Meet Our Protagonists

These storytellers were chosen by you — the audience — as the favorites from our last ten shows.

Now, they return to the stage with stories about surrender, asking what happens when we finally let go.

Each personal, true tale is told in just seven minutes. Raw. Vulnerable. Alive. These stories walk a tightrope between risk and reward, laughter and loss, heartbreak and hope.

It’s an evening that’s as entertaining as it is moving; a reminder that behind every face is a story, and behind every story, a search for meaning.

It’s an evening of heart, humor, and genuine connection with fellow Berliners.

Brenda Ruiz

Born in Mexico, Brenda moved to Berlin in 2018, to reinvent herself from being a retail expert to break into the field of IT and startups.

Being in Berlin has been a rollercoaster, bringing her highest happiness alongside her darkest and saddest moments. To balance her love of food, she runs, dances bachata, hosts cozy gatherings, and practices yoga. Her family back in Mexico and her support network spread throughout the world remain her absolute anchors.

Say hello: On Instagram @call_me_bren

Calixte Bloquet

Born in France and emigrated to Germany, Calixte is an academic, a teacher, a tea-drinker and a poorly-skilled indoor-gardener. Fascinated by people and what moves them, Calixte has found that the right story not only builds connections, but also holds transformative political power. That is the quest he tries to commit himself to, in many small ways - and some bigger ones too.  

When left to his own devices, Calixte enjoys cream-filled pastries, watching dogs on the Tempelhofer Feld, and fantasizing about going for a run (but accidentally ending up going for a walk instead).

Say hello: On Instagram @calixteisasquirrel 

Deepanker Dua

Deep is guided by story—in his work, in how he brings people together, and in how he makes sense of life. Shaped by leaving home young, crossing continents, and building a multicultural family far from where life began, Deep brings adventure, curiosity, and presence to the stage. Through THE BEAR and other storytelling experiments, he creates spaces where people drop small talk and meet each other in what’s real.

Say hello: On Instagram @askdeepr

Hamza Abbas

Hamza moved from Pakistan to Berlin a few years ago and has been collecting strange experiences ever since. He works in tech, loves exploring new places, and has a habit of saying yes to things that scare him or whatever seems like a good idea at the time. Most of the time it works out. And sometimes it becomes a story.

Say hello: On Instagram @hamza_abbbas

Izzy Ahrbeck

Izzy Ahrbeck is a dynamic community builder and award-winning storyteller, with a passion for connecting people and ideas. Her storytelling journey started early, from hosting radio shows to freelancing as a journalist and eventually pursuing a career in the film industry. 

Driven by a desire for greater purpose, Izzy transitioned to the social impact sector, earning a master’s in Sustainable Business & Innovation. As the Head of Community at Impact Hub Berlin, she empowers startups and changemakers to collaborate for a better future, firmly believing that impactful change happens through collective action. 

In addition to her community-building work, Izzy is a sought-after storytelling coach, working with clients such as Lufthansa Group, Samsung Germany, and the Fixing the Future festival to help individuals and organizations harness the power of their narratives.

Say hello: On LinkedIn and at www.storytellingizzy.com.

Leonie Ringrose

Leonie Ringrose was born in London, left the UK in 1990, and landed in Berlin in 2015. In 2023, after 8 years as a professor of molecular biology at Humboldt University in Berlin, she founded Science Kitchen, a company that offers training for scientists in scientific writing and communication. This had long been a dream of hers and her partner Marc’s, also a scientist. Marc died in 2022, and she founded the company in his honor, to continue the work they started together. You can read more about Marc and their story here, and about the early days of Science Kitchen here. 

In 2024, she left her permanent job in academia with a sigh of relief. She now lives a life of complete freedom, combined with the chance to build something that gives back to the science community she comes from, and that she and Marc knew and loved so well. Thank you, Marc.

Say hello: Science Kitchen.

Sylvia Schöningh-Taylor

Sylvia Schöningh-Taylor is a German author whose work explores the emotional, spiritual, and social tensions of a life lived between countries and identities. She writes from deep personal experience and often returns to themes of trauma, identity, motherhood, loss, resilience, and transformation. Her books include Kinderdiebe, Karmaexpress, Durchs Nadelöhr ins Himmelreich, and Mich wundert’s. Her work reflects a life shaped by her movement between Germany and England, and she brings a distinctive voice formed by lived experience, reflection, and life’s light and darkness.

Say hello: On Instagram: @schoeninghtaylor | Check out my books here.

ANIMA

ANIMA is a multi-faceted singer, Soul Voice medium and frequency healer. Her singing is rooted in truth, inner knowing and feeling deeply. She sings to express freely what it means to be an authentic human being living from heart and soul.

ANIMA is also a mentor for awakening and expanding your Soul Voice. With her holistic voice concept, she guides singers, speakers and voice explorers through a profound transformation process activating their free, intuitive and powerful voice.

Say hello: Link Tree | On Instagram @anima.soulvoice

Dyane Neiman (Founder & Host)

Philadelphia-born, NYC-bred, and Berlin by choice since 2006. Dyane is the founder of THE BEAR. A former theater director and choreographer, she once told stories with moving bodies. Now she tells them with words. 

By day she's a story and public speaking coach at Moving Speaker and co-founder of Female Speaking Berlin. She also gave a TEDx talk: Stories Will Save Us — how storytelling builds connection, courage, and social change.

Say hello: dyane@thebear-storytelling.de | LinkedIn | Facebook

Vishal Jodhani (Host)

Vishal was born in Mumbai and spent half his life in its glorious chaos. The other half, looking for a place that felt like home. He eventually found it in Berlin.

He started in advertising, where he learnt to appreciate the power of a good story. Today he works with individuals and organizations in the messy middle of change, designing experiences (retreats, leadership offsites, gatherings), where story does the heavy lifting.

He loves both sides of the stage: telling true stories, and hosting the room so others can tell theirs.

Story, he believes, is the shortest distance between two people.

Say hello: LinkedIn

Deepanker Dua (Co-Producer)

Dyane Neiman (Creative Director & Story Coach)

Veronica Louis (Co-Producer)

Veronica Louis grew up in Montreal, landed in Berlin in 2015, and has spent most of the time in between figuring out how play can make us better at being human. As the creator of UnMaking Boxes, her mission is to unmake limiting beliefs and deepen connection through play, kindness, and creativity. A workshop leader, speaker, storyteller, and actor with over 20 years of experience designing interactive learning experiences that are as energizing as they are fun, she helps individuals and teams loosen up, connect more deeply, and discover that growth doesn't have to feel like hard work.

Say hello: www.veronicalouis.com and www.unmakingboxes.com | On Instagram: @veronicalouis | On YouTube @veronicalouislive | On TikTok @unmakingboxes

• Adam Fletcher (Story Coach)

• Anastasiya Ivanova (Photographer)

• Ash Kurre (Crew)

• Christian Geuecke (Camera)

• Erica Wolf (Crew)

• flavie (Video Editing)

• Franzi Cleo (Crew)

• Furqan Hameed (Marketing)

• Izel Öztürk (Marketing)

Saturday, June 27th, 2026

18:30: Doors open
19:00: Show begin

Show Hosts: Dyane Neiman & Vishal Jodhani
Musical Artist: Anima

The Eve of the Champs is made possible by the enthusiasm of our storytellers, our team of volunteers and community organizers.