About Ali
Ali Mahlodji is
Yes, I will save the world
“If I manage to change the perspective of even one person, I will have saved that person's view of the world and thus their future.”
The milestones of his story
The world is
Impact Achievements
- FUTURE OF HUMANITY Award 2026
- ANDREUS PEACE Award
- UN WORLD SUMMIT Award
- SOCIAL IMPACT Award
- TRIGOS SUSTAINABILITY Award
- MIRNO MORE ACHIEVERS Award
- BUSINESS ART Sustainable Designer Award
Business Awards
- Two-time HR EXCELLENCE Award winner
- Two-time NEW WORK Award winner
- EY ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR Top 3
- INTERNATIONAL “Coach of The Year” Award
- Two-time LINKEDIN TOP VOICES Award
- “BEST BUSINESS PODCAST” – Ö3 Podcast Award
- GERMAN INFLUENCER Award
- “DEUTSCHER PREIS” for online communications
- DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS Award
Timeline
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1981
Hello World!
Ali was born in 1981 in Tehran, Iran, the birthplace of the fine arts and the best storytellers in the world. But also in a world of mullahs and the suppression of all freedom.
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1984
Hello Europe!
In 1984, Ali's parents fled from Iran to Europe with Ali as political refugees with a gang of people smugglers and found their new home in Austria. Ali was 3 years old at the time when they were admitted to the Traiskirchen refugee centre.
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Career start as a school dropout
Ali is 13 years old when his parents get divorced and he starts to stammer. Because he is diagnosed with ADHD and is afraid to speak in front of people, he skips school and drops out shortly before graduating.
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The field of dreams and 40 jobs later
While working in over 40 jobs – from cleaner to warehouse worker – he discovers two books that change his life. One about Silicon Valley and the power of great ideas and the other one about the good art of management. Inspired by these books, Ali decides to reinvent himself.
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Hello career!
While working, he graduated with honours from evening school for computer science and completed an IT degree in the minimum period of study before entering the corporate world. First as an SAP consultant at Siemens, then as Engagement Manager at the US company Sun Microsystems.
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Burnout at 27 and the question “What do I really want from life?”
A psychological crisis triggered by the death of his father leads him to confront himself with the big question of life and finally realise why he is really in this world.
This picture is still in the making. After all, the best is yet to come.
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2010
The teacher he always wanted to be
He becomes a teacher of media design at a grammar school in Vienna because there are too few teachers in this field in Austria. There he learns all about the true concerns of young people.
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2012
Founding of whatchado.com
He realised that, despite the digital possibilities, the students had no idea what to do with their lives. He was familiar with this fear of the future from his own youth, which prompted him to create his childhood idea – the Handbook of Life Stories – as a digital website.
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2013
Appointment as EU Youth Ambassador
Due to his work as a bridge builder between the generations, the EU Commission appointed him EU Youth Ambassador for life. He fulfils this role on an honorary basis.
A photo is growing here. Good stories take their time.
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2015
whatchado, next level
Under his leadership as CEO, whatchado becomes the European market leader for online video employer branding in the first 3 years and paves the way for authenticity in personnel recruiting with thousands of life stories and helps millions of young people find their way.
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2015
Ali, next level
As promised when the company was founded, he hands over his CEO position three years after setting up the company in order to prepare for the next stage of his mission.
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2015
Appointed EU Ambassador for the New Narrative
Ali takes part in a team of experts led by EU Commissioner Tibor Navracsics. He takes on this role on a voluntary basis.
This chapter will get its picture soon. The story is already here.
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2016
Founding of ALI.DO Speaking & Mentoring
Due to his experience in the business, start-up and education worlds, he is increasingly being called upon worldwide as a sparring partner and keynote speaker to provide clarity and expertise.
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2016–2018
Head of Education at the Akademie für Potentialentfaltung
Ali is responsible for the fields of education and personal development at Prof. Dr. Gerald Hüther's Akademie für Potentialentfaltung in Austria.
This picture is still in the making. After all, the best is yet to come.
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2017
Founding of futureRocka
The LIVE inspirational show for young people is born and reaches over half a million young people in the coming years.
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2018
The book UND WAS MACHST DU SO is published
In 2018, his biography and the success story of whatchado is published by Ullstein Verlag. The book hits the bestseller rankings in its first week.
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2019
Trend researcher at the Zukunftsinstitut
Ali starts as a trend researcher for work and education at the Zukunftsinstitut and writes the leadership book “Work Report” on the future of work.
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2020
The book ENTDECKE DEIN WOFÜR is published
The book to help people find meaning in their lives is published by Gräfe und Unzer Verlag and hits the bestseller lists in its first week.
