I remember when I first heard of Rivian, back when the company had its old logo and was just an idea. It was amid a giant EV frenzy, when opportunistic startups were popping up left and right with a mission to become the next Tesla. But Rivian, I felt, was different.
In late 2017, RJ Scaringe announced plans for a pickup, followed by a seven-passenger SUV. A year later he unveiled the R1T and R1S for the first time. Many were very skeptical of another EV startup trying to compete with established players, but this new company seemed to have a clear purpose and place in the automotive industry. Lucid aimed for a segment hard to win without heritage, and Faraday Future lacked a clear strategy.
But Rivian always felt distinctly Rivian to me.
I believe that a great company is much more than just a great product. It’s the mission, the values, the people. RJ Scaringe built a culture deeply rooted in the dream to preserve our planet with an uncompromising alternative for those who love adventurous cars. The more I learned about Rivian, the more I was convinced that it had everything needed to succeed.
I remember waiting impatiently for my favorite YouTuber, car journalist Doug DeMuro, to publish his review of the R1T after teasing it on Instagram. When I finally saw the video, I was simply stunned. It’s such a vivid memory. I had not seen this level of sophistication, detail and innovation in a pickup, let alone from a company that had no prior experience in building vehicles.
It was on that day that my long journey of admiration for Rivian was firmly cemented, and I completely fell in love.
When I had the chance to relocate to Los Angeles in 2022 to study PR & Advertising at USC, Irvine was never far from my thoughts: From the very start, I chose Rivian in countless projects as my topic of choice. Every professor I had now knows exactly how much this company means to me.
I read the financial statements every quarter, monitor updates on executives and study the company’s future plans. I watch every video on the R1S, R1T and EDV, and eagerly wait for news on the R2 platform. I even bought shares in the company — which is hard to do on a graduate student budget — because I knew damn well that these people had built everything they needed to bounce back.
I would never do any of that for another automotive company. But I believe in Rivian.
A great professor I had in Germany always said that research is over when you’re going in circles. Today, I truly believe that there is no better company for me than Rivian. From my young career so far, I learned that few things motivate me more than working for a culture that I identify with, a place and people with a greater purpose.
Rivian is me. It represents my love for cars, love for exciting innovation, love for the outdoors, love for great people, love for design, love for communication. And I know very soon it will become a little European — or even German — just like me.
I currently work as an intern and take extra classes to be able to work full time from January 2024 on. I also help as a research assistant in USC’s Center for PR and freelance for German clients to minimize the financial impact this special master's program has on me and my family. I do all of this because I want to stay in California and realize my dreams. And I do it because the thought of working for Rivian makes me certain that I am in the right place.
I want to help change the way we think about mobility and show the world what passionate people with vision and extraordinary dedication can achieve.
