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“Being a mompreneur is not easy but it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made” – Anna Juusela, Founder & CEO of We Encourage

Can a movie change your life? This is the case for Anna after watching a documentary about forced marriage which made her so frustrated and angry that she decided she must do something about it! The only problem was, she did not know “how”. Anna thought until the age of 50, she might figure out some ways to help the girls and women. But then another event happened, which totally changed her plan!

“Do not give up unless you are doing something stupid” – Lari Pihlajapuro, Founder of Shipit

Persistence is a key trait of any entrepreneur and Lari is no different. After many months of dedication and numerous business plans, he has kept the focus on always improving and using setbacks as learning points. Lari shares with us the motto which has contributed to the success of his business – everything can be (and should be) made simple with the right approach.

“Dare to try – Many dreams die because people worry too much about what others say” – Marko Höynälä, Founder of Skiiot, Cmicro & Kipuwex

Are all entrepreneurs innovators? The answer is yes with Marko’s case. Massive layoff sounds dreadful at first sight, but it turns out to be a good thing for this natural-born inventor. After 15 years of being an employee, Marko’s decision to pursue entrepreneurship was finally catalyzed when his company fired 650 people, including him.

“You Are Here To Serve People” – Edem Agbekey, Founder of Inkuto

Edem Abekey, Founder of Inkuto – a company that offers wide-ranging skincare products made from indigenous African natural resources. Edem is dedicated to promoting sustainability, empowering women and supporting the community in Ghana.

“We are a part of the transformation Finland is witnessing”, Anne Badan – Co-founder of The Shortcut

We couldn’t hide our surprise when Anne told us “I wish my organization would not exist”. But don’t get it wrong. Anne loves what she’s doing and the people around her. She just expresses her honest view on the problem they are solving – the mismatch of talents in the Finnish job market.

“It’s hard to beat the buzz of creating cool content which goes viral” – Joel Willans, Co-founder & Creative Director at Ink Tank Media

Joel came to Finland after falling in love with a Finn, but the reason that kept him stay in the country is the weather. Joel loves the Finnish summer and how the social system works beautifully here. From his experience, he encourages Finland to open the door for immigrants more and see them as an advantage instead of a liability.

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“Never force yourself to become an entrepreneur by all means” – Juhani Polkko, Founder of San Francisco Agency

Juhani has 700 apps on his phone – a shred of evidence to see how much interested he is in technology. He has always been fascinating about how computers and technology impact on human’s life and behaviors. He truly lives with his passion – either in Silicon Valley or Helsinki, every work he has been doing, mostly related to technology. People say it’s never too young or too old to start your business but Juhani believes the best time to try entrepreneurship is when you have some prior experience and not too much responsibility because entrepreneurship is all about uncertainty and risk-taking.

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“I refused to give up even though others tell me to quit” – Josephine Atanga, CEO at JEHOM Driving School

As a foreigner, Josephine Atanga met problems that many other foreigners in Finland faced: lack of network, language barrier, limited source to finance her business. In the darkest times, she refused to give up and believed in her hardship as an opportunity to strengthen her personality and be unique. We believe her strong positive mindset is what makes Josephine stands out and achieve successes outside the norms.

“I work harder to prove to people that they were wrong” – Miikka Sipilä, Co-founder of Stolen Shoes Entertainment

Miikka is one of the “lucky ones” who could turn their hobby into a profession. His story shows that it is definitely not easy, but possible, and in fact, well worthwhile in the long run. As an entrepreneur, building a circle of professional networks is undoubtedly important yet arduous. It’s even more challenging if you are a youngster, having almost no connection, started your career from scratch in a new city. However, with a big dream, hard work, and active participation in several events, Miikka has made his own way to get to where he wanted to be.

“Being an entrepreneur is the fastest way to get something done” – Antti Merilehto, Founder of AI Strategy Company

“Different technologies are soon like Finnish lager beer – it all tastes the same”. Antti writes, coaches, and gives speeches about one of the hottest, most discussed topics – Artificial Intelligence. But that’s not all about him. Besides the speaking style of an author, he has the mindset of a businessman, the heart of a soldier, and the world view of a politician.

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