Startup Carinthia & TEDxKlagenfurt: A Brand Strategy Sprint That Challenges Comfort Zones

There’s a certain kind of brand you don’t forget.

You don’t just see it—you feel it.

You don’t just buy from it—you believe in it.

These brands don’t fight for your attention.

They design for your devotion.

In Carinthia, we’re building more than companies.

We’re building an ecosystem—a future where bold ideas can grow into unforgettable brands. That’s why Startup Carinthia, together with TEDxKlagenfurt, is hosting a high-intensity Brand + Business Design Masterclass Sprint this June.

But this isn’t just another workshop.

It’s a strategic move for our region—and a mindset shift for the people in it.

👉 Register now if you want to be part of it!

Why We’re Doing This

Startup Carinthia exists for one reason: to elevate the ecosystem.

Our past events—like Executive Dinners, Startup Carinthia Talks, and Startup Sparks—have proven that when we bring the right people into the room, big things happen.
But we’ve also seen something else:

Too many ideas in Carinthia play it safe.

Too many businesses are following formulas.

Too many teams are building copy-paste versions of what’s already out there.

We believe Carinthia deserves better—and it starts with leaders who are brave enough to think differently. That’s why we’re teaming up with TEDxKlagenfurt to host a workshop that doesn’t just teach branding—it rewires how we think about business.

Why TEDxKlagenfurt

TEDxKlagenfurt isn’t just another event partner. It’s a beacon of bold ideas in our region—curating voices that push boundaries, challenge conventions, and bring international inspiration to the Alps-Adriatic space.
So when Andy Starr and Sabine Friesser stepped onto the TEDx stage last year—and their talk earned the rare honor of a TED Editor’s Pick—we knew we had to go further.
Together, we’re turning that talk into action:

From the stage, into the room.
From inspiration, into transformation.

Why These Two Trainers Are Different

Andy Starr isn’t your typical branding consultant. A former law student turned musician turned strategist, he’s helped shape some of the most influential brands on the planet: Ferrari, YouTube, Starbucks, and more. He’s also the co-founder of Level C, a global brand school with a reputation for shaking things up.

Sabine Friesser, meanwhile, is a force in her own right. With over 17 years of experience guiding brands like Johnson & Johnson, Dr. Oetker, and Liquid Death, she blends sharp strategy with deep insight—and teaches the next generation of marketers across Europe.

But what makes them truly different is this:
They don’t just teach branding.
They teach how to build brands people can’t ignore—and how to be the kind of leader who can build one.

👉Join if you want to learn from them!

What Their TEDx Talk Taught Us

Their TEDxKlagenfurt talk centered around an unusual figure:
Stixs—the Vice President of Cult Indoctrination at Liquid Death, a company that sells Austrian mountain water in a beer can.
Stixs doesn’t create ads. He creates obsession.
He doesn’t inform. He designs desire.

“Stix makes people want the product. Need it. Feel like they can’t not have it.”

But the real takeaway wasn’t just about Liquid Death. It was about what kind of leader you have to be to allow someone like Stixs to do their job.

“Most companies would kill to hire a Stix,” Starr said. “But most of them would get in his way.”

Because Stixs is uncomfortable. And comfort kills creativity.

That’s the point:

Great ideas are often uncomfortable.
Category-defining moves often look crazy.
To be uncopyable, you need to get comfortable being uncomfortable.

Why It Matters for Carinthia

Carinthia isn’t Silicon Valley. It doesn’t have to be.
But what we lack in global spotlight, we make up for in proximity, community, and potential.
To truly rise as a startup region, we can’t keep looking sideways at what Vienna, Berlin, or San Francisco are doing.

We need to lead with our own weird, our own ideas, our own version of bold.
We need more Stix.

But more than that, we need leaders who can work with Stixs—who can embrace weird, challenge safe, and build brands that don’t just fit the market…

They reshape it.

👉 Be part of it!

That’s What This Masterclass Is About

This sprint is not for spectators.
It’s for builders, strategists, founders, and advisors who are ready to do the hard, uncomfortable, rewarding work of becoming uncopyable.

You’ll walk away with:

A new lens on brand and business design
Immediate tools for smarter strategy
Frameworks that challenge comfort and provoke action
Real-world thinking from Apple, Supreme, Liquid Death, and more

And you’ll do it surrounded by the people who care most about this region’s future—you, the Startup Carinthia community.

Join Us

Virtual Kickoff: June 4, 15:00–18:00 (Zoom)

In-Person Sprint: June 12, 09:00–18:00 | Taggenbrunn Castle

Yes, there will be extraordinary Alpe Adria cuisine.

Yes, it will be intense.

And no, there won’t be a second round. 👉 So register now!

This is for those of you who know that great things don’t come from comfort zones.