Ole Kretschmann and Patrick Frank have been collaborating for the best part of a decade. They share a vision of providing a stage that's open and equal to all voices, engaging with a free community of listeners. So they put a team together and founded Voice Republic. It allows users to live stream and archive audio content, from big conferences to one-on-one interviews, from university seminars to community radio shows. The tool is quick and easy to use: one microphone, one URL and the world can tune in. When the stream is stopped the recording is automatically archived on the user's page.

Ole and Patrick are passionate about free speech, open knowledge and connecting communities of listeners and speakers. They are also strong advocates for an open and anonymous internet. Both come from artistic backgrounds, Patrick is a composer of new music and a cultural theorist. Ole is a writer and craftsman, but also the man behind Berlin's analogue photo booth revival. In his own words:

'This is our contribution towards an internet that stands for freedom of speech - we let you speak. We are unlocking a new and exciting field of content-publishing - the spoken word audio. Our start-up isn't about problem-solving - it is about creating dialogue, discussion and discourse. VR is a tool to do just that' 

Voice Republic is still in year one after launch. The team, based jointly in Zurich and Berlin, have stuck up partnerships with a number of key conference organisers in both countries - notably Berlin's prestigious re:publica - and has already begun it's drive for users and integration in the US. A major rebuild of the site goes online at the end of October with a feast of new features and improved functionality.

Sure you've heard this one before. But as you seem to be interested in Startup Weekend Creative Business, you know that the opposite is true. As for Switzerland for example, creative work has already quiet some economical impact. Let's have a brief look at it:

Cultural Industries/ Creative Economy (Kultur- und Kreativwirtschaft)

Cultural industries produce and distribute cultural or creative goods or services, which are usually protected by intellectual property rights. These industries include LITERATURE/PUBLISHING, ADVERTISING MARKET, MUSIC, CINEMA & AUDIOVISUAL PRODUCTION, MULTIMEDIA, BROADCASTING, CRAFTS & DESIGN, FASHION, GAME DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE, VISUAL ARTS & PERFORMING ARTS, etc.

Entrepreneurship and Culture in Switzerland

The cultural and creative sector makes a significant contribution to social and economic development. In Switzerland, the creative industries form 4.2% of the GDP (dt.: BIP) and make for 5% of all employees.
Despite these impressive figures, the representatives of business and culture remain skeptical about each others fields - culture and commerce seem to stand in opposition and are rarely seen as natural allies. But companies are influenced by the cultural environment of a country and working in the cultural and creative economy is always an entrepreneurial activity. As a creative, you want your ideas to spread and to be successfull. Maybe you dream of living off your art, music or designs. As an entrepreneur, you are looking for ideas worth spreading - the potential of an economically successful product. After all, isn't that a lot that you have in common already?

Pride and Prejudice

So don't be shy. It's important to connect people with the right knowledge and drive to get from the idea to the realistic model of a business plan. We aim at establishing a forum and a workspace for people from multiple areas with their specific knowledge and insight. Out of this interdisciplinary spirit, ideas can grow. At Startup Weekend Creative Business arise business ideas, which, except for start-up funding, support themselves and are successful in the long term. Let it be yours - sign up now!