Connecting young minds: Anna Filby on the growth and vision of YMN

On the occasion of our participation in InnoTrans, our founder Anna Filby was interviewed by Dennis Tesch, journalist for Privatbahn Magazine. This interview shows an interesting overview of our network: how it was born, what are our future goals and how can we help young professionals in taking the right steps towards their dream career.

Below you can find a summary of the interview.
For the full original version (available in German), please visit:
e-paper.privatbahn-magazin.de

When and how the network was born

Dennis Tesch: Ms Filby, you founded the Young Mobility Network in 2020, in the middle of the pandemic. What was missing back then that made you say: I'll do this myself?

Anna Filby: The Young Mobility Network grew out of a very personal experience. I had just started as a consultant at Deutsche Bahn, then the pandemic came — and suddenly I was sitting alone in my home office. Right at the start of my working life I missed the exchange: meeting people, asking questions, learning from each other and building contacts beyond my own company. Together with Kolja Schwenson and Matthias Lauer, the idea of building something ourselves came about. In 2020 we first founded a digital community. The focus: bringing people together and creating space for exchange about the mobility of the future. When we held our first in-person meetup in Berlin in 2021 with more than 30 people, it quickly became clear that the demand was far greater than we had thought. Today we know that young people want more than networking. They want to help shape things, become visible, take responsibility and understand their career paths. At the same time, companies are looking for ways to reach the next generation. That is exactly where YMN comes in. What began as a digital network has become an international community connecting talent, companies, universities and innovation.

See also > Podcast: The Story Behind the Young Mobility Network (German Only)

What networking means to the YMN

Dennis Tesch: Networking is the core of YMN — but you offer more. What works best, and what would you expand?

Anna Filby: Our most important rule: we don't develop anything at a desk, but together with our community. Every format arises from a concrete need — from company visits to Lunch & Learns and mentoring through to joint excursions. Each hub sets its own priorities: sometimes company visits, sometimes bike tours, innovation workshops or networking. This regional diversity is one of our greatest strengths. There is certainly no shortage of ideas — rather of time. More than 30 volunteers constantly contribute new input. Our job: to prioritise together and start where the greatest added value is created.

A small part of our team

Dennis Tesch: And on the company side: what role do sponsors play for YMN, and what does a company get back concretely?

Anna Filby: Companies are far more than sponsors for us — they are development partners. With our new partnership programme we create opportunities to get to know young talent early, to position themselves as an attractive employer and to jointly develop formats that create real added value for both sides. To make it easy for companies to enter our network, we offer a partner programme. Demographic change and the skills shortage affect us all. That's why we see investing in young people not as sponsorship, but as an investment in the future of mobility.

YMN at InnoTrans in Berlin 2026

Dennis Tesch: YMN will be present at InnoTrans 2026 in Berlin — what is planned?

Anna Filby: At InnoTrans 2026 we mainly want one thing: to create encounters and make access to the industry easier for young mobility professionals. YMN members get discounted Young Professionals tickets. We are also planning a joint evening meetup and a relaxed networking format at the trade fair grounds.

InnoTrans is particularly relevant for us because it brings the entire mobility industry together. For young professionals it is the chance to make contacts, become visible and pick up new ideas.

At the UITP Summit in Hamburg we already showed what is possible beyond that — with the YMN Impact Challenge, a stage session, coaching and talent matchmaking. This is exactly the approach we want to expand further: not just an industry event, but an active platform for young talent.

Here is how it went!👇

30 members of the Young Mobility Network visited InnoTrans, the International Trade Fair for Transport Technology, in Berlin. Meeting young talents and making good contacts in the mobility sectors.

What’s next for YMN?

Dennis Tesch: How many members does YMN currently have, and how are the regional hubs distributed by now?

Anna Filby: The Young Mobility Network now connects over 900 members — and the trend is rising. We are organised in regional hubs with meetups, company visits and events; we are currently active in eleven regions, including Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Munich, London, Brussels, Bremen, the Rhineland, Stuttgart, Dresden and India.

Internationally we want to keep growing: in 2026 we are building communities in Paris and the UK, and prospectively also in the Netherlands and Spain. At the same time we are planning Young Professionals programmes with partners for the ITS World Congress 2027 in Birmingham and the UITP Summit. Our vision: young mobility talents should network not only within their own companies, but across Europe and, in the long term, worldwide. The local connection remains central: the regional hubs design their activities independently and adapt them to local needs. Digital formats connect the hubs — local proximity meets a global network. That is exactly what YMN is about: learning from each other, sharing perspectives and rethinking mobility together across borders.

Dennis Tesch: Where do you see YMN in five years?

Anna Filby: Our vision: strong local communities, connected to the whole world. In five years we want to be a network in which young mobility talents have their own local hub — and are at the same time part of an international community. Because the most exciting ideas often arise in direct exchange, but they become even stronger when we share them across country and company boundaries. We want networking, exchange and shaping things together to be a completely natural part of the mobility industry for young people.

How people can join the YMN

Dennis Tesch: How can interested people get involved with YMN?

Anna Filby: Getting started is easy: subscribe to the newsletter and become part of the YMN community. Anyone who wants to go deeper can use additional offerings and exclusive formats with YMN+ (you can have a look here). There is even more impact in volunteering: our regional hubs are looking for people to organise events, build partnerships or support communications, social media, marketing and project management. You can find more about the currently open opportunities online. And of course we welcome companies that share our vision. Because the future of mobility is not created alone — it is created together.