Meet our protagonists

These 10 storytellers were selected by the audience as their Favorite storytellers from the last 10 shows.

Each 7-minute true, personal tale is a high-wire act between the audience and storyteller which is both terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. An heartwarming & entertaining evening that renews your faith in your fellow human beings.

Join us!

Benjamin Lorch

the founder of The Berlin School of Podcasting.  He is a builder of schools, education programs and podcasts. Raised on radio in his youth, he developed a deep passion for stories and voices.  An educator and expert in intercultural exchange programs, he has grounded several international schools in Berlin.

Tell a story.  Change the world.

Benjamin’s story is called: “TBA”

Carol Larivee

Carol, originally from the US, had a 35-year career in global health, living and working in multiple countries in Africa and Asia. She has stories to tell from India, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Ghana and South Africa and many other spots around the globe. A resident of Berlin in her 20’s, she moved back in 2018 and now calls Berlin home. Now retired, she is working on a novel and exploring other creative talents. She lives in Charlottenburg with her German husband.

Her story at THE bEAR in September, “You May Sing Now” earned her a spot in the Eve of Champs.

Carol’s story: “My Travels with Alanis” explores how she moves from a sobbing mess to angry action with Alanis in her ear.

Deepti Anupindi

was born and raised in a typical South-Indian family in Bangalore, India. She has been submitting stories and writing funny screenplays ever since she was a little girl. Her material is inspired by her conflicting life - a modern mindset mixed with Hindu upbringing and Catholic schooling. Moving to Berlin in the midst of the pandemic unleashed a wealth of writing, storytelling and stand-up comedy opportunities for her. She took those in her stride and decided to take the leap, after being nothing but a Software Engineer for 14 years.
In 2024 she became a finalist in the Berlin New Stand-up Award competition. Currently she is a regular performer in the storytelling and stand-up comedy circuits in and around Berlin.

Instagram handle: @pumpkinpoid
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@deeptianupindi
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pumpkinpoid/
Blogs: https://medium.com/@deeptianupindi/
https://deeptianupindi.substack.com/

Website: https://deepu182.wixsite.com/deeptianupindi

Deepti’s story is called “The fire behind an eclipse.”

Furqan Hameed

Spontaneously ending up at a live event in Amsterdam 8 years ago introduced me to the fascinating world of storytelling. After settling down in Berlin in 2021 one of the first few things I did was to look up live storytelling events in the city.

Originally from Pakistan, working in the tech industry I love humour, spicy food, random playlists, fantasy books, ginger drinks and am grateful for all the opportunities life has provided. 

Furqan’s Story: “The Judgement Call”

Izzy Ahrbeck

Born in Tokyo to German and Canadian parents, curiosity and wanderlust were always a driving force in her life. Izzy has since then called 8 different countries home and has currently unpacked her suitcase in Berlin… for now. 

From a very young age, Izzy was set on being a storyteller. From making short “newscast” videos every Friday after school, to interviewing community members for her radio show, to being a freelance journalist for organizations, Izzy wanted to uplift traditionally dismissed voices. That lead her to working in the film and music industry where she immersed herself in the Toronto arts and activism scene.

She worked on numerous film sets included her own award-winning projects and later co-produced Canada’s longest running music festival. However, a lost sense of purpose and fulfilment nagged at her until she spontaneously decided to leave her dreamy career behind and start a new life in Barcelona where she pursued her master's in Sustainable Business & Innovation. 

Izzy is now a self-proclaimed activist in the business community, promoting radical change and more sustainable practices. She hosts her own podcast on the topic and presents to companies internationally on how to innovate more impactfully. She crept into the storytelling world only a few months ago and is eager to participate and learn more. 

