Impact Days 2024

5–7 Jun 2024 | Vienna, Austria

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Manuel Gruber

Managing Director

Vollpension

Vienna, Austria

1 profile visit

Managing Director of Vollpension Generationendialog. Our mission is to create solutions against old age poverty and isolation.

My organisation

Vollpension

Vollpension

Startup

Vienna, Austria

The basic idea of our Vollpension café (German for “full pension,” which refers to both the one that Austrians get from the government upon retirement and to the kind of hotel stay that includes meals, or full board) is easily explained: Where do you get the best cake ever? At your granny’s, right? And with us, in our Vollpension café. From socially creative pop-up project to a versatile social business Vollpension started as a Social Design Pop-Up in 2012 and have steadily evolved into a social business over the years. In 2015 and 2019, we opened our intergenerational cafes in districts 4 and 1 in Vienna. Both were abruptly closed overnight due to the impact of COVID-19. For us, the top priority was clear: to preserve as many jobs as possible, especially those of 'our grandmas and grandpas.’ In 2020, we initiated various actions such as our 'Krautfunding,' brought grandma online, and introduced the Vollpension Bakademy. Our cake delivery service and Vollpension product collection were born. Numerous print products (OMA2412 Christmas book, recipe card sets) and our first TV format were created. Our colorful offerings are complemented by catering and employer branding services. In the next step, we aim to amplify our impact lever with intergenerational management issues in collaboration with major corporations. Social business and our endeavors are applicable to various areas of impact. And we're not running out of ideas..."
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About me

After a career in advertising and film production, Manuel joined Vollpension in 2020 to help build the Vollpension Bakademy, the world's first granny online baking school. The project was a full on success, so he stayed and became managing director of the newly founded Vollpension Generationendialog GmbH, responsible for all non-gastronomy fields within Vollpension, including strategy, innovation and product development, marketing and sales.

My organisation

The basic idea of our Vollpension café (German for “full pension,” which refers to both the one that Austrians get from the government upon retirement and to the kind of hotel stay that includes meals, or full board) is easily explained: Where do you get the best cake ever? At your granny’s, right? And with us, in our Vollpension café.

From socially creative pop-up project to a versatile social business

Vollpension started as a Social Design Pop-Up in 2012 and have steadily evolved into a social business over the years.

In 2015 and 2019, we opened our intergenerational cafes in districts 4 and 1 in Vienna. Both were abruptly closed overnight due to the impact of COVID-19. For us, the top priority was clear: to preserve as many jobs as possible, especially those of 'our grandmas and grandpas.’

In 2020, we initiated various actions such as our 'Krautfunding,' brought grandma online, and introduced the Vollpension Bakademy. Our cake delivery service and Vollpension product collection were born. Numerous print products (OMA2412 Christmas book, recipe card sets) and our first TV format were created. Our colorful offerings are complemented by catering and employer branding services.

In the next step, we aim to amplify our impact lever with intergenerational management issues in collaboration with major corporations. Social business and our endeavors are applicable to various areas of impact. And we're not running out of ideas..."

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