Till Behnke

Till Behnke is co-founder and CEO of the Rulemapping Group. As an experienced social entrepreneur, he has been pioneering work in the field of social cohesion for over 15 years. Having founded betterplace.org, Germany’s largest donation platform, and nebenan.de, Germany’s largest neighbourhood network, he is now dedicated to transforming bureaucratic processes through the Rulemapping Group. Together with Ina Remmers and law professor Stephan Breidenbach, he aims to make government structures efficient, citizen-friendly, transparent and future-proof in order to strengthen trust in democracy.

Biography

Till Behnke (born 1979) is a social entrepreneur with many years of experience in developing digital platforms for social cohesion. In 2007, he founded the platform betterplace.org, Germany’s largest donation platform, to make charitable projects more transparent and accessible. From 2014 to 2015, he established several foundations in London and various countries in Africa and Latin America for the mobile telecoms company Millicom/Tigo. In 2015, together with Ina Remmers, he founded the platform nebenan.de, which strengthens local communities and connects neighbourhoods. This was followed in 2024 by the founding of the Rulemapping Group, through which Till is committed to simplifying and accelerating bureaucratic processes in order to foster trust in democracy.

He has received numerous awards for his work, including an Ashoka Fellowship, a nomination for ‘Best Social Entrepreneur’ at the German Startup Awards, and, in 2010, selection by Capital magazine as one of the 40 most important up-and-coming managers under 40.

Motivation & Purpose

Till Behnke is convinced that digital innovations can drive social change. His experience as a young rugby player in South Africa, where he witnessed social inequalities first-hand, shaped him and sparked a desire to strengthen social structures. With betterplace.org, he created a platform that helps people get involved in charitable projects. He continued this approach with nebenan.de to strengthen local communities and connect people through neighbourhood networks.

Today, with the Rulemapping Group, he is exploring how bureaucracy can become a lever for social cohesion. Together with Ina Remmers, Stephan Breidenbach and three other colleagues, he is pursuing the vision of a citizen-centred, sustainable state in which bureaucracy is not an obstacle but a lever for social cohesion. For Till, one thing is clear: a state that makes swift and transparent decisions builds trust, fosters innovation and strengthens democracy – a state that sets Germany in motion.