change:next GmbH | Change that lasts.

Success can be easy.
Teams can function.

change:next - Your sparring partner for transformation at the Life Science Hub Basel and throughout the DACH region.

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Creating clarity, unfolding potential: Where expertise meets human interaction

Whether in research or industry: Changes for employees inevitably bring friction. change:next combines analytical sharpness with genuine human closeness. This creates a safe space where trust can grow quickly. This relieves and develops leaders, resolves conflicts and ensures that teams pull together with joy.

Leadership Coaching

1. Leadership Coaching

Gain clarity. Take the pressure off. Lead confidently.

Developed for entrepreneurs, C-level and senior leaders who stand at the intersection of business, science and technology. In coaching, complex topics are sorted, decisions are sharpened and a leadership style is developed that is authentic and inspires teams.

Typical topics: Flourishing in leadership roles, leading in the matrix, strategic sparring, relaxed handling of pressure for change and political maneuvering.
High-Performance Team Development

2. High-Performance Team Development

Turning a group of experts into a powerful unit.

A strong team does not happen by chance. With proven tools (such as DISC behavioral profiles, Language and Behaviour Profiles and systemic thinking), individual strengths are made visible, barriers are broken down and a culture is established in which collaboration becomes easy again.

Typical topics: Strength-based collaboration, mutual acceptance and leadership, long-term support for teams in phases of change.
Business & Conflict Mediation

3. Business & Conflict Mediation

Taking the edge off deadlocked situations.

When discussions come to nothing or conflicts burden everyday work, neutral moderation is needed. Mediation brings participants back to the table, translates between different worlds and shapes solutions that all sides can live and work with well.

Typical topics: Tensions in the management team, getting deadlocked negotiations flowing again, restoring constructive cooperation.
Workshop Facilitation & Event Moderation

4. Workshop Facilitation & Event Moderation

So that meetings and events yield real results and are therefore fun.

Whether a confidential strategy workshop among management, a panel discussion or a large symposium: A structured, targeted and at the same time empathetic steering of the dialogue ensures that content sticks and tangible resolutions are made.

Typical topics: Facilitation of strategy days, moderation of panels at the intersection of economy, science and culture.
Signature Program

"Strong Minds in Science"

Academic Leadership made tangible

Originally developed for a German cluster of excellence, this program closes the gap between scientific excellence and modern leadership.

For whom: Professors, senior scientists, laboratory and group leaders in the academic environment as well as in research institutions of the life science industry.
What exactly: 2-day workshop for an intensive deep dive into the topic of self and employee leadership, coupled with individual online coaching sessions so that the greatest added value is created for each participant.
The result: Scientists learn approachable employee leadership, agile team management and clear communication – without losing their professional identity.
Strong Minds in Science Team

Trusted by Industry & Science

What Clients and Partners Say

Experiences from leadership coaching, team development, and mediation.

"I could say how she constantly encourages me to step OUT OF THE BOX, allowing me to grow beyond all expectations. [...] Daniela has an incredible repertoire to respond to any mood I am in with the appropriate reaction – from heartwarming gestures to challenging questions. [...] I know no one more trustworthy than Daniela."

Frank Eiselt
Frank Eiselt
Co-Founder and CEO of LIVEsciences AG and LIVEventures GmbH, CH

"Working with Daniela was an extremely pleasant journey. She has an excellent attention to detail and extraordinary mental agility. She has a winning personality and is extremely trustworthy. I could always rely on her."

Vincenzo Antenna
Vincenzo Antenna
CEO VA Supply Chain & Interim Management GmbH, CH

"Working together with Daniela on the development of our organization creates paths and perspectives that would never have been part of the original mindset without her experience, her questions, and her coaching. The collaboration with her is absolutely professional – confidentiality is her highest priority/greatest asset. Everyone who participates in conversations, trainings, and coachings with her receives the chance to develop a progressive, reflected, and above all solution-oriented attitude through her skills and leadership. Daniela stands for inspiration."

Christian Jeske
Christin Jeske
HR Director, H.C. Starck Hermsdorf, DE

"Daniela's coaching saved me. In one of the most challenging and difficult phases of my life, I had lost the ground under my feet: I was insecure, anxious, and desperate. Through Daniela's methodological strength, creativity, and flexibility, she managed to activate so much positive thought potential in me that I was soon back on my feet. Through the coaching, I am more self-confident, optimistic, and can see everything much more positively. It's hard to express how grateful I am to Daniela."

Ukrike B.
Dr. Ulrike B.
Postdoctoral Researcher in Dresden, DE

"Daniela has been supporting us as a lecturer for years with seminars and workshops on topics related to founding a company. The founders regularly give highly positive feedback on the methods, implementation, and communication of the topics. Besides our individual support of the founding process, an important second building block of the offer is the transfer of knowledge and the strengthening of the founders' personalities. Here Daniela does excellent work and is an indispensable part of the range of services of ThEx Enterprise. We look forward to continuing to build on her competence!"

Katharina Heinecke and Markus Hirche
Project Management ThEx Enterprise, DE

"I have already been able to experience many similar workshops, but I was impressed by how we as a team were able to grow closer through this workshop. Not that this hadn't worked well before, but it led to a new spirit of optimism. You can tell just this week how everyone takes on the other's topics. It was definitely a hugely important step for future collaboration. Daniela got us back on track and turned us into a unit that can win any game – just like a national football coach who shapes many good individual players into a team with will and passion."

