Matthias Linke For diversity, against sexism.

I facilitate the Diversity Fresco and the Sexism Fresco, and I work with organisations to build diversity management that needs no new staffing costs.

I am an officially licensed facilitator for both workshops. Across Germany, on site or online, in German and English.

Free intro call (30 min.) See the offers

Matthias Linke

Discrimination costs. Diversity pays off.

Discrimination costs productivity

People who are excluded hold back, lose interest in their work and sooner or later start looking elsewhere.

Diversity pays off

According to a BCG study (2018, more than 1,700 companies in eight countries), companies with above-average diverse management teams earn a share of their revenue from innovation that is 19 percentage points higher (45 % instead of 26 %), and their EBIT margin is 9 percentage points higher.

This is a correlation, not proof of cause and effect. Source: Lorenzo, Voigt, Tsusaka, Krentz, Abouzahr: How Diverse Leadership Teams Boost Innovation, Boston Consulting Group, 2018. Retrieved on .

Same minds, same solutions

Where everyone thinks alike, the same solutions keep coming up, even if they did not work last time.

Would you rather watch than read?

The film explains in 50 seconds how a Fresco workshop works.

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Read the text of the film

A big, tangled topic. Where do you even start? With a Fresco: a workshop in small groups, built around cards. Each card stands for one piece of the topic. One by one, the group lays them out and links them: What's the cause, and what's the effect? Nobody gives a lecture. The facilitator just guides. The group discovers the connections for itself. Together, they build one big shared picture: the Fresco. Then there's time for feelings, for reflection, and for ideas on what to do next. Understanding, not lecturing.

Play the film

Change cannot be ordered.
People have to carry it.

Three offers for organisations of any size. All three are meant to make your organisation a place where different people can work well.

Diversity Fresco

Understand in 3 hours how discrimination arises.

  • 10–16 people
  • Workshop by ESSEC Business School
See details New in the programme

Sexism Fresco

Talk about sexism, listen and practise, in 3 hours.

  • up to 12 participants
  • Original: La Fresque du sexisme
See details

Building diversity management

Build diversity management without new staffing costs.

  • for small organisations, mid-sized companies, large corporations
  • anchored in existing roles
How we build it

Diversity Fresco

Understand in 3 hours how discrimination arises.

The Diversity Fresco is a playful 3-hour workshop in which people, guided by a facilitator, work out how discrimination arises and what organisations can concretely do about it.

The groups put causes, consequences and solutions together into a large ‘fresco’. There is no lecture; the knowledge comes from the group.

It was developed by ESSEC Business School (Paris) and Belugames, and is grounded in cognitive science and social psychology.

As an officially licensed Diversity Fresco facilitator, I am glad to bring the workshop to your team. Get in touch!

Request a workshop More about the Diversity Fresco

At a glance

Duration
3 hours
Group
10–16 people (1 or 2 tables)
Location
on site anywhere in Germany, or online
Language
German or English
Facilitator
Matthias Linke, officially licensed Diversity Fresco facilitator (ESSEC Business School)

Sexism Fresco

Talk about sexism, listen and practise, in 3 hours.

The Sexism Fresco is a 3-hour educational workshop that aims to contribute to an equal society through teaching and practical exercises. The original is called ‘La Fresque du sexisme’.

The work happens in conversation. Participants discuss, express themselves and listen to one another attentively and supportively. The format is collaborative and creative.

The content draws on numerous cited scientific sources, including INSEE, UN Women, INED and the United Nations.

Figures according to the organisation’s website (as of November 2026): 13,000 participants, 1,400 workshops, 338 trained facilitators, satisfaction 4.8/5. Source: fresque-du-sexisme.org.

I am an officially licensed facilitator for the Sexism Fresco and will be running it from early 2027.

Request a workshop More about the Sexism Fresco

At a glance

Duration
3 hours
Group
up to 12 participants per facilitator, in two groups of six
Location
on site anywhere in Germany or online, programme can be adapted
Language
German or English
Facilitator
Matthias Linke, officially licensed facilitator for the Sexism Fresco

Which workshop suits us?

Diversity FrescoSexism Fresco
TopicHow discrimination arises and what organisations can concretely do about itSexism and the path to an equal society
A good fit ifyou are looking for a shared introduction to the topic of diversityyou explicitly want sexism to become a topic in your organisation
Duration3 hours3 hours
Group10–16 people, 1 or 2 tablesup to 12 participants, two groups of six
Locationon site anywhere in Germany, or onlineon site anywhere in Germany or online
LanguageGerman or EnglishGerman or English
Developed byESSEC Business School (Paris) and BelugamesLa Fresque du sexisme

The two workshops can be combined, for example over two sessions: first the Diversity Fresco as a broad introduction, then the Sexism Fresco to go deeper.

Building diversity management

Build diversity management without new staffing costs.

Diversity management does not need a dedicated post or a new department. I build it with you so that it sits in the roles, processes and networks you already have. That works in a small business, a mid-sized company and a large corporation.