Izzy’s Story: “TBA”

Leonie Ringrose

Leonie Ringrose was born in London, left the UK in 1990, and landed in Berlin in 2015. She has worked as a patent examiner, a grape picker, a cycle courier and a molecular biologist. She has lived in France, Austria and Germany at various times over the past 34 years. She now divides her time between Berlin and the Odenwald forest. In her research work she combines mathematics and biology to explore the secret life of DNA, which is her favourite molecule. www.ringroselab.com

In April 2024 she left her permanent job as a professor of Molecular Biology at Humboldt University, Berlin, to become a freelance trainer for scientists. Her new venture, Science Kitchen, gives training and coaching for scientists in presentation skills, paper writing and grant writing. She believes that every scientist can learn excellent presentation and writing, and that learning those skills can be fun. Her mission: to make science easier for scientists. www.science-kitchen.net

Since leaving the structured world of academia for the freedom of self employment, she has done more real science than she ever had time for before. She continues to explore the secret life of DNA, asking how it twists and turns, and why, and how she can capture that with computer models. 

In 2014, Leonie had her first taste of improvisation theatre, and has been learning and using these skills in her teaching and in her life, ever since. Saying yes, letting go of your ideas and finding stories that didn’t exist an instant before. Being aware and present in the moment and listening to your stage partner, these are things that transform everyday life. In December last year she came to the bEAR for the first time, and was fascinated by a new and different adventure. She loves the challenge of finding a story to fit the topic, putting it together by experimenting, and bringing it alive on stage. 

Leonie’s story is titled: “How dare you insult my DNA?”

Oliver Marsh

Oliver is from the UK and moved to Berlin in 2022 because YOLO.  He spends his days doing research and advocacy to make social media better, so finds performance and storytelling a good way to connect with people in the physical world instead.  Back in the UK he was a keen amateur actor and comedian; he has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and founded a comedy sketch troupe called CowsDrinkMilk.  He has recently reconnected with these theatrical interests in Berlin through improv theatre (Scratch Theatre) and storytelling with THE bEAR.

Oliver’s story is titled: “TBA”

Sylvia Schöningh-Taylor

The Universe endowed me with an abundance of creativity from the start. This Gift helped me to survive the abusive, dysfunctional family, I grew up with in the German Fifties.

As a little girl a neighbour gave me four glove puppets. I entertained the poor kids from the neighbourhood regularly with improvised puppet shows.

Later I became a teacher, inspiring generations of children to love literature and being civilized citizens.

I am a mother of 2 gifted children, to whom I passed on my passion for storytelling. 

Storytelling for me is an Art Form, that does our Humanity a great service.It is a bridge between strangers from all walks of life. Human Life is a challenge to all of us. By sharing our stories we transcend our loneliness and become one - in that magic moment of a heartfelt story being told.

Sylvia’s story is called “She Wolf.”

Terence Mickey

coaches executives on the art of storytelling. He's worked with Google, Nike, Vanguard, Eli Lilly, among other Fortune 500 companies, as well as groups as diverse as exonerees at the Innocence Project, children of Holocaust survivors at the Jewish Heritage Museum, scientists at the Smithsonian Institute and students at the Harvey Milk High School. He's created two narrative podcasts, "Memory Motel," and "Self? Help!" featured in the Guardian , Wired and IndieWire as must listens. He's co-directed a feature documentary for Starz Network and has written for three seasons of "Still A Mystery" on the Discovery Channel. He's worked for the Moth Corporate and Outreach Programs and performed on the Moth Mainstage. He'll be teaching storytelling in the fall at the Kalymnos Writers' Festival. 

Terence’s story is titled: “TBA“

Vishal Jodhani

Born in Mumbai, Vishal has spent half his life amidst the vibrant chaos of India’s most dynamic city. The other half? A journey across the globe in search of a place that feels like home. For now, that place is Berlin. Starting his career in advertising and PR, Vishal discovered his passion for the power of stories early on. These days, he channels his storytelling prowess into his role as a business consultant, coach, and facilitator. But when the sun sets, Vishal transforms. He steps onto the stage, ready to weave tales that captivate and inspire. He dreams of one day opening his own speakeasy bar, a haven where stories flow as freely as the cocktails, and everyone’s narrative is celebrated. When he’s not spinning stories, you might find Vishal dancing the night away, savouring a perfectly brewed coffee, or enjoying a well-crafted cocktail. His philosophy?

