Our Story
Once upon a time…
How far have these ananas traveled to come here? What do the kitchen staff do with all the leftovers of the buffet that is still half full at 11 am? Is there microplastic in the shampoos and why is the jam prepacked in tiny plastic packs?
For quite some time, I, Lilith, Co-founder of ChargeHorizons, had been pondering these and many more questions, until, eventually, I found the courage to voice them aloud. As I continued to observe the world around me, I could no longer remain idle. My passions for travel and sustainability led me to engage in conversations with hotel and flat owners, and before I knew it, I had embarked on a journey that has continued to this day and will hopefully last long into the future. But to truly understand how it all began, we must start from the very beginning…
Too many things to change
Diving deeper into the topic of sustainable tourism, it wasn’t easy to figure out which problems to tackle first. From all the research, I derived a basic pattern:
– 75% of travelers say that they want to travel more sustainably,
– 150+ sustainability certificates exist in the travel industry creating an intransparent label jungle,
– <1% of accommodations are certified.
When interviewing travelers, I repeatedly was told that it was too complicated to travel “green” and that they did not understand which certificate meant what. Thus, they ended up without orientation, unable to distinguish between greenwashing and honest environmental engagement. On the other hand, hoteliers and flat owners saw the customers’ rising awareness for sustainability management, however they firstly did not know what to improve and secondly not how to communicate their engagement transparently.
Certificates over certificates over certificates…
In spring 2020, I got into touch with many certifiers acknowledged by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council and decided to pair up with the ones making a profound and reliable analysis of accommodations. Being aware of the situation of small hotel and hostel owners who may not be able to spend the resources for getting fully certified, I designed our ChargeHolidays Dreamcatcher providing full transparency for travelers and inspiring accommodations to take concrete positive actions.
Cooperation partners
This stage was already interspersed with ups and downs. What helped me to overcome my doubts were all the inspiring meetings. There is for instance Luis, from What3Words with whom I started a cooperation from the beginning on as we immediately understood that a modern way of navigating will improve the travel experience. Or Tutaka, a market place which complements the portfolio of ChargeHolidays perfectly by offering sustainable hotel products. It was always a great motivator to see what can be achieved when collaborating.
From the 30 founders story to Purpose
As winner of the “Chemiesonderpreis” in chemistry 2017 at “Jugend gruendet” I had already gathered some insights into how to found a company. From the first moment on, it was crucial to integrate sustainable management into the DNA of my business. Consequently, I tried to get insights into as many different models as possible. I met with DarkHorse, a company built by 30 co-founders, researched about social entreprise entities in other countries and finally got into touch with the Purpose foundation. A connection which significantly shaped the next steps…
Stepping backwards or forward?
I was really excited when I was accepted at HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management for participating in Batch 2 at Digital Space as well as yooweedoo. In both of those accelerators I met many inspiring founders but also had the chance to work a lot on my own project. Often it felt like a step backwards. I had to rethink my ideas, reenter into the research process, build up hypotheses and often: kill my darlings.
And then there was the boy who just didn’t say “no” quickly enough…
For far too long the project was just a theory with great functions and nice displays but everything remained a mock-up. Until I finally dared to ask Jeroen, my training partner in Rock’n’Roll Acrobatics and Cheerleading, whether he would try not only to be the responsible for my survival when catching me in our stunts but also the one responsible for bringing my project to life. I knew that he studies computer science, so I attracted his interest offering to collect a bit of experience programming an app. “Collect a bit of experience” quickly turned into becoming a full-time occupation and a project of the heart– finally for both of us.
ChargeHorizons GmbH – Names over names over…
Founding a company sometimes feels like giving birth to and rising a child. There is so much you want to shape and – you always want to make the perfect decision (disclaimer: mostly there is none!). One huge decision for us was to fix a name. We painted post-its, sent and resent messages, created neologisms… and finally ended up with a decision.
With a name in mind, we were finally ready to sign the contracts together with the Purpose foundation in September 2021 making us a steward-owned company that reinvests its revenue into the societal good.
The first app…
In November 2021 we launched our first prototype. We were both: Proud of the already done work and still unsatisfied as there were so many ideas which were not implemented yet. Nevertheless, it was a great feeling to make the first rounds of advertising and not only talk to people about the project, but really have something to test and try out.
Since then we have incorporated a lot of feetback, have introduced new features for business travelers and performing artists, participated in the Green Village Campus Accelerator from Village Capital and have held workshops at tons of events. In addition to the heart of the company, our App ChargeHolidays, we are particularly proud to have extended our educational branch, winning awards and grants for our Travelucation project, gamifying sustainable travel in our Sustainable Travel Detective Club and teaching children from a young age on how to become a sustainable Changemaker.
To be continued…
We are still developing a lot and the back log with ideas will never be empty. Take a look at our blog to find out more and stay up to date.
As I complete this article, I realize that all of those experiences were not just a journey – they were a roller coaster ride filled with excitement and unexpected twists and turns. Despite the ups and downs, I would not hesitate even a second and make the same decision again to buckle up and go for another round. And this time, I invite you to join me on this thrilling adventure.