How we build it

  1. Stocktake: We look at processes and figures and ask the team. The uncomfortable findings go on the table too.
  2. Strategy and goals: A few measurable goals that fit your business.
  3. Anchoring: Responsibility lies with roles that already exist (leadership, HR, training) and with voluntary employee networks. Nobody is hired for it.
  4. Training managers: for example with the Diversity Fresco as a starting point, followed by short, practical formats.
  5. Measuring impact: Simple indicators that we review regularly, so you can see what works and what does not.

Free intro call

Suited to your size

Small organisations
A few measures that leadership and team carry together.
Mid-sized companies
Clear responsibilities within existing roles, first networks and fixed routines.
Large corporations
Bring existing initiatives together, strengthen networks and build diversity into processes and governance.

Building diversity management was a large, self-contained part of my master’s degree in organisational development at TU Kaiserslautern.

The intro call lasts 30 minutes and is free. That is where we agree scope and offer.

An AI only works as well as the knowledge your people pass on to it.

For companies introducing AI or robots. I wrote the book ‘Homo Obsoletus’ about the change behind it.

AI and knowledge transfer

Consulting, talks and workshops for companies.

Physical AI means that AI no longer sits only in software but also in robots that do physical work. In my view, the technology is only one part of the task. For an AI to deliver the same quality as experienced employees, it needs their knowledge and experience. Much of that is not written down in any manual.

This is what I work on with companies: how do you get employees to pass on their knowledge and experience? And what does this change mean for the business and for the people who work there?

I do not arrive with a ready-made answer. Together we look for the solution that fits your business, and I take in everything that belongs together: technology, economics, law, organisation and people.

Free intro call

Three formats

Consulting
We work out where you stand and develop a solution for your business.
Talks
An introduction to the topic, for example for managers or the workforce.
Workshops
We work together on your own questions.

On this topic I am in exchange with large companies and with specialists in psychology. My book on it: ‘Homo Obsoletus’ (2026, in German).

The intro call lasts 30 minutes and is free. That is where we agree scope and offer.

You are at a turning point.
I have been at every one of them myself.

Four situations in which a lot gets decided. You do not have to get through any of them alone.

Finished training or university

‘Degree in hand, and now what?’

Everyone congratulates you, but nobody tells you how to find out what suits you. We work out what you are good at, where you want to go and where to start.

New leadership role

‘Colleague yesterday, manager today.’

Suddenly everyone is looking at you, and you are supposed to lead without ever having learned how. I have led teams of 5 to 150 people, and I will accompany you through the first 100 days, and longer if you like.

Career change

‘It cannot go on like this.’

Whether the job no longer suits you or you no longer suit the job: we sort out what you can do, what you want and what is holding you. That becomes a plan for the next step.

Close to burnout

‘The battery is flat, and has been for a long time.’

When the tank is empty, ‘try harder’ does not help. We create some distance, look at what is weighing on you and find a pace you can keep, before nothing works any more.

Please note: coaching is not a substitute for psychotherapy. In acute crises I will help you find the right professional support.

Leave this page quickly

If you have experienced sexual assault

You do not have to carry this alone. I am a point of contact for women who have experienced sexual assault. I listen to you and help you to face such situations and, as far as possible, to be free of them altogether.

You decide what you tell me and what happens next. What happened was not your fault. I treat whatever you write to me as confidential.

Write to me if you like. One line is enough.

Write on WhatsApp Email hello@worldx.com

A conversation with me is not a substitute for a specialist counselling service, therapy, medical help or the police.

If you do not want anyone to see that you were here: in your browser’s menu you can delete the pages you have visited under ‘History’.

Matthias Linke leaning against a wall, with evening light in the background
Matthias Linke Facilitator for Diversity Fresco and Sexism Fresco, organisation development specialist and author

Why I do this

What is written on the cards in my workshops, I have experienced myself. After I came out, I was thrown out.

In my circle of friends, which includes many women and also non-binary people, I find exactly the things that lie on the table in the Fresco. I am a point of contact for women who have experienced sexual assault, and I help them to face such situations and, as far as possible, to be free of them altogether.

And I have a daughter. I do not want her to grow up in a patriarchal society.

My path

I have lived through each of these upheavals myself.

At 18 I came out. Three days later I no longer had a home. What followed was Hartz IV (German basic income support), a flat without electricity and over 100 job applications, almost all of them rejected. At some point I decided that this was not going to be the end of me.

Today I hold four university degrees, all without the Abitur (the German school-leaving certificate for university entry), and I held Prokura (commercial power of attorney) at three companies. As a project manager at an international aviation group, I save €15–33 million a year through a process optimisation. I am a managing director, an author and a father.

WorldX grew out of this story. I know what turning points feel like, the forced ones and the chosen ones, and what it takes to get through them.

4 degrees
University degrees, all without the Abitur
150+
employees led
€15–33m
saved per year through process optimisation in the aviation industry
Since 2012
Leadership responsibility · Prokura at three companies

Qualifications

I can document every line here.