"Through stories, we find our shared humanity."

Say hello at vishaljodhani@gmail.com

Vishal’s story is titled “I See You”.

James Harper

is the creator of award-nominated podcast Filter Stories, a show that uses our morning coffee as a lens to understand the world. His narratives explore history, science and sustainability, and he writes the piano music that underscore the stories. 

His podcasts have been heard hundreds of thousands of times, and he has produced narrative podcasts for a wide array of clients, including Porsche (Driven Minds), Duolingo (Spanish Podcast), World Coffee Portal (5THWAVE), Specialty Coffee Association (World Coffee Championships), and others. 

Growing up half Italian in Sydney, he’s lived in Hong Kong and Rome and began his career working for the Bank of England in 2009. However, his passion for coffee was simply too strong to resist, and in 2016 moved to Berlin to become The Barn Coffee Roaster’s Wholesale Manager, and then in early 2018 hopped on a flight to Guatemala to dive deeper into the world of specialty coffee as a documentary podcast producer.

When he is not traveling around the world, James generously accompanies storytellers at THE bEAR adding another delicious layer to our evening.

Dyane Neiman

Founder & director of THE bEAR. true stories. erzaehltes leben; Eve of the Champs show host.

Dyane is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and has become the most German-like American you’ll ever meet. The former theater director and choreographer once told stories with moving bodies, now she creates with moving words.

By day, Dyane works as a speaker coach with her business Moving Speaker.  And every third Friday evening,  – she hosts, charms, persuades and twists arms so that Berliners will take the stage and share their stories.

“I believe stories help us find meaning out of this chaos called life.”

Check out her latest passion project created in collaboration with the podcast team: https://truestoriesberlin.com/

Say hello: dyane@thebear-storytelling.de

Deepanker Dua aka Deep

An award-winning storyteller and founding member of THE bEAR’s podcast team True Stories Berlin. Deep regularly hosts the TSB podcast as well as THE bEAR’s live events. Backstage he lends his entrepreneur spirit to helping THE bEAR’s mission to share and spread stories thrive. His company Sales Chakras is a proud supporter of THE bEAR.

Say ‘hello’: deepr@hey.com

Wendy Husser

is a native of Denver, Colorado who came to Germany in 1987 and landed in Berlin in 2008. She is a trainer for Business English, a coach for Public Speaking/Presentations and has been a moderator at events like TEDx  Potsdam and the 1st International Urban Mobility Dialogue (Berlin 2017).  Creating and holding space for the words and stories of others is at the heart of Wendy's work - a job and a CALLING done with devotion.

She is co-founded and regularly moderates True Stories Berlin podcast as well hosts the “live” storytelling shows at THE bEAR.

Say ‘hello’: weewall@gmail.com

Nadine Kaufmann

arrived at THE bEAR in 2022 as an inquisitive listener, drawn in by the art of storytelling. What began as curiosity quickly blossomed into a passion.

After honing her own storytelling skills at a THE bEAR 's workshop, she debuted on stage in 2024, sharing her own personal tale. She became a volunteer, dedicating some of her time to lending a hand in making this beloved event happen.

Say ‘hello’ at: nkaufmann@posteo.de

Friday, 21 June 2024

18:30 hrs. Doors open
19 hrs. Stories begin

Tickets available here.

Show host: Dyane Neiman; Wendy Husser, Deepanker Dua
Music: James Harper

Light Design: Ingo Reinhardt

The Eve of the Champs is made possible by the enthusiasm of our storytellers, our team of volunteers and with our partners: Moving-Speaker.com, Theater-im-Delphi, Galerie Cafe Emma T., Berlin Erleben Youtube Channel, and Sales Chakra.