10 Things You Didn’t Know About Lawrence Leuschner
Lawrence Leuschner is the co-founder and CEO of TIER Mobility, a company founded from his passion for influencing positive change on the planet by focusing on climate change. After discovering that transportation was one of the key drivers of climate change, Leuschner wanted to change mobility; hence, TIER Mobility was born. He is not motivated by money but by the need to witness global sustainability; therefore, these few facts below will enable you to learn more about the CEO determined to call people out to take care of the environment.
1. He Transferred All His Shares in TIER to Blue Impact
As reported by Irish Tech News, Leuschner signed his commitment to transfer all his shares in TIER to Blue /Impact, which he founded in 2018 to support the next generation of green tech impact entrepreneurs. By the time he decided to transfer his shares from his other company, Blue Impact had already made significant investments in startups that were looking to impact the UN’s sustainable goals.
2. He Upholds Freedom
Freedom means different things to various people, and while most believe that the best instrument to attain freedom is money, Leuschner opines that it is a hindrance. He explained that the money will be used to acquire objects which end up owning you. He argued that while at first, it is exciting to purchase more stuff, eventually the amount of time, costs involved, and mental capacity needed to manage them overwhelm you and shadow the initial fulfillment. Therefore he disclosed the best times in his life were spent living in a van, exploring nature, and surfing the world on a budget of less than €1,000.
3. His Priority Has Always Been Establishing Impactful Businesses
On Medium, the CEO revealed that some people prioritize having big houses, fancy cars, and going on luxurious vacations. On the other hand, his priority is building businesses that positively impact individual lives and the whole planet. Consequently, he describes himself as an impact entrepreneur committed to fighting climate change. He added that every sector should take it upon itself to protect the planet.
4. He Hates Being Wasteful
Hollywood star Natalie Portman once said that it is important to find ways to love life and be joyful without being wasteful or destructive. Leuschner shares this opinion, and he said that since he can remember, he has always been uncomfortable with how wasteful we are with our resources. For this reason, he made up his mind to strive for sustainability in all aspects of his life. Nine-year-old Leuschner could not stand to see the trashed returns on his father’s warehouse lying idle. He, therefore, began selling them on the flea market.
5. His First Business
According to Business Insider, after selling the returned goods from his father’s warehouse, Leuschner had enough pocket money to start another business. Since he had already become fascinated with the idea of used goods, Leuschner decided to continue selling second-hand items, but this time it was used video games. He partnered with Marcus Börner, his high school friend, and founded Trade-a-game GmbH in 2004. The exchange platform grew to have eleven products prompting them to rename it “ReBuy” in 2011. By 2015, it had 500 employees and was planning to hire 100 more in 2016.
6. Why He Took a Sabbatical
Leuschner dedicated 15 years to ReBuy before deciding it was time to leave. He took a sabbatical to explore the world to find out more about the main factors of climate change. He knew that within the 18-month journey he would find something that would ignite a new mission. Therefore after traveling the world for 17 months, Leuschner wanted to start a company that would change mobility for good.
7. The Most Prestigious Tender He Has Won So Far
According to North Zone, Leischner read the Paris tender on the first two days of his vacation and came up with a professional document to ensure that he won. He disclosed that it was very competitive with over twenty players hoping to be selected, and with his girlfriend also breathing down his neck for him to win, it must have been a great surprise to be picked as one of the players.
8. His Vision Had Been To Create the Largest Online Shop in Europe
It takes a lot of effort to see your vision come to fruition; therefore, after founding ReBuy in 2004 and working there for 15 years, it was time to move to other ventures. Before he left, he ensured that he left the company in capable hands. He prepared the CEO who would take over by running the firm alongside him for six months. Torten Schero became the new CEO, and Leuschner gave up the position saying his vision to create the largest online shop had come true.
9. He is Not Sure of His Investing Abilities
Leuschner is not confident that he can make a good investor. When asked if he could be like Bill Gates and take capital from successful entrepreneurs to invest in causes, the CEO said he has never thought about it. The CEO said that when he set up Blue Impact, it was in such a way that it could be transformed into a real fund that invests in companies. He said the fund has been used for angel investments, and he is not confident that he can be as good an investor as Gates.
10. He Does Not Reveal More Than Others Need to Know
Information is power, and Harvard Business Review published that sometimes we unwittingly expose ourselves and our companies, especially on social media, leaving competitors with information they can analyze and use against us. The article details how senior executives tweet about work projects which provides valuable insight into the firm’s plans. Luckily, Leuschner knows this risk too well, and when asked about the plans for his company, he did not disclose anything, saying everything would unveil itself due time.
