BIOGRAPHY ANDREAS HEINECKE
In 1985, during an assignment for a radio station, Andreas Heinecke was asked to develop a
rehabilitation program for a blind colleague. Challenged by this encounter to think beyond his
own stereotype prejudice about disability, he created an experience called “Dialogue in the
Dark”.
Experimenting with sounds and ropes, he began to present this idea as an exhibition in
Frankfurt, Germany in 1989. With an overwhelming response in the public, Dialogue in the
Dark has since evolved into a social business model with numerous exhibitions across 32
countries. As early as 1992 Andreas Heinecke started to introduce social franchising as a
model for the cooperation with local exhibition partners. In 1997 he developed a sister
exhibition called “Dialogue in Silence”, which accompanied the already renowned Dialogue in
the Dark in international hubs.
In 2008 Andreas Heinecke, by then internationally acclaimed as social entrepreneur, founded a
holding for all Dialogue business concepts, the Dialogue Social Enterprise. Since 2011 he is
honorary Professor at the European Business School in Wiesbaden for the chair of social
business. In 2012 he developed another exhibition concept: Dialogue with Time. This exhibition
about aging, the experience, stereotypes and the dialogue between generations is realized
with partner organizations in Germany in 2014 and 2015.
Transferring his know-how and mission to the incubator of Dialogue Social Enterprise,
Andreas Heinecke today still is a driving innovator for new concepts and exhibitions aimed at
overcoming stereotype mind-sets by breaking communication barriers.
AWARDS ANDREAS HEINECKE
2011 – Deutscher Gründerpreis
2009 – Global Award Winner for best innovative out-of-comfort-zone event by the YPO
2009 – Dragon Award for the category “Business with Conscience”
2008 – Member of the World Economic Forum, Council on Social Entrepreneurship
2007 – Outstanding Global Social Entrepreneur by the Schwab Foundation
2006 – Deutscher Unternehmer Preis, Harvard Business School’s Entrepreneurship Club
2005 – First “Ashoka Fellow” in Western Europe
2004 – Best Practice in Universal
1998 – Stevie Wonder Vision Award