Noun | luft·mensch | ˈlu̇ft-ˌmen(t)sh  | plural luftmenschen | -ˌmen(t)-shən

• a contemplative person with airy intellectual pursuits

This airy sounding appellation is of Yiddish origin, composed of the German word “Luft” translating to air and “Mensch” meaning human being.

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Luftmenschen were known as people outside the common ways of life, full of plans and projects, and with many ideas in their head. Combining people, material and space they sought to implement their projects transforming their ideas into tangible results. 

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Fleeing European poverty many set out to the United States to find their fortune there. Upon arrival the impecunious dreamers found themselves in a marginal position – poor, new, and not speaking the language. Far away from their roots, not attached to traditional ways of thinking they were the outsiders in the perfect position to go beyond the obvious.

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They were looking for insights, aiming to unscramble the meaning of what was going on around them in order to find new possibilities to engage. With nothing to lose, a free mind and eager to try out something new, they were eternal students, challenging the normal way of life, scrutinising social categories and experimenting with new ideas. 

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While being more welcomed as cosmopolitan entrepreneurs in the United States, throughout the traditional Europe though they were rather perceived as floating air heads and impractical individuals with little economic success for not holding standard job positions. 

Calling us Luftmenschen we see ourselves in this tradition of free thinking, using our imagination to lift us beyond the quotidian routes. With an interest in the seemingly mundane experiences of the everyday life, observation, and storytelling we aim to reveal unexpected meanings. Combining our experiences and expertise we approach new surroundings. Questioning the way things are always done, we take on outsiders’ perspectives to detect scalable insights that lead to tangible innovation. 