Bits & Pretzels continues its collaboration with Kevin Spacey. The actor will deliver a welcoming speech at a virtual founders' breakfast next Sunday.
Kevin Spacey is back at the Munich startup festival Bits & Pretzels. Next Sunday, the three organizers Andreas Bruckschlögl, Bernd Storm and Felix Haas invite you to virtual founders' breakfastThe fallen Hollywood star will send an "exclusive special greeting" to the startup community, according to the invitation. Also attending will be investor Frank Thelen, Amorelie founder Lea-Sophie Cramer, and Formula 1 world champion Nico Rosberg, among others.
Organizers hope that Spacey's speech, after his "difficult time over the past two years," will provide insights into how to overcome unforeseen situations. Spacey responded to the inquiry: "Of course, I'm all too glad to try to help and will be back."
Kevin Spacey was supposed to be co-host of Bits & Pretzels in 2017
The collaboration of the Munich startup festival Bits & Pretzels with Kevin Spacey started 2016 with a bang: The organizing trio of Andreas Bruckschlögl, Bernd Storm, and Felix Haas surprisingly announced that they had secured Spacey as their keynote speaker. The Hollywood star's reputation was still untarnished at the time; he was at the peak of his career in his role as the power-hungry politician Frank Underwood in the series 'House of Cards'.
The following year Spacey returned to Munich and went one step further: On the main stage, it was announced that Spacey would be joining Bits & Pretzels as the fourth organizer. On the main stage of Bits & Pretzels 2017, the new foursome posed wearing hoodies from the startup festival, and the atmosphere was fantastic.
Trial against Kevin Spacey collapsed
Five weeks later, everything suddenly changed, and Spacey's downfall began: The first allegations of sexual assault became public. More and more men gradually came forward, accusing Spacey of sexual harassment. These events coincided with the revelations surrounding Harvey Weinstein and #metoo. Netflix fired Spacey, Ridley Scott cut him from his film "All the Money in the World," and the Oscar winner has been avoided in other ways since then. Bits & Pretzels also had to react and suspended the partnership with himThe organizers thanked him nevertheless and explicitly did not declare the collaboration to be terminated.
The next Bits & Pretzels in 2018 then declared 'Diversity' The opening speech was given by Tarana Burke, one of the founders and keynote speakers of #metoo. A year and a half later, Kevin Spacey is back at Bits & Pretzels. The 60-year-old was never convicted and is therefore presumed innocent. Some charges are statute-barred, and a trial last year collapsed after a cell phone containing allegedly incriminating text messages could not be found.
The invitation to the founders' breakfast states that relationships that survive hard times and challenging moments are particularly valuable and ultimately mean the most.
