Ueberall International is founded by two German-born Californians:
Nikolaus Hafermaas | Award-winning artist, designer and educational leader.
When Nik lived in Berlin, his first job was driving a snowplow along the wall that divided the city during the cold war. This fueled a lifelong passion for transforming environments in every dimension. As former principal and chief creative officer of Triad Berlin, he and his two partners formed one of Germany’s leading design firms. His team created pavilions for the World Expo2000 and for the Swiss Expo02.
As the Graphic Design Department Chair at world-renowned ArtCenter College of Design, leading a faculty of over 40 professional designers and 300 students, Nik has created a new curriculum, fusing print and packaging, motion and interaction design into Transmedia Design. This innovative program is razing traditional barriers separating designer, artist and curator. It entails working across both emerging and traditional media—everything from data visualization to spatial experiences—to create emotionally resonant messages.
In his students, Nik is fostering the next generation of future-forward creatives, whose potential is demonstrated in their award-winning work. As the Executive Director of ArtCenter’s Berlin Satellite Program, he prototypes new learning models in Europe’s most creative metropolis.
Nik graduated from the University of the Arts in Berlin, where he studied Visual Communication and Architecture and recently completed his Executive MBA at the Berlin School of Creative Leadership/Steinbeis University.
Jeano Erforth | Game-changing entrepreneur, innovator and brand builder.
Jeano’s early fascination with art and objects began while perusing the eclectic Berlin flea market, where he developed a keen eye for authenticity and value. During the re-unification of East and West Germany in the early 90’s, Jeano started his entrepreneurial career by selling pieces of the iconic Berlin wall and soon discovered his passion for combining business and art.
As a young entrepreneur, Jeano co-founded The Electra Bicycle Company in 1993 and moved to California in 1995. Fueled by major design innovations, he built Electra into one of the most desirable lifestyle brands in the world, bringing back the pure pleasure of one of the most popular products of all time to people of all ages.
Jeano built Electra into one of the most impactful brands of our time, selling over a million bicycles in over 30 different countries, before selling it to the largest bicycle company in the USA, and his previous competition, in 2013.
Jeano brings to Ueberall his dynamic branding skills and success in reinventing a universal product and an entire industry.