Oliver Härtel
Oliver Härtel
Commercial Director, QSIL Metals Hermsdorf GmbH, DE

"Daniela has the ability to see through the situation in a short time and to quickly get to the core issues with the right questions. With helpful tools, things quickly become clearer and alternatives suddenly arise that one did not necessarily have on the radar before. Good communication is, as is so often the case, the key, whereby one often neglects the perspective of one's counterpart. Daniela helped me a lot to get better precisely in these points."

Guido Stiebritz
Guido Stiebritz
R&D Management, QSIL Metals Hermsdorf GmbH, DE

"Together with Daniela, I conducted a compact presentation and effectiveness coaching. I was truly amazed by the result. Although I already have a lot of experience with presentations, she gave me new, exciting, and motivating impulses. It was a lot of fun to implement all the points we worked out. Daniela has an extraordinary knowledge of human nature and draws from a deep wealth of experience – both humanly and scientifically. She gets straight to the point, is lively, astute, and full of ideas. At the same time, she is always considerate and professional. I felt well accompanied and can unreservedly recommend coaching with Daniela to anyone who wants to develop further."

Prof. Dr. Gerald Lackner
Prof. Dr. Gerald Lackner
Junior Research Group Leader, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Hans Knöll Institute), DE

"Dr. Böttger-Schmidt conducted personal presentation training with me for a major event, and I am absolutely impressed with the result. As a scientist and junior research group leader, I have a lot of experience with presentations, but she did a great job identifying my weaknesses and helping me improve my performance. She is a great listener and has profound scientific knowledge in biochemistry. I feel much more confident and well-prepared now. I will not hesitate to recommend her services to my staff and students. It is so difficult to find a mentor at this level of experience."

Prof. Dr. Hajo Kries
Prof. Dr. Hajo Kries
Junior Research Group Leader, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Hans Knöll Institute), DE

"I can't thank Daniela enough for last evening. I can't get over how emotionally powerful the exercise was. For the first time in months I slept right through the night for a full 8 hours! I do feel inspired and peaceful today and hopeful that I have this dealt with. The session with Daniela made a real difference to me, thank you so very much"

Jane L.
Sales Director in Healthcare from Ontario, Canada

"Daniela's training is refreshingly optimistic, surprisingly clear, and extremely motivating. With her knowledge and a lot of empathy, she showed me how to recognize my own strengths and define concrete goals for new professional perspectives. It was a lot of fun working with Daniela and I can only recommend her training to everyone."

Petra Dahl
Petra Dahl
Owner DahlMedia, Leipzig, DE

"With her professional and at the same time prudent manner, Daniela manages to encourage and motivate me. I am grateful for the experience and will continue to benefit from the developmental successes."

Petra Dahl
Katharina Firke
Nursing Management Ronneburg Hospital, DE
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Methodology, Expertise & People

Analytical precision from cutting-edge research combined with profound systemic consulting practice.

Dr. Daniela Böttger-Schmidt Dr. Daniela Böttger-Schmidt Dr. Daniela Böttger-Schmidt Dr. Daniela Böttger-Schmidt Dr. Daniela Böttger-Schmidt

Behind change:next

Dr. Daniela Böttger-Schmidt | Founder & Managing Director

Behind the methodology and implementation of change:next is founder and managing director Dr. Daniela Böttger-Schmidt. Her approach combines analytical precision from cutting-edge research with deep systemic consulting practice – at eye level, empathetic, and solution-oriented.

15+ years of experience in the Life Science Ecosystem PhD Biochemist (FSU Jena / 8 Peer-Reviewed Pub.) 500+ hrs. Executive Coaching & Trainings (e.g., Max Planck Institute) Systemic Business Coach (dvct) Business Mediator (Zweisicht) Prosci® Change Manager PMP® Project Management Professional Agile Scrum Master & NLP Master Coach

Collaborative Excellence

Complex tasks require flexible perspectives. In order to act on demand and interdisciplinarily at any time, change:next collaborates with a hand-picked network when needed:

Dr. Tilman Ritter

Dr. Tilman Ritter

Business Mediator, Medical Specialist & CRM Trainer
As a trained business mediator, medical specialist, and crew resource management trainer, he combines profound crisis experience with high empathy to confidently resolve conflicts in complex teams and sustainably strengthen collaboration.
Cassandra Schlangen

Cassandra Schlangen

Business Relationship Coach, Profiler® & Facial Expression Resonance Trainer
As an expert in emotional intelligence, business relationship coach, and facial expression resonance trainer, she combines profound leadership knowledge with deep empathy to create strong interpersonal connections in teams and fully unfold potential.
Lara Egi

Lara Egi

Actress & Systemic Consultant
Effectively brings her experience as an actress into systemic consulting to make presence, body language, and interpersonal dynamics tangible in teams and to shape change with creative lightness.
Janina Igney

Janina Igney

Event Entrepreneur & Facilitator
Brings her expertise as a managing entrepreneur in the catering and event sector into joint moderation to steer events with organizational precision, dynamism, and a true host mentality.

The first step is very easy

The easiest way to get more clarity is a short, personal getting-to-know-you session. In a 30-minute, free-of-charge conversation, it is easy to find out whether the chemistry is right and which approaches fit best for the current situation.

30 Min. Free 100% Confidential Flexible & Online
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change:next GmbH | Dr. Daniela Böttger-Schmidt
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Pro-Bono Initiative

The Contribution for Basel

Because success entails obligation.

Good work should also reach where budgets are tight. That is why change:next awards one free pro-bono mandate (coaching, mediation or team development) per year to a heart project from the fields of culture, sports or social affairs in the Basel area.

Pro-Bono Initiative Basel

Application for the Pro-Bono Mandate

Your organization faces a team or leadership hurdle, but does not have a corporate budget?

Thank you! Your request has been submitted.