Buying locally produced food is not only better for the environment, it often tastes better! Niklas Reisner studied business administration at the JKU and together with Julian Lamplmair, he has created "myregionalfood" in an effort to benefit both farmers and customers alike by distributing locally grown and sourced food in an easier way. In addition, "myregionalfood" was recently nominated for the Danube Cup, opens an external URL in a new window.

How did you come up with the idea to create the company?
Niklas Reisner: After working together directly with large international food chains over a period of several years, I realized that I would much rather help small businesses sell their products to not only provide a small-structured alternative to conventional food supplies, but also contribute to supporting a more sustainable future. This soon became the vision and the foundation to create "myregionalfood".

What have been some of the biggest challenges?
Niklas Reisner: As a new, start-up company, one of the biggest challenges was finding the right concept, as well as having the ability to change a concept you once thought was right.

How has studying business administration at the JKU helped you?
Niklas Reisner: Studying business administration helped me to better understand internal and external processes as well as circumstances and can often serve as a source of inspiration to find new solutions. Moreover, my degree will later on help me to successfully manage our company and our employees.

How else did the JKU provide support?
Niklas Reisner: About half a year ago, we approached the LIT OIC about a co-working space and were referred to Inkubator Tech2b. They provided support to be accepted to the program. We now have a workspace at the OIC and can highly recommend this as we are benefitting greatly from the start-up network and the university’s influence.

Would you recommend this academic degree program?
Niklas Reisner: Yes, I definitely recommend studying business administration at the JKU and I feel at home here on campus. Furthermore, as an entrepreneur, I understand the extreme added value in studying for the reasons I mentioned above.

What advice do you have for students interested in starting their own business?
Niklas Reisner: Just do it! I think that as a start-up, there is no ideal starting point or the 'perfect' time. When creating a company, I believe there is a learning curve and you can only learn if you just do it. You can learn from any mistakes and realizations and then remedy the situation as quickly as possible so you can continue working on a solution. In most cases, students in particular have nothing to lose; in the worst case, you acquire experience and skills that will still benefit any profession you pursue in the future.

About Niklas Reisner
Niklas Reisner (23), and his business partner Julian Lamplmair (22), both come from Unterweitersdorf. The two have been friends for many years and now share a common business vision. Both of them are passionate about sports but also like to end a long work day with a drink.