About
Who I Am & What I’m Doing
I’m Aaron Kokal, working where festival operations, support structures, and systems design overlap. Most of my work has grown out of underground music and cultural scenes across southern Germany. I started hands-on in production, logistics, and safety planning, then layered in systems coaching, consulting, and—more recently—product and AI development. Right now the through-line is building safer, smarter, better connected ecosystems for events and the people who run them.
Schallvagabunden e.V. (founding in progress)
I’m formalising years of freelance and collective work into a nonprofit structure. Schallvagabunden e.V. keeps the experimentation intact but gives it reach and clarity. The aim: support collaborative event culture in Germany and beyond with tools, teams, and training that are professional, humane, and accessible.
→ TALK (Team Awareness Love & Kindness)
A professional awareness and crisis intervention crew for festivals and large events. We handle acute care, anti-discrimination workflows, and coordination with medical/security teams. I co-founded TALK and designed the operations and training programmes that keep the team grounded and responsive.
→ Kokal Event Support
My consulting and rental arm for festival partners—covering infrastructure, staging, and logistics. As the nonprofit comes online, these services shift into a mission-first model so small organisers can work with reliable gear and expertise without predatory pricing.
→ Midsommar Festival (2015–2023)
For eight seasons I ran an intimate 48-hour solstice gathering in Unterreit, Bavaria. It mixed electronic music with regional roots and a tight-knit community. We closed the festival after 2023, but the formats, care systems, and collaborators continue through Schallvagabunden and our wider network.
Festiware (since 2025)
Head of Product & AI — Festiware.eu
At Festiware I lead product and AI development for a modular platform that helps large events run their back-of-house operations. Field experience feeds directly into the roadmap: we’re building tools for producers, team leads, and on-the-ground operators—not just spreadsheets for HQ.
Kokal Coaching
In parallel I work with teams and individuals on systems thinking, automation, and behaviour design. The goal is to remove friction so progress doesn’t rely on willpower alone. That can look like workflow tuning, facilitation, or designing protocols that keep teams aligned when things get busy.
T–0 (in formation)
I’m co-founding a new venture with two long-time collaborators. Details are still embargoed, but the project will land here soon.
If you need deeper context or want to collaborate, drop me a line or reach out via LinkedIn. I keep lab.aaron-kokal.com as the changelog for everything in motion.