What The Things We Learn does

The Things We Learn e.U. is a Vienna-based consulting agency (sole proprietorship, founded 2014) that operates at the intersection of education, social innovation, and community building. Its core services are (1) Education Project Development and Implementation for enterprises, governments, and NGOs; (2) Design Thinking and Business Model Innovation consulting; and (3) 'Design Your Future' school workshops for grades 6–9, priced at €450 per class for three teaching units. The firm's underlying methodology is Design Thinking applied to education and business model development, with a few codified proprietary outputs (e.g., CO2-Spiel developed for EVN, SOS-Herzkiste developed for SOS-Kinderdorf).

The company serves a diversified but Austria-centric client base that includes major corporates (Samsung Electronics Austria since 2014, EVN, IBM, OMV, A1 Telekom Austria), government entities (Bundesministerium für Familien und Jugend, Wiener Bildungsversprechen, Stadt Wien), and NGOs (SOS-Kinderdorf, Teach For Austria, Fundraising Verband Austria). Beyond fee-for-service consulting, the firm operates two anchor community programs: the 'Was steht da?' collective impact network for early childhood literacy, which it co-founded with Christine Nöstlinger's Buchstabenfabrik and coordinates 68+ organizations across Austria, and the Wiener Bildungsnachbarschaften neighborhood education initiative with Teach For Austria and municipal partners.

The business model is professional services revenue from consulting fees and workshop unit pricing, distributed through direct enterprise engagement and direct school booking. The firm is bootstrapped, founder-owned and operated by Adib Reyhani with a four-person core team, and has no disclosed funding rounds, acquisitions, or external investors. Go-to-market is sales-led, relying on the website as a case-study portfolio and on referrals within the Austrian enterprise CSR and education policy ecosystem.

Name

The Things We Learn

Legal name

The Things We Learn e.U.

Website

https://thethingswelearn.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Things We Learn is a Vienna-based consulting agency that delivers education project development, Design Thinking, and community-building services to Austrian enterprises, government agencies, and NGOs. It serves clients including Samsung, EVN, IBM, OMV, and A1, and operates the 'Was steht da?' literacy network coordinating 68+ organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Consulting and Social Innovation Services

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Innovation & Design Thinking Programs (EDAMAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Learning Strategy, Instructional Design & Content Development (BPACANAG), Corporate Learning & Training Content Development (EDAGAKAC)

Keywords

• Education consulting
• Design thinking workshops
• Social innovation consulting
• Community building programs
• Business model innovation

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: The company generates revenue through consulting fees for education project development, design thinking workshops, and business model innovation services. Projects are tailored to client needs and billed as professional service engagements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

The Things We Learn is a Vienna-based consulting agency that advises companies, public organizations, and NGOs on developing and implementing educational projects, applying Design Thinking methodology and Business Model Canvas tools to drive social innovation and community building. It also delivers direct Design Thinking workshops for secondary school classes and operates multi-stakeholder education initiatives such as the 'Was steht da?' early literacy network.

Product overview

The Things We Learn is a consulting agency based in Vienna, Austria, specializing in education, social innovation, and community building. Their service portfolio consists of three core offerings: (1) Education Project Development and Implementation consulting services, (2) Design Thinking & Business Model Innovation workshops and advisory, and (3) School Workshops under the 'Design Your Future' program. Additionally, they operate several educational programs including the Wiener Bildungsnachbarschaften community initiative, the 'Was steht da?' collective impact network for early literacy, and the Solve for Tomorrow program with Samsung. The company primarily serves private and public organizations seeking to advance educational outcomes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bildungsprojekte Entwickeln und Umsetzen

Quantifiable outcome

• 68+ organizations coordinated across Austria through 'Was steht da?' early literacy network
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Samsung Electronics AustriacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Since 2014, The Things We Learn has partnered with Samsung on education and social innovation engagement. They jointly implement Solve for Tomorrow initiative, train corporate volunteers, develop school materials, and conduct Design Thinking workshops. The partnership has grown to include digital classroom teacher training programs.
• Teach For AustriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Things We Learn is an alumni founding of Teach For Austria and maintains close ties. They jointly created Wiener Bildungsnachbarschaften initiative and collaborate on multiple programs including Seed, Netzwerk Bildungsgerechtigkeit, Bildungsnachbarschaft Koppstraße, and Systems Practice Bildung Österreich.
• Teach For AllminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal network that supports Wiener Bildungsnachbarschaften initiative, providing international framework and resources for the education community building program.
• MEGA-BildungsstiftungminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports Wiener Bildungsnachbarschaften initiative, providing funding and strategic support for education community building efforts.
• Stadt Wien (MA17)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Vienna supports Wiener Bildungsnachbarschaften initiative at the neighborhood level, working with schools to strengthen community ties.
• Christine Nöstlingers BuchstabenfabrikcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founded the Austria-wide collective impact network 'Was steht da?' for early childhood literacy promotion. The Things We Learn serves as backbone organization coordinating 68+ partner organizations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Direct peers

• Forum for the Future: Forum for the Future is an international sustainability and innovation nonprofit advising organizations on systems-change and education programs. Comparable in collective-impact coordination and corporate sustainability/education advisory.
• Dark Horse Innovation: Dark Horse Innovation is a German/DACH innovation consultancy that applies Design Thinking and business model innovation to corporate clients. Closely comparable in service mix, methodology, and target buyer (corporate innovation and CSR leaders).
• Ashoka Austria: Ashoka is a global social-innovation network active in Austria focused on education and system-change programs. Comparable in mission, education-system-change orientation, and Austrian nonprofit/government partner network.
• HPI School of Design Thinking (d.school): HPI d.school is the leading Design Thinking education program in the German-speaking world, training students and professionals in the same methodology TTWL applies to schools and corporates. Most directly comparable as a Design Thinking education provider in a DACH context.

Broad incumbents

• Arthur D. Little Austria: Arthur D. Little is a global management consultancy with Austrian operations offering innovation and business-model advisory. Overlaps with TTWL's corporate business-model innovation consulting as a broad incumbent.
• IDEO: IDEO is the global pioneer of Design Thinking for business and education, operating design consultancies and IDEO U training. Overlaps with TTWL's Design Thinking workshops and innovation consulting but at vastly greater scale and global reach.
• Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Vienna: BCG's Vienna office serves Austrian enterprise and public-sector clients on innovation and education-related engagements. Overlaps with TTWL's corporate and government consulting but at vastly larger scale.

Regional players

• Impact Hub Vienna: Impact Hub Vienna is a leading Austrian social innovation and entrepreneurship community that runs education and innovation programs. Comparable as a Vienna-based social-innovation ecosystem actor with overlapping programs and partners.
• Pioneers (Pioneers.io): Pioneers is a Vienna-based innovation and emerging-technology platform running corporate innovation programs. Comparable as a DACH innovation-services provider targeting enterprise clients.

Others

• Teach For Austria: Teach For Austria is TTWL's alumni parent organization and a strategic partner on multiple programs including Wiener Bildungsnachbarschaften. Related via shared mission in education equity rather than direct service competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-things-we-learn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Things We Learn