Licences and certifications

  • Diversity Fresco facilitatorESSEC Business School, officially licensed to run the workshop.
  • Sexism Fresco facilitatorLa Fresque du sexisme, officially licensed to run the workshop.
  • Project Management Professional (PMP®)Project management certification awarded by the Project Management Institute (PMI).
  • Lean Six Sigma Yellow BeltTechnical University of Munich, a method for improving processes and quality.
  • Ausbildereignung (AEVO)Qualification to train apprentices, examined by the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK).

Studies, all without the Abitur

  • Master of Laws (LL.M.) Wirtschaftsrecht (business law)Universität des Saarlandes
  • Master of Arts (M.A.) Organisationsentwicklung (organisational development)TU Kaiserslautern, with a large, self-contained focus on building diversity management
  • Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Business AdministrationFachhochschule Südwestfalen
  • Diplom-Betriebswirt (WA) (business administration diploma)Wirtschaftsakademie / IHK Potsdam

And the practical experience

  • Project manager in the aviation industry
  • Managing director of WorldX GmbH
  • Author of ‘Homo Obsoletus’ (2026)
  • Leadership responsibility since 2012

In conversation at SAATKORN

Play video

Homo Obsoletus: KI und menschliche Arbeit mit MATTHIAS LINKE - SAATKORN

Conversation with Gero Hesse, published on . Clicking loads the video from YouTube (enhanced privacy mode).

To listen or read: saatkorn.com, Spotify, Apple Podcasts.

Profiles: LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, X, XING, Threads, Facebook, YouTube

More about me: short profile, profiles and mentions

How working together goes

  1. Getting to know each other

    30 minutes, free and without obligation. We find out whether it fits, personally and professionally. I will not try to sell you anything in that call.

  2. Where you stand, and a plan

    We work out where you stand, where you want to go and what is in the way. You leave with a roadmap of concrete steps.

  3. Support

    I stay with you, tell you honestly what I see and adjust the plan with you until it works in everyday life.

Knowledge on diversity, sexism and diversity management

Articles, a glossary and answers to common questions. Every figure has a source.

All articles Glossary All questions

Common questions

What is the Diversity Fresco?

The Diversity Fresco is a playful 3-hour workshop in which people, guided by a facilitator, work out how discrimination arises and what organisations can concretely do about it. Using cards, the group puts causes, consequences and solutions together into a large ‘fresco’.

Who developed the Diversity Fresco?

The Diversity Fresco was developed in 2021 by ESSEC Business School (Paris) together with Belugames, a specialist in cooperative games. The content was created under the scientific direction of Prof. Junko Takagi (Chair of Leadership & Diversity) and is based on cognitive science and social psychology.

How long does the Diversity Fresco take and how many people can take part?

The workshop lasts 3 hours. Between 10 and 16 people take part: up to 10 people at one table, 11 to 16 people at two tables.

What is the Sexism Fresco?

The Sexism Fresco is a 3-hour educational workshop that aims to contribute to an equal society through teaching and practical exercises. Up to 12 participants work in two groups of six, in conversation, with attentive listening and creative exercises. The original is called ‘La Fresque du sexisme’ and draws on numerous cited scientific sources.

How do the Diversity Fresco and the Sexism Fresco differ, and can they be combined?

The Diversity Fresco shows how discrimination arises in general, while the Sexism Fresco focuses on sexism and equality. Both last 3 hours and can be combined, for example over two sessions: first the Diversity Fresco as a broad introduction, then the Sexism Fresco to go deeper.

Do the workshops take place on site or online?

Usually on site with you, anywhere in Germany. If that is not possible, the workshop takes place online.

Does the Diversity Fresco really make a difference?

According to an impact study published by ESSEC in 2025, around nine in ten participants who became aware of their prejudices or privileges in the workshop go on to question their own behaviour. 39 % feel freer to speak up; among people from minority groups it is 50 %.

Do you need prior knowledge for the Diversity Fresco?

No. The cards contain all the necessary explanations and definitions, and the facilitator guides the group through the workshop. It is suitable for employees, managers, teams in the public sector, volunteers and educational institutions.

Do we need a dedicated post for diversity management?

No. Matthias Linke builds diversity management so that it is anchored in existing roles, processes and voluntary employee networks, without new staffing costs. This works for small businesses, mid-sized companies and large corporations.

Does Matthias Linke also advise on AI and physical AI?

Yes. Matthias Linke advises companies, gives talks and runs workshops on what AI and physical AI mean for a business and its employees, and on how employees pass on their knowledge and experience so that AI systems reach the same quality of work. He is the author of the book ‘Homo Obsoletus’ (2026, in German).

How do I book a workshop or an intro call?

By WhatsApp or phone on +49 40 808 133 730, or by email to hello@worldx.com. The first conversation lasts 30 minutes and is free.

The answers are general information and are not a substitute for legal advice.

The first conversation costs nothing but 30 minutes.

Write to me about what you need. I will get back to you personally.

Write on WhatsApp Send an email

Or call directly: +49 40 808 133 730

Matthias Linke
A service of WorldX GmbH, Hamburg
Tempowerkring 6, 21079 Hamburg
hello@worldx.com