Book Maximilian as a Speaker
Build Yourself, Build Your Brand.
Maximilian Rupp is a founder, artist, and systems thinker who delivers powerful keynotes and workshops on the future of conscious consumerism, authentic brand building, and the operational mindset of a modern founder.
Spoken at
MAIA 2026, Management in the Age of AI, Wroclaw, July 2026. Paris Fashion Week with EIT Culture and Creativity, March 2026, as the sole German representative.
Approach
My talks are not about best practices. They are about first principles.
I believe the most interesting conversations happen when we challenge the status quo. In a world saturated with generic business advice, my goal is to provide audiences with a fresh, first-principles perspective on what it truly means to build a brand that matters. We will talk about the courage to rebel against industry norms, the power of vulnerability in leadership, and the systems required to turn a passionate idea into a sustainable, impactful business. My talks are designed to be honest, challenging, and immediately applicable.
My Core Topics
The Righteous Rebel: Building a Brand Against the Grain
- —Learn the practical and philosophical lessons from HACOY's journey.
- —Discover how to build a values-driven brand in a world obsessed with speed.
- —A talk on entrepreneurship, brand strategy, and sustainable business.
The Founder's Operating System: Systems for Creative Minds
- —My personal playbook on productivity, focus, and mental models.
- —Actionable strategies for managing the chaos of a creative mind (ADHD).
- —A talk for founders and teams looking to improve their operational effectiveness.
The Future of Identity: Beyond the Physical Wardrobe
- —Explore the intersection of technology, community, and self-expression.
- —Understand the macro-trends (AR, creator economy) changing our world.
- —A talk for leadership teams focused on innovation and future-casting.
Own, Don't Rent: Restoring Accountability by Owning Small, Local AI
- —Why renting intelligence from a handful of large providers quietly moves accountability out of your company.
- —How a small business actually runs its own models on its own hardware, with the real costs and trade-offs.
- —A talk for leadership teams, academic audiences, and founders weighing AI sovereignty against convenience.
Selected Appearances
13 July 2026
MAIA 2026, Management in the Age of AI
Institute of Management and Quality Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
“Own, Don't Rent: Restoring Accountability by Owning Small, Local AI”
An international scientific conference on managing human organisations in the era of intelligent agents. Maximilian presented in the business session on why HACOY moved off rented large-model APIs and onto small models it owns and runs itself.
2 March 2026
Paris Fashion Week, Atelier Neerlandais
EIT Culture and Creativity, NEB Fashion Adaptor programme
“HACOY, as the sole German representative of the programme”
Selected as the only German participant among twelve emerging European fashion brands from nine countries, pitching HACOY during Paris Fashion Week.
Written on these topics
AIFOD member blog
Three essays on owning your own AI
You Cannot Own What You Cannot Run. Why A Small Business Should Own Its AI, Not Rent It. A Model That Cannot Speak Your Language Is Not Yours.
Green Urban Lifestyle, September 2025
Wie ADHS meinen Blick auf die (Mode)Welt veraendert
Diagnosed at 28, and what changed once the way I think finally had a name.
maximilianrupp.com
Own, Don't Rent: the full written argument
The MAIA 2026 talk, written out in full.
Languages and formats
English and German. Keynote of 20 to 45 minutes, workshop, panel or fireside. Based in Munich, travelling from there.
Fee
On request, and reduced for universities, students and non profits.
“ Sure, I’m naive, but without naivety, nothing changes. ”
Maximilian Rupp, as featured in ADL Magazine.