MilliOnAir Magazine July/August | Page 272

Correct! One life only, so we have to live it to the max. I love hearing the different reasons as to why people do what they do; so Mike, why do you continue doing what you do? What drives you?

I wondered for a long time after the tsunami experience why I was one of the the only ones who survived this event while other people had to give up their lives. At some point, I came to realize that I still have a job to do. That unleashed new forces inside me.

At a young age, I almost exclusively focused on my business and my success. That alone was not enough for me now. It may sound a bit cheesy, but I wanted to give my life a deeper meaning.

I started passing on my knowledge and experience to other entrepreneurs as well - initially, only at informal meetings and to people I personally knew. Through word of mouth reputation, more and more people came to me and asked if I could help them with their entrepreneurial issues around the digital world. Thus, I discovered my vocation as an angel investor for high-tech startups and as a trusted advisor for seasoned entrepreneurs. These tasks give me a lot of pleasure. It is a good feeling to see that you can support and help other people along the way.

Another goal was to expand my entrepreneurial activities to include social projects. With that in mind, I visited some aid projects, e.g. in Thailand, Sri Lanka and Namibia. It was important to me to better understand the people and their challenges as well as the work of local aid agencies. I have seen much suffering and painful destinies on my travels, but I have also met many positive thinking people who look to the future with confidence and hope. You can certainly imagine how such experiences humble a human being.

What drives me?

I try to create sustainable added value for people, businesses and the environment with what I do. That motivates me every day anew.

You don’t try Mike, you do! That is one thing I have noticed; when you have an idea or project in mind, you do not let anything get on your way. Your expertise is extremely valuable and I know the companies and individuals you work with are very fortunate to have you onboard

One of your personal projects is "Safe Water Gardens"; can you tell us more about it?

"Safe Water Gardens" is definitely a project that is close to my heart.

It was in 2017 when my friend Tim-Frederik Kohler told me about the project for the first time and then put me in touch with the initiator Dr. Marc van Loo.

The idea for the "Safe Water Gardens" was born out of a stroke of fate. Marc runs an eco-resort with his wife in Bintan, Indonesia. When the daughter of one of his co-workers fell ill with a bacterial infection and died a short time later, Marc could not rest anymore. Together with other scientists, he began to search for a solution so that something terrible like that would never happen again. In Indonesia alone, 370 children under the age of 5 die from contact with contaminated water every day.

Today, more than 40 great people of different nationalities stand behind the project. Add to this the many people in the companies supporting the “Safe Water Gardens” project as part of their CSR initiatives. I am glad to see that not only our team is continuously growing, but that we have also been able to attract well-known organizations such as Borouge, Sinar Mas, Shell, and Musim Mas as supporters.

The “Safe Water Gardens” organization was brought to life by a coalition of educators, concerned citizens, and business partners. Our vision is to provide a safe and affordable sanitation system for every home in rural areas worldwide.

We use digitalization features to connect people around the globe who are adapting the system to their region and needs. Together we will build 100 million Safe Water Gardens.