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2020
Forbes Business Council
Ali Mahlodji joins the Forbes Business Council for his expertise in HR and business.
A photo is growing here. Good stories take their time.
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2021
Founding of futureOne
futureOne is a media/tech and personal development company with the aim of preparing humanity for the future.
This chapter will get its picture soon. The story is already here.
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2021
NEXT LEVEL WORK is published
His experience as a leadership mentor appears in his book NEXT LEVEL WORK for the Zukunftsinstitut.
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2022–2023
After 1,000 keynotes: start of his first own live show
His show FUTURE IS NOW is the answer to society's disenchantment with the future and gives hope and confidence. He performs the show 10 times to sold-out audiences.
This picture is still in the making. After all, the best is yet to come.
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2022
Appointment as UNICEF Honorary Representative
Ali is appointed UNICEF Honorary Representative with a focus on creating a better world for children and young people. He performs this role on a voluntary basis.
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2022
Appointment as Honorary Ambassador of the MIRNO MORE Peace Fleet
The peace fleet MIRNO MORE appoints Ali as an honorary ambassador because of his commitment to young people. He performs this role on a voluntary basis.
A photo is growing here. Good stories take their time.
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2022
Launch of futureOne HEROES
Ali Mahlodji launches the digital personal growth programme futureOne HEROES for all people who want to find their path in this world. He makes the programme available free of charge. Thousands of people are now taking part in futureOne HEROES.
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2023
Founding of the European Braintrust
Ali Mahlodji and Bettina Ludwig, anthropologist and scientist, found the think tank to work together with leading minds on the major challenges facing the world today.
This chapter will get its picture soon. The story is already here.
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2023
Founding of the futureOne Leadership Institute
Ali Mahlodji bundles the work with managers and employees in a new organisation. Clients to date include DAX30 corporations as well as small businesses and global NGOs.
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2023
SAGMEISTER & MAHLODJI Live Show
At a joint meeting in New York, the designer Stefan Sagmeister and Ali Mahlodji decide to put on a joint stage show to restore confidence and hope to society. In October 2023, “Better is Now” goes on stage in Salzburg and Kufstein.
This picture is still in the making. After all, the best is yet to come.
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2024
Jury of the German Federal Government's Fachkräftepreis
At the personal invitation of Labour Minister Hubertus Heil, Ali joins the interdisciplinary jury of the new Fachkräftepreis of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs – the only expert without German roots. The second round follows in 2025.
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2025
Jury of the Brigitte Bierlein Women's Prize
Austria's Ministry of Economic Affairs appoints Ali to the jury of the newly created Brigitte Bierlein Women's Prize, which honours female entrepreneurs and innovators under 35 – alongside Lisa-Marie Fassl and Johanna Pirker.
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2025
Audience with the Dalai Lama
In November 2025, Ali takes part in a five-day leadership seminar in Dharamsala with Samdhong Rinpoche, the former Prime Minister of Tibet. On day four he stands before the Dalai Lama: “Never give up. Come to learn, go to serve. Others before self. Be kind.”
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2025
Future Leadership Day
On 5 December 2025, Ali hosts the Future Leadership Day at the Libelle in Vienna's MuseumsQuartier – a day for leaders on purpose, people and performance. Innsbruck (6 November) and Vienna (27 November) follow in 2026.
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2026
Guest lecturer at the University of Cambridge
Ali teaches leaders from around the world in the postgraduate programme of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership – from VUCA to BANI, “Love in Action” and leadership to ownership.
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2026
(NULL) BOCK AUF ARBEIT is published
His fifth book is published by GABAL: ten years of research at the intersection of work and society in six chapters – “How to become what counts tomorrow”.
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2026
futureRocka: 1,200 young people at the Montforthaus
At the sold-out live show futureRocka in March 2026, part of the Skills Week, Ali takes 1,200 pupils from all over Vorarlberg on his journey – with humour, honest insights and one message: the courage to dream, to try and to make mistakes.
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2026
Mental workshop with Austria's national football team
Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, head coach Ralf Rangnick brings Ali to the ÖFB campus: a talk for the coaching staff and a six-hour workshop with the squad. Rangnick: “That was extremely fascinating.” David Alaba: “very special and inspiring”.
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2026
Future of Humanity Award
At the Green Future Award on 24 June 2026 at the Park Hyatt Vienna, Ali receives the Future of Humanity Award – “for his tireless commitment to inspiring people around the world to unfold their potential and actively shape the future”.
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2026
Coach of the Ö3 autumn boost
From 7 September 2026, Ali is the coach of the Ö3-Herbst-Boost, on air every morning in the Ö3-Wecker: a five-day mindset challenge on self-perception, resilience, solution-focused thinking, self-confidence and healthy comparisons.
