Two paths, one vision. II
Philipp – Co-Founder von DÆNK
I’m Philipp, 33 years old, born and raised in Cologne. I originally trained in a craft - sign and illuminated advertising production. A solid foundation. Structured, precise. But even during my apprenticeship, it was clear that my real passion lay elsewhere. Photography had always been a big part of my life. So not long after finishing my training, I made a conscious decision to move in that direction.
Today, I work as a freelancer in social media and as a photographer.
Looking back, a lot of it started with sneakers. I collected for around 15 years. At some point, I noticed that my photos of them were getting strong responses. So I became more active on Instagram. I knew how to take photos and I had more than enough of what people wanted to see. Over time, I had built a significant collection.
The project developed better than expected. Eventually, a sneaker store took notice of me. Right after my apprenticeship, I received an offer I couldn’t turn down - the chance to turn my hobbies, photography and sneakers, into a profession. I didn’t hesitate. I left the craft behind and stepped into a new world.
That’s how I ended up working as a photographer and handling social media for one of Germany’s leading sneaker stores, The Good Will Out. Looking back, that period shaped me. At the time, it felt surreal to earn money with two of the three most important things in my life.
adidas Yeezy Calabasas (2017)
I met Rocco about nine years ago. I had just started at a new sneaker and fashion store. He walked in, and we connected instantly. A cautious approach at first. I don’t let many people get close to me. With him, it was different. Calm. Natural.
It didn’t take long to realize what connected us. Cannabis.
At the time, I was growing myself. With intention. With a focus on quality. At some point, after work, we met up. I don’t remember exactly when. I showed him a few of my strains. One of them was Purple Punch. Visually and technically a standout:
light green, almost white, layered with purple. Dense buds, covered in trichomes.
He was impressed. So I rolled one. Black RAWs, wide Gizeh tips, minimal tobacco, inside-out. I had learned early on that everyone rolls their own, so he got his own bud to try.
The rest is history.
What started as a shared passion became a close friendship. And eventually, something more. Through many conversations, I knew that Rocco always had the feeling that we would build something together one day. About a year ago, he told me about an idea - back then still without a name.
Just a thought. But a strong one.
He began shaping the concept step by step. I supported him wherever I could. With photography, with my perspective, with my sense of aesthetics. Through my years in the sneaker business, I brought experience in design, marketing, hype dynamics, community building and my own legacy within cannabis.
At some point, Rocco asked me if we wanted to do this together. For real. With the intention of building something big.
I was in.
Erstes Shooting für Daenk “Der Startschuss” (2024)
Since then, we’ve been working intensely on developing DÆNK. In a short time, we’ve built a lot: conversations with executives from major medical cannabis companies, daily calls with established brands, our own projects, our own formats, new networks. At times, it feels surreal - like a real-life level that suddenly unlocked.
Looking back, committing 100% to DÆNK was the right decision.
Even though I haven’t smoked in almost four years, cannabis has remained a part of me. I’ve experienced too much for it not to. Trips to Amsterdam twice a week. Illegal grows. Good moments and difficult ones. Nights in snow or rain just to organize a few grams somewhere. Watching plants grow. Conversations, experiences, tattoos.
That doesn’t just disappear.
And that’s exactly why DÆNK matters to me on a personal level. Because I believe cannabis deserves the same attention and cultural space as any other relevant movement. That it’s possible to approach it differently - more consciously, more aesthetically, with intention.
It’s not always easy. In many ways, you stand alone at first.
But that’s also where the responsibility lies.
And we’ve chosen to take it on.
Philipp - Co-Founder von DÆNK