Talent is universal. Opportunity is not.
We change that.We get people hired.To cross borders.Safely & legally.Through work visa.
We imagine a new world.
A world in which people are not measured by their passports or the color of their skin, but by their innately human qualities. A world in which the world's curious minds and courageous hearts move effortlessly across borders. A world in which global justice reigns free.
At Imagine, we build toward a Europe that welcomes the world with open arms. A Europe that rediscovers its place as a global beacon of freedom, hope, and opportunity.
Our work has been covered in:
Impact
10000+ trained, 2500 Fellows graduated, 700 already in Europe, 1 mission
Founded to be both humane and excellent, we are proud of our impact so far. But we have the ambition to do more. As a wild bunch of volunteer dreamers and doers, we have touched the lives of 10000+ students, helped 2500 graduate from our programs, and more than 700 find a new life in work in Europe. In September 2018, Omar from Cairo was our first. Many of our Fellows have kids and significant others, bringing the total number of lives changed to close to 1000 at the end of 203. Our ambition: 5000 Fellows and Family Members by 2025.
Supporters
We thank our partners for hiring our Fellows, and for their early belief in our mission. Reach out if you want to join them.
We thank Christian Brendel, Stefan Moosmann, Lauren Harrison Lentz & Roman Lentz, Nina Teng, Hung Lee, Sebastian Scheiter, Kai Roolf & Gabrielius Glemža for their trust and embrace of our team and mission. It is thanks to partners like you that we can live our mission.
Highlights
Violence and repression know no borders. Neither do we.
2018
July 11 - go live with a post on social media in Egypt. Waitlist set up. Aug 1 - first foundational team members come on board. September 25 - our first Imagine Fellow Omar receives 2 job offers! December 9 - 400+ applications, 300+ students, 30 Imagine Fellows, and 3 people on their way to Europe! → read the story of our first year
2019
January 13 - Welcome to Berlin, Mahmoud! 400+ students, 4 new volunteers. July 21 - Schöpflin Foundation decides to partner with Imagine to help us build a sustainable model. Thanks, Schöpflin for your vision & trust! Aug 23 - Our first female Fellow Salma is coming to Berlin to live here. Imagine invited to meet Bundespräsident Steinmeier. Our → first podcast is now published. Thanks, Peter & thejourneystories! Dec 15 year closing with 3250+ applications, 1850+ students, 365 Imagine Fellows, 30 Fellows now in Europe.
2020
March 9 - 10 New Tech Coaches (8 are past Fellows!) come on board as volunteers, plus 2 amazing interview coaches. Team Imagine is now 32 volunteers. June 10 COVID-19 slows hiring but does not stop our Fellows. Now 49 Fellows with Jobs in Europe, and 3 more volunteers join us. Dec 26 - Imagine closing the year with now 7000+ applicants, 600+ Fellows, 75 Fellows with jobs in Europe.
2021
April - 99 Fellows with a life and a new job in Europe - who will be our #100? July - we’re covered in the → German daily FAZ… August 2021: We're among the very first responders to the fall of Kabul, and launch → Talent Airlift Afghanistan. Fall 2021: Things are escalating, and rather quickly: We cross an un-imaginable ;) 200 Fellows with a new job & life in Germany. Dec: Whoops, now 220+
2022
Community challenge - how can we get to 1000 Fellows in Germany? Let us know. Feb 24. We launch → Imagine Ukraine. We stand with Ukraine, not only in words but in action. And we open our arms to all Belarusians and Russians as well. We now have 750 companies, more than 1500 refugees, and 1600 volunteer coaches on our platform. The first talents are finding jobs! We thank new foundational partners Target Global, DKV Mobility, E.ON, and The Human Safety Net (Generali) for their immediate embrace of our mission. May 2022: Now 19 Afghans in Europe thanks to our programs Talent Airlift Afghanistan, as well as more than 20 refugees from the war in Ukraine in jobs. June 2022: We celebrate now 400+ Imagine Fellows in Europe!
2023
August - We welcome the first group of 10 Afghan students to Germany. It's been nearly 10 months since we started studentairlift.org, Student Airlift Afghanistan. With a little dose of humility, we are still proud to say that we've helped more people escape Afghanistan than the entire German government managed to do, despite their pledge to fly out 20K at-risk Afghans 2 years ago. We could not be more relieved and happy to see all of the girls arrive in Germany and start their studies in places near and far from Berlin. In 2023, we also welcome Emma Felsenstein and Claudia Langer as new Managing Directors at Imagine. The two of them started as volunteers before taking on more and more responsibilities for our Fellows, our Volunteers, and our Teams. Led by them Imagine will soon write its next chapters...
Approach
THE CHALLENGE: Moving to Europe safely and legally is a struggle
Why? It's still very difficult to legally migrate to Europe - especially for young, aspiring people with a lifetime of potential ahead of them. The key reason: They need a job offer before they arrive. Getting a job offer is the result of an often long and winding process. It requires a nuanced understanding of a country's work culture and is already hard to navigate for natives. It is thus often prohibitively difficult to master even for young, smart, positive, and ambitious people.
THE IDEA - A digital 'bootcamp' for the German job market
We are offering a digital service that increases people's chances of finding a job in Germany. Most applicants have MINT degrees, some work experience, drive, and actively seek a future in Europe. We provide personal, in-depth coaching via video chat and help candidates assess their readiness for a job in Europe. Our top students graduate as Imagine Fellows and are matched with companies.
THE Opportunity - A new, digital NGO. From Berlin. For the world.
Europe faces many geostrategic, economic, and ethical challenges. Shaping future immigration flows to Europe is one of them. We at Imagine Foundation work with our hearts, minds, and digital technology on providing new solutions.
We build a new digital NGO. From Berlin. For the world. Are you in?
Want to volunteer with us? Join us → Romina
Want to work with our Fellows? Hire → Emma
© 2018 Imagine Foundation e.V. Made with 🤍 in Berlin.
Imagine is a registered charity