About Us
We accompany companies, teams and individuals in using digital media meaningfully: with clear focus, the right tools and in a measure that does good – instead of overwhelming.
Why BewusstDigital exists
Despite all the fascination, people have always been a little afraid of technology. Some 2400 years ago, Plato wrote a story warning that once everything was written down, people would forget how to remember. Which, ironically, he wrote down. Would we know about it otherwise? Today AI stands in the same place.
We only partly share that fear. We would not want to undo any of what our devices can do.
What occupies us is something else: we keep trying to stay on top of how a technology works. Hardly anyone learns how and when not to use it. And then it quietly takes over things we could do better ourselves. Including the evening we had meant to spend differently.
The problem is not that someone does not know how to put the phone down. The problem is that we are up against systems built precisely to keep us engaged as long as possible – and willpower is the only thing we bring. If it is already this hard for us, what is it like for children, or for people who are less at home with technology?
A flat where nothing has been tidied for weeks does not give you energy. It uses energy up. With a phone full of notifications and a computer where nothing can be found any more, it is the same. That is where we come in. It is remarkably easy to forget who is operating whom.
"Attention is our most valuable resource – and the only one that never shows up on a screen."
Profile at a glance
- Digital Wellness Educator & consultant for digital work culture
- 5 years as a data analytics consultant – projects in healthcare and finance, among others
- Interdisciplinary PhD in Linguistics (focus on neurolinguistics and healthy ageing), University of Zurich, 2021
- Several years of teaching experience as a language teacher and tutor
Dr. Maria Kliesch
Founder & Managing Director · Digital Wellness Educator
Teaching at secondary school was the original plan. Then research got hold of me and the plan went on ice: statistics, brain research, healthy ageing, programming, and eventually an interdisciplinary PhD at the University of Zurich with a focus on neurolinguistics. What I learned there is remarkably useful in everyday life. I just no longer had a class to tell it to.
The five years in data consulting that followed were my digital peak. A lot of programming, reachable on countless channels and several devices, virtual meetings in between. That is when I noticed how much energy we spend staying technologically up to date. And how rarely we ask when technology should leave us alone. When we do not want to be notified. When we are better at something than an AI.
That closed the circle. Together with Cyrill, a friend of many years, I wanted to fill exactly that gap: helping people stay in charge of their technology, without preaching abstinence. Staying up to date – and still asking what you want in your day, how much of it, and when.
Profile at a glance
- Digital Wellness Educator & consultant for digital work culture
- 5 years as a data analytics consultant – projects in healthcare and finance, among others
- Interdisciplinary PhD in Linguistics (focus on neurolinguistics and healthy ageing), University of Zurich, 2021
- Several years of teaching experience as a language teacher and tutor
Continuing education & seminars
- 2026: Certificate "Digital Wellness Educator", Digital Wellness Institute
- 2022: Certificate "Leadership Essentials", IMD
- 2021: Seminar "Digital Ventures: Leadership & Foundation", University of Zurich
- 2018: Seminar "Leadership skills for doctoral candidates", University of Zurich
- 2017: Seminar "Overcoming work and performance problems and fostering creativity", University of Zurich
"Digital tools should serve us, not the other way around."
Cyrill Frei
Consultant · Technical Implementation
In BewusstDigital I see the opportunity to help more people towards a positive, conscious and self-determined approach to the digital world – away from pure consumption, towards more control, clarity and personal responsibility.
I support BewusstDigital with the technical implementation: device setups across all operating systems, focus configurations, parental controls and system solutions. My knowledge is based on my training in electrical engineering and computer science at ETH and my work as a CTO.
Ready for a free initial consultation?
15 minutes, no obligation. We find out whether and how we can best support you.