solutions. She is always looking for ways to make meaningful connections between people, products and ideas.

Born in the US, Christopher has been a professional photographer since 2016, seeking stories that celebrate unity overcoming adversity. In 2017 he worked on Mobile Africa, a documentary on innovation and entrepreneurship in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2020, during the Covid-19 crisis, he and his partner started Social Fabric to explore the importance of local businesses to neighborhood communities. Always ready to embrace the positive, Christopher is proud to be part of the Rising movement.

Born in a small German city by the Baltic Sea, Rocky has lived in Berlin since he was three months old. Of humble beginnings, his family can boast a heritage that can be traced back to Russian aristocracy. He quickly adapted to life in Neukölln, spending most of his free time on walks along the Landwehr Canal or meeting friends in Kreuzberg or Alt-Treptow. At Rising, he is in charge of making the team and all of our visitors smile.