text: Dutch Grass Prepares for German Trip | News and current affairs from Germany and around the world | DW | 07.05.2006
  Poa pratensis is the one kind of grass German border officials won't have a problem waving through customs gates on its journey from Holland to seven of Germany's 12 World Cup stadiums.
  Employees at a Dutch farm began preparing to harvest and transport the grass that will have the honor of being torn up by the world's best soccer players from June to July 9.
  Turf manufacturer Hendriks Graszoden, however, has kept the grass' exact location a closely guarded secret ever since the German media went into a furor over the fact that their stadium's turf was being grown by arch soccer nemesis Holland.
  "It was a big shock in Germany, with German papers saying 'we've lost already if we have to play on Dutch grass,'" John Hendriks, one of four brothers managing the grass growing business told Reuters.
  To keep the grass cool, it will be transported overnight in refrigerated trucks and rolled out as quickly as possible. How much each stadium pays for the new turf is a secret FIFA is keeping as secret as where the future World Cup fields are located.
  "The Germans also have good grass but the stadiums we are supplying are long-standing customers and they have confidence in our company," a Graszoden spokesperson said. "Dutch grass is just that one bit better."
  The star-studded gala which was to open the 2006 World Cup in Berlin has been cancelled due to concerns over damage to the Olympic Stadium's pitch. Some believe the real reason is a lack of interest and rising costs. (Jan. 13, 2006)
  Keywords germany, world cup, soccer, football, grass, turf, holland, the netherlands, field, imported
  The founder of digidip is one of Germany's most successful female digital entrepreneurs. She spoke to DW's Manuel Kasper-Claridge about her company and how she got to where she is today.
  Spielberger: Essentially we serve two sides. On the one hand, there are those people running websites like bloggers, magazines and influencers; and on the other hand there are online shops. It's like a market place. Online shops want to draw more attention to themselves so they work with us and we suggest websites and bloggers that could talk or write about these online shops. Additionally, we also give bloggers the opportunity to earn money. With the help of about 100 affiliated networks, we connect tens of thousands of online shops through an interface that we have created.
  We're already international. In fact, I started to expand our business into France during our second year. I started by going into countries where our biggest competitors weren't yet active. Then in 2016, I mustered the courage to attack the big players as well. That was in the UK and that worked out pretty well and now the US is our big goal. Actually, we already operate in more than 40 countries.
  I was in New York just recently and one of our potential clients asked me: "Why don't you have an office here?" I told him: "Well, would you prefer that I pay $200,000 (€172,000) a year for an office in New York or would you rather that I spent that money on you?" He was happy to accept that. It's just a fact that having an office in London or New York is incredibly expensive. And thankfully, since our business is digital a lot of it can happen via e-mail, on the phone or over Skype.
  It is super difficult. And I have to honestly say that I just trained most of them myself. My director of sales came to us straight from university and didn't have a clue. I just trained him. Initially it was just him and me and one programmer. He is still with me and now he is the one who trains new sales people, just the way I trained him. So it's not easy. When I'm looking for good programmers in Berlin, for example, I have no chance of finding any. It's like the housing market — just no chance.
  For programmers it's very important that their jobs give them space to develop. The programmers in my team really appreciate that they have free reign, that they can contribute their own ideas in the development of our products, that they aren't just robots that have to program but that they can really add their own input.
  I'm in an industry that is very male-dominated. I'd hear things like: "It's really great that you are doing this. And as a woman, too," and stuff like that. People would stress that as if being a woman was a disability. I would just accept that with an appreciative nod.
  On the other hand, I always like it when men — older men too — tell me: "I think this is really great. Let's work together. Someday, I want my daughter to do something like this too, and I want her to have a role model." So there was some support — also from other women. I never felt particularly discriminated against. Sure, at first, but I'm not sure if that was because we were still fairly small, that some people didn't take us so seriously. But I have always been able to compensate for that pretty quickly with my big mouth.
  Yes, definitely. I try to go to events for female entrepreneurs as often as possible and to talk to the women there to alleviate their fears, to give them advice about how to stay afloat when you don't have any money.
  Networks are decisive. Initially, I completely neglected that. I didn't really think it was important. I always thought they were a complete waste of time, but now I regret that I didn't work on that sooner.
  Digitalization and e-commerce have created a whole new wave of entrepreneurship and women are part of the revolution. A new initiative for female entrepreneurs aims to provide them with the necessary digital training. (18.06.2018)
  The Cambodian government has begun an initiative aimed at encouraging young women to study science and technology. The goal is for more women to become future leaders in the IT sector. (18.07.2018)
  Less than one in three companies in Germany is started by a woman. That's too few, so the Economy Ministry wants more female entrepreneurs. Manuela Kasper-Claridge investigates how e-commerce can lead the way. (31.07.2018)
  Female entrepreneurs in Germany are teaming up to improve their networking and increase their influence in society. Manuela Kasper-Claridge reports from Hamburg. (15.06.2018)
  In an effort to create a better sunscreen and find the best bag, two women founders have turned to the project "Female Entrepreneurs of the Future" for help to market their innovative products in savvy and creative ways. (16.07.2018)
  Keywords women's rights, gender inequality, digital economy, e-commerce, blogging, online marketplace, women entrepreneurs
  Less than one in three companies in Germany is started by a woman. That's too few, so the Economy Ministry wants more female entrepreneurs. Manuela Kasper-Claridge investigates how e-commerce can lead the way.