Our purpose

To bring together accomplished German-speaking professionals in Washington D.C. in genuine friendship — connecting transatlantic perspectives, celebrating shared roots, and remaining grounded in what matters most: the people around the table.

Who we are

The GER is a deliberately small, invitation-only community of German-speaking professionals who have made Washington D.C. their home. Our members span a wide range of fields, from business founders and senior executives to journalists, advisors, and leaders of all kinds, sharing something harder to define than a job title: intellectual curiosity, a global outlook, and the rare ability to be serious about their work without taking themselves too seriously.

We gather monthly for Vorträge, substantive talks by members or invited guests on topics ranging from geopolitics and technology to science and the arts. Throughout the year, signature events bring members and their partners together in more personal settings.

The GER is governed by an elected Board of Directors and is non-incorporated by design, keeping the structure light so the community can remain the focus.

Our founding

The GER was founded in 2003 by a small group of German-speaking executives in Washington D.C. who felt something was missing: not another formal chamber of commerce or professional association, but a genuine gathering place — somewhere to speak freely in their own language, share a meal with people who understood both worlds, and build friendships that would last. More than twenty years later, that original instinct still shapes everything about how the GER operates.

Partnership with GISW

Since 2008, the GER has partnered with the German International School Washington D.C. on the GER Wirtschaftspreis, an annual competition in which 10th-grade student teams develop original business concepts and present them to a jury of GER members and industry experts. The program reflects a core belief of the GER community: that investing in the next generation of German-speaking talent in the U.S. is one of the most meaningful things we can do with our experience.

Board of Directors

From left to right:

Tim Kastens — President · Vice President, Jones Lang LaSalle
Maike Denda — Director, Treasury · President, Capital Home Management
Margit Zimmern — Director, GER Wirtschaftspreis · President, Proksch-Consult
Kim Larsen — Director, General Counsel · Principal, Stinson LLP
Kathrin Peters — Director, Marketing · Managing Partner, Withiii Leadership