The world responds as you face it
“In a world where you can be anything, ”
The bridge builder
From a flaw in the system
Ali Mahlodji came to Europe as a refugee and started his career as a stuttering school dropout with over 40 jobs.
He is an Austrian-Persian impact entrepreneur and author as well as co-founder and CEO of futureOne, an international technology, media and personal growth company dedicated to reminding people who they really are and helping companies bring love and humanity back into the organisation. His clients include global companies, small businesses, NGOs and political organisations. He dedicates a large part of his time to helping young people prepare for the future.
He was previously an SAP consultant at technology giant Siemens and then Global Engagement Manager at Sun Microsystems, a US Silicon Valley tech company, before becoming a teacher and founding whatchado, the handbook of life stories – an international online video job orientation platform that has inspired millions of young people on their career paths.
As the author of several bestsellers, Ali is always a welcome lecturer at universities and a sparring partner for leaders in change – also in his role as a trend researcher at the Zukunftsinstitut.
Ali has received several international awards for his work, including the UN World Summit Award, the HR Excellence Award, the New Work Award and the Andreus Peace Award.
Ali lives with his family in Vienna and travels the world as a keynote speaker, business mentor and expert on work and education.
His path, his life, his companiesPersonal fulfilment is a human birthright
“Try to achieve everything in your life that you deeply desire, but never at the expense of other people and nature.”
His path, his life, his companies
His path, his life,
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The power of dreams
From school dropout
Ali Mahlodji grew up in a refugee home and started his career as a stuttering school dropout. After more than 40 jobs, a university degree in record time and promotion to manager in a US company, he quit his well-paid job after a crisis of purpose to follow his inner calling.
He became a teacher at a grammar school and, based on a childhood idea, founded the digital handbook of life stories, the success story whatchado.com, an internationally successful video job orientation platform in Europe, which, under his leadership as CEO, became the German-speaking market leader for video employer branding in just three years.
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The power of the inner voice
The keynote speaker
After founding whatchado, Ali Mahlodji answered the calls of society and the business world, which called on him to explain a new future and act as a translator between generations.
He is an expert in work and education with a focus on diversity, new work, mindful leadership and entrepreneurship and has been supporting managers from DAX companies as well as small businesses and NGOs in their transformation for many years.
As an international keynote speaker, he gives radical impulses for change, whereby he is appreciated for his clear messages and deep insights into companies, but always with a focus on people and their potential.
With more than 2,000 keynotes in over 50 countries and regular publications, he is one of Europe's most influential changemakers. In this role he wrote his books UND WAS MACHST DU SO? (Econ) and ENTDECKE DEIN WOFÜR (Gräfe und Unzer), which help people discover their personal path.
Ali Mahlodji was Head of Education at Prof. Dr. Gerald Hüther's Akademie für Potentialentfaltung from 2016 to 2018 and has authored several books on the topic of New Work Leadership in his role as a trend researcher at the Zukunftsinstitut since 2019.
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The power of a vision
The maker of the future
Ali Mahlodji is CEO of futureOne, a tech, media and personal growth company that brings love, humanity and self-efficacy back into business and society.
Together with his team, he makes business leaders, decision-makers, employees and apprentices mentally fit for the future. His clients include international company groups as well as small businesses and NGOs. His team and he are always called in when it comes to changing leadership perspectives, building bridges between leaders and employees or mediating the views of different generations. He is valued for his broad expertise and is always in demand when organisations want to transform their teams into motivated and future-optimistic units.
With futureOne HEROES, he also developed the first holistic personal growth programme for changemakers of the generation global. HEROES had over 1,500 participants just one week after its launch and the podcast of the same name regularly inspires thousands of future changemakers.
With the founding of the youth inspiration show futureRocka, he has already inspired and trained over half a million young people from the USA to Europe and India in their development.
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The power of a pioneer
The
Ali has always remained true to his inner purpose of creating a world worth living in for children – especially those children who feel they are not enough.
He does 50% of his work pro bono or dedicates it specifically to the lives of young people to prepare them for the future.
In his voluntary work, he works with adult prisoners as well as with young people at risk of exclusion – because his deepest conviction is that this is the only way society can succeed.
The European Union appointed him EU Youth Ambassador for life and he is a UNICEF Honorary Representative. In 2022, he received the ANDREUS PEACE AWARD for his work. In the same year, Ali was made an Honorary Ambassador of the MIRNO MORE Peace Fleet, which also presented him with the ACHIEVERS Award – only ten people in the world had ever received this award.
He lives in Vienna, works internationally and is married to the woman of his dreams. Ali is the father of two wonderful daughters and says of himself “I'm actually a flaw in the system”.