About us
Dedicated to Architecture
Introducing ArchiTangle
ArchiTangle is a Berlin-based tech startup providing digital services in the architectural space, and an independent publishing house, focusing on knowledge transfer and projects of social relevance. Founded in 2019, ArchiTangle’s program spans the entire architecture spectrum and aims to preserve the exchange of architectural knowledge through publications and on-chain archiving.
More than Books
ArchiTangle’s novel blockchain-based archiving platform enables architects to securely store sensitive documents without any intermediaries. Architects hold exclusive control over their data stored on the platform – no third party can ever gain access without the originator’s permission.
Vision
"Everything that we build, we build for human beings."
- Balkrishna Doshi, 2019
At ArchiTangle, we believe in the power of books and their impact on education. Everything we do relates to our goal of strengthening and attracting a younger audience through our knowledge-transfer platform for architectural research. In line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we partner with leading architects and artists to promote open access to scientific book content for students and academic institutions worldwide. Our mission fuels us as a team, to support and facilitate research in the architecture space.
Team
Cristina Steingräber
CEO & Publisher
Cristina is a noted art historian and publisher who spent more than a decade at Hatje Cantz, a world-leading publisher of visual arts, photography and architecture. Cristina possesses deep industry expertise, having served as the Managing Director of Hatje Cantz where she was fully responsible for the operational and strategic management of the company. A keen interest in the arts motivated her to pursue a PhD in Art and Architectural History from the Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel followed by an MBA from the prestigious TUM School of Management.
Arne Steingräber
CTO
Arne is a serial entrepreneur who has built successful companies in the publishing and tech space. He has held senior management positions at tech startups and grownups alike. Arne has extensive experience in business transformation, operations management and growth techniques, with a recent focus on real-world DLT deployment.
Sonja Bröderdörp
CFO
Sonja is an experienced strategic manager, having most recently served as the Head of Rights Finance and Controlling at Hoffmann und Campe, a traditional publishing house based in Hamburg. During her time at Hoffmann und Campe, Sonja was responsible for strategic planning and negotiating license agreements in the rights trade. An expert in contract management, Sonja graduated with a Diploma in European Studies from Fachhochschule Osnabrück and is completing an MA in Governance from Fernuniversität Hagen.
Julia Wagner
Art Direction
Julia is a dedicated creative director with a strong track record in book design, among others for Dumont and Hatje Cantz. She has been working in the art world, in magazine publishing (e.g. Jahreszeiten Verlag, Gruner & Jahr) and advertising for more than 20 years. She won several prizes for her book-, editorial-, and newspaper-design.
Abhishek Sharma
Product Manager
Abhishek Sharma is a social entrepreneur and an architect who graduated from the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur. He also studied and worked at IIT Madras, the National University of Singapore, and Selwyn College at the University of Cambridge.
He is now studying a Master’s degree in Management at the ESMT Berlin. He has already launched a few innovative products such as Dynamic Tiles, 3D printed parametric furniture, and smart dustbins, and he is passionate about venture development, innovation, and strategy.
Valery Casillas
Junior Project Manager
Valery Casillas is a bachelor’s graduate in Architecture from Karlsruhe Institute for Technology. She focused her studies on architectural history and preservation. Her involvement at the Architecture Library at KIT as a student assistant has allowed her to work closely with experts in the architectural history and theory field. During this time, she participated in a variety of research projects.
Advisory Board
Christoph Burger
Christoph is a senior lecturer at ESMT Berlin. Before joining in 2003, he worked five years in industry at Otto Versand and as vice president at the Bertelsmann Buch AG, five years at consulting practice Arthur D. Little, and five years as independent consultant focusing on private equity financing of SMEs.
His research focus is in innovation/ blockchain, decision making / negotiation and energy markets.
He is a regular speaker at international events and programs for e.g. Yale, HEC, OMIE, Oxford, KAPSARC, a member of the jury of the GreenTec Awards and a mentor at accelerators such as the startup bootcamp or DB Mindbox.
Christoph studied business administration at the University of Saarbrücken (Germany), the Hochschule St. Gallen (Switzerland), and economics at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (USA).
Angela Kesselring
Angela is the Head of Cooperation Management at Süddeutsche Zeitung one of Germany’s largest broadsheet newspapers. She focuses on the development, realization, and distribution of innovative products in the fields of media. Previously, Angela co-founded SZ Scala – a communications agency of Süddeutsche Zeitung, where she created the highest quality content for brands, cities and leading IT business companies. She holds a M.A. in Law, Comparative Literature and Art and Media Sciences from the University of Constance. Kesselring also serves as an Advisor for the Kreativlabor of the City of Munich.
Andres Lepik
Andres is director of the Architecture Museum at Technical University of Munich (TUM) and professor for architectural history and curatorial practice. He is an architecture historian and is holding a PhD from the Bibliotheca Hertziana in Rome. He began his academic and curatorial work at the State Museums in Berlin in 1994. From 2007 to 2010 he worked as a curator at MoMA in New York and became a Loeb Fellow at Havard University in 2011. He is an expert in the field of socially engaged architecture and participatory structures.
Lesley Lokko
Lesley is an architect, academic and the author of eleven best-selling novels. She is currently Dean of the Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture, City College of New York. Lesley is trained as an architect, graduating with a MArch from the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London in 1995. She went on to earn a PhD in Architecture from the University of London and has taught at universities in the US, the UK, Australia, and across Africa. Lesley is an active contributor to discourses around identity, race, African urbanism and the speculative nature of African architectural space. Additionally, she serves a regular juror at international competitions and is a long-term contributor to the BBC’s arts and culture programs.
Rahul Mehrotra
Rahul is the Founder Principal of RMA Architects and has designed projects ranging from interior design to urban design, conservation and planning. He studied at the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT), Ahmedabad, where he received the gold medal for his undergraduate thesis and graduated with a Master of Architecture in Urban Design (MAUD) degree with distinction from Harvard University (1987). He has taught at the University of Michigan and at the School of Architecture and Urban Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Since 2010 he has been at the Harvard Graduate School of Design where he is Chair of the Department of Urban Planning and Design and since 2020 the John T. Dunlop Professor in Housing and Urbanization.
Karin Thelen
Karin is the Head of Quality Assurance and Quality Control at Stadtwerke München (SWM) one of Germany’s largest municipal utilities and services companies. She is a dynamic, success and solution oriented executive, with 18+ years’ experience in management, technology and science. Karin holds a PhD in Microbiology and an MBA from the Technical University of Munich and has both start-up and corporate experience. Karin is an expert in strategic Innovation, business development and digitalization. She serves on the Board of SWM’s women’s network and is at present responsible for 65+ employees. Karin possesses extensive experience in several industries ranging from energy to pharmaceuticals.