Interview with Lilly-Belle Obersteg
Our alumna Lilly-Belle Obersteg studied Information Systems at the WiSo Faculty. In November 2025, she and two fellow students founded MEMORiA Books, a company that captures personal memories digitally and immortalises them as stories in book form. The Gateway Excellence Start-up Centre at the University of Cologne supported them during their initial stages. In our alumni interview, we talked to Lilly-Belle about how Information Systems helped her understand how technologies work beyond a management perspective, why she wants to encourage women to forge their own path in tech and innovation, and how a spontaneous idea during her semester abroad turned into a start-up with two other WiSo alumni.
Information Systems opens up an incredible number of paths, from IT consulting and product development to starting your own business. This degree opens doors, and you can take your time to figure out which ones to walk through.
Dear Lilly-Belle, you studied Information Systems at WiSo and graduated in 2025. Why did you choose this master's specialisation?
During my bachelor's studies in Business Administration, I also took additional modules in Information Systems. That was what interested me most. At that time, I also worked in the innovation and technology management department at BWI GmbH, the IT service provider for the German Armed Forces. I realised that I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of how technologies really work, not only from a management perspective, but also from a technical point of view. I often had ideas, but lacked the technical foundation to develop or implement them. Information Systems was the perfect bridge between Business Administration, technology, and creative freedom for me.
The programme is still heavily male-dominated, even at WiSo, significantly more men than women are currently studying Information Systems. Why do you think that is?
I think many decisions are made very early on. I was 17 when I decided what to study, and Information Systems wasn't even on my radar at the time. But I knew about Business Administration and was fascinated by entrepreneurship, economics and understanding how things fit together.
I think many girls still don’t have enough exposure to computer science and technology in school. They aren’t shown how creative and open this field actually is. At the time, I was unaware of the opportunities offered by Information Systems, such as implementing my own ideas, building products, and shaping topics. It's wonderful to see that things are slowly changing in this area.
What advice would you give to women interested in Information Systems who are unsure about the career opportunities it offers?
Quite clearly: follow your interests. Curiosity and enthusiasm are the best foundation. Those were my greatest motivations for pursuing a Master's degree in Information Systems.
The career opportunities are very good, no doubt. Although women are still underrepresented in Information Systems studies and IT-related professions, they are in high demand. Information Systems opens up an incredible number of paths, from IT consulting and product development to starting your own business. This degree opens doors, and you can take your time to figure out which ones to walk through.
Given your expertise in Information Systems, you and two fellow students founded the startup MEMORiA Books last November, launching it in December 2025. Could you briefly describe how the idea for MEMORiA Books came about and how the company was founded? And what exactly do you do?
The idea for MEMORiA emerged during a deeply personal moment. Dina and I met during our semester abroad in Durham. We spent many evenings with international friends, sharing stories and creating memories. We even had an empty notebook to record it all. To this day, however, only the first page has been written in.
One evening, Dina came to my room, and we brainstormed for hours. The next day, we called Jonas, with whom I had studied Information Systems. Together, we developed MEMORiA Books, which enables people to capture their personal memories digitally by providing empathetic, intelligent questions. Users can respond via text, voice messages and photos. With the help of AI, we turn these responses into a coherent, personalised story and immortalise it as a high-quality printed book.
We want stories to be preserved. Everyone has a story worth telling and preserving.
We want stories to be preserved. Everyone has a story worth telling and preserving.
Your two business partners at MEMORiA Books, Dina Hax and Jonas Fokken, also studied at WiSo. Dina has a degree in supply chain management, and Jonas graduated like you with a degree in Information Systems in early 2025. How did you divide your roles at MEMORiA, and how do your skills complement each other in your day-to-day work?
We all now have full-time jobs, which presents a challenge. That's why clear task division and regular coordination meetings are crucial. We are in daily contact and hold regular weekend workshops.
Dina is primarily responsible for logistics and marketing. Jonas focuses on product design, finance and technology. I work on product development and customer relations.
Of course, there are many other topics, such as strategy, the use of AI, and website design that we work on together. We leverage our respective strengths, and we also learn from each other. This makes our collaboration not only efficient, but also very enriching on a human level.
The Gateway Excellence Start-up Center at the University of Cologne also supported you set up your company. What was the greatest added value of Gateway‘s support? And what role does it play in your next steps?
Dina and I received the EXIST Women's Scholarship in 2025. The program is specifically aimed at women with a startup idea. Additionally, the three of us participated in Gateway's incubator program as a startup team.
The added value went beyond funding. We enjoyed networking with other founders, attending workshops on relevant topics, having access to great mentors in the EXIST Women program, events, contact persons for various questions – and a wonderful office that we could use for workshops on weekends. Gateway provided the framework and opportunities to turn our idea into reality.
As we come to the end of the interview, please complete the following sentence: When I think back to my student days in Cologne, I remember...
... curiosity, development, wonderful people, and lots of opportunities. A time when you were allowed to experiment, make mistakes and gradually discover your own path.
Gateway provided the framework and opportunities to turn our idea into reality.
And is there anything you would you like to share with our current students? Do you have three tips for studying?
1. Do what you really enjoy. Motivation and genuine personal interest will take you much further than a perfect CV.
2. Try out as many things as possible. Internships and student jobs provide insights into what suits you and what doesn't. Both are valuable experiences.
3. Enjoy the time! From semesters abroad to workshops to parties to meeting new people and gaining new perspectives – University is a huge playground. Make the most of it!
Dear Lilly-Belle, thank you very much for your time and for this interview!
Questions by Pascal Tambornino.