Meet the team: Hans

Today, we wanted to introduce you to one of our most international Mapify Interns so far — Hans Brunk. Keep on reading to find out how a Colorado born and raised, half Swedish business student ended up working at the Mapify office in Berlin.

Lis Kanzler
Nov 5 · 5 min read

Hi Hans!

Please, briefly describe yourself and tell us a bit about your life :)

I am originally from Steamboat Springs, Colorado, but have been fortunate to call northern Sweden home for most of the last decade. The reason I moved to Sweden was to pursue a career in professional skiing, as well as retrace my family’s heritage. Sadly, my ski career was cut short due to injuries, but I now enjoy life as a student at Lund University in southern Sweden. Besides my current work for Mapify, I work as a freelance photographer and journalist, which lets me combine a love of arts with a love of travel.

Hans was born in th US, but moved to Sweden when he was thirteen.

Your 3 biggest passions are…

  • Skiing: it’s the greatest activity! You spend time in some of the most amazing landscapes, can do it for most of your life and are surrounded by cool people.
  • Storytelling: this is a vague answer, but it’s too hard to pick just one! I love to combine my passion for photography, writings and drawings to tell stories.
  • Food: I love to try new dishes while traveling as well as recreate them in my own kitchen. You can learn an awful lot about a culture from its cuisine.

Are you a traveler? If so, tell us a funny travel story of yours!

I have been lucky to have visited over 35 countries in the last five years, with the Faroe Islands being one of the most unique destinations. I spent only an extended weekend on the islands, but was in complete awe of the vast landscape. What I found was that there are basically no people on the collection of islands, but an abundance of sheep! I desperately coveted a sheep photo and chased them around for days trying to capture the perfect shot. Every time I got near, they would scatter and reform only a few meters away in the wrong direction. I was ready to accept defeat. One afternoon towards the end of the trip, I was driving on one of the many barren highways, when yet again a herd of sheep blocked the road. My frustration mounted and instead of quietly slowing and sneaking up to them, I rolled down the windows, blasted the radio, and honked the horn. They initially scattered but then began to near the car after hearing the music: U2 ‘Sweetest Thing.’ I finally snapped the perfect pose and learned that it’s better to be straightforward than sneak, and sheep love U2.

One of his biggest passions is travel photography.

How did you end up living in Berlin and working for Mapify?

I spent the summer studying at Stanford University and happened to meet a mutual friend of the founding team. He explained the Mapify vision and I was immediately hooked. Not only is Mapfiy a great place to gain startup experience, but the company competes in an industry I am passionate about. It was a whirlwind: over the course of ten days, I interviewed for a Mapify position, notified my university that I wouldn’t be studying in the fall and moved to Berlin.

What exactly is your responsibility at Mapify and what project are you working on?

I am a Product Management Intern and am currently focused on product discovery. Projects can change from day-to-day and over the course of my internship I have interviewed potential customers, designed prototypes, analyzed target groups and organized operation schedules.

How would you describe the working atmosphere at Mapify? And the team culture?

Since the team is so united, it really feels like a ‘Mapifamily.’ I can comfortably ask different team members for project help, lunch recommendations, or even rock climbing advice. I was lucky to have spent a weekend with the Mapify team on one of the famous Mapify Meetups and really got to know everyone on a personal level. I’m happy to say that I have not only made new colleagues, but also good friends, and I’m sure I will stay in contact with them in the future!

The Mapify team together with Ambassadors at the Mapify Meetup this year.

What have you learnt from working at a Startup?

I’ve really come to learn the value of workplace organization, communication, and adaptability. In a startup, roles change constantly and you can spend one day in the engineering department and another in marketing. This means you need to first and foremost be adaptable. I’ve found the easiest way to start a new project or work in a different field is to be organized with your work and over-communicate with the rest of the team!

How do your future plans look like? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

That’s a very difficult question. I have a hard time deciding what next month will look like, let alone the next five years. Firstly, I’m a student and need to finish my bachelor’s degree this spring. Afterward, I’ll probably take a short break from studies and then pursue a master’s degree. Who knows? Maybe I’ll found a startup, focus on being an artist or backpack around the world. Indeed, I uprooted and moved to Berlin after a short phone call, so I’m open to everything else that comes my way!

Thanks Hans!

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If you are also interested in interning or working for Mapify, don’t hesitate to shoot us an email with your information and we will shortly get back to you!

At: work@mapify.travel

Lis Kanzler

Written by

Inside Mapify

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