Andreas Heinecke, founder and CEO of Dialogue Social Enterprise GmbH, started his path as social entrepreneur in 1988. While working for a radio-station, he was charged with developing a rehabilitation program for a blind colleague. Inspired by this encounter, he created the concept of Dialogue in the Dark. Since then, millions of visitors and participants have taken part in Dialogue in the Dark exhibitions and business workshops worldwide, thereby promoting empathy and tolerance towards “otherness” in the greater public understanding. In 1997 Dialogue in Silence was created as complimentary experience in total silence where participants discover a repertoire of non-verbal expression with the help of deaf and hearing impaired guides and trainers. In 2005 Andreas became the first "Ashoka-Fellow" in Europe and the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship appointed him as “Outstanding Global Social Entrepreneur”. Since 2011 Andreas holds a Professorship at the Danone Chair for Social Business at the European Business School in Wiesbaden, Germany.
