Building a Brand Without Losing Yourself

Sales, branding & authenticity: a Vienna business roundtable on becoming visible without losing yourself

On one hand, the advice is to build a brand, become visible, and sell actively. On the other, most don't want to feel like they're performing a role or faking it.

At our next Diaspora Business Hub Business Roundtable, we tackle one of the most important questions modern entrepreneurs face:

How do you become visible and sell successfully, without losing yourself in the process?

Join us for an evening of practical insight, honest perspectives, and sharp conversation on brand, sales, visibility, and authenticity in business.

Program Welcome & Moderation Sebastian Schwarz

Keynote
“The Craft of Selling” — Michael Okoli (15–20 min)

Michael Okoli didn't set out to become a salesperson, he trained as an engineer. But his manager's line stuck with him: sales is the lifeline of every business. In his keynote, “The Craft of Selling,” he strips away the Wolfof-Wall-Street image of sales. He also tackles the question of whether authenticity actually matters in sales, or whether that's beside the point.


Then he lays out what actually works: listen before you pitch, sell the outcome instead of the product, and rely on structure instead of talent. You don't have to be extroverted to close deals, some of the best sellers he knows are introverts. Talent gets you through the first door. Structure gets you through the first year.

Panel Discussion
Authenticity in Business and Brand Building
Creators who built real audiences from nothing: Our speakers discuss the challenges of maintaining integrity while scaling a business, the role of vulnerability in connecting with audiences, and strategies for building a brand that feels genuine rather than performative.

Our panelists:

Christl Clear
Christl Clear is a native Viennese with Nigerian roots, two influences that shaped who she is and taught her to see things from multiple perspectives. After years as a lifestyle and music editor, she built her career as a blogger, then influencer, and today as an entrepreneur: author, podcast host, event moderator, and co-creator of a swimwear line with Austrian young labels. Her content spans fashion, music, and travel, alongside antiracism, intersectional feminism, and social justice, mixing the everyday with the fundamental.

Hamza Kwehangana
Hamza Kwehangana (@gotechug) grew his YouTube channel GO Tech UG from scratch to over 80,000 subscribers, teaching people with no tech background how to build their own WordPress websites. Based in Kampala, Uganda, he's a regular conference speaker, including WordCamp Vienna in 2025, and still publishes new tutorials today.


Harriet Hala
Harriet Hala Kahuzu is a Ugandan-born fashion designer, entrepreneur, and cultural advocate with a passion for creativity, sustainability, and empowerment. Over the years, she has worked as a designer, model, stylist, and event planner, organizing numerous fashion showcases and mentoring emerging talents.