Speakers

Monterro
 Growth Manager

Niklas has extensive experience in growth strategy and M&A. At Monterro, he works closely with portfolio companies to accelerate growth through operational excellence, commercial due diligence, and data-driven value creation. 

Qred Bank

Chief Growth Officer and Founder  

The man who never wanted to work in a bank – and yet ended up founding one. 

BDO
Director, Deal Advisory 

Marko has extensive experience in various corporate and capital arrangements, including a long track record in corporate financing and M&A transactions, particularly with family-owned businesses and privately held companies. Marko was involved in founding Midventum Corporate Finance in 2008, and prior to that, he worked for several years at OP-Pohjola’s corporate bank, most recently serving as Head of Finance. In total, Marko has over 20 years of experience in corporate finance and more than 15 years of experience in investment banking. He brings to BDO especially broad industry expertise in different financing arrangements. In addition, he has very strong experience in SME-sector M&A transactions across a wide range of industries.

Finnvera
Chief Financing Officer

Jani Tuominen is responsible at Finnvera for the financing of startups and growth companies. A strong focus is placed on actively promoting the growth and internationalization of Finnish companies. He has extensive experience in financing growth projects and investments, as well as in diverse risk-sharing solutions.

The presentation will explore Finnvera’s role as an enabler of financing.

Lifeline Ventures
Partner 

Jyri has invested in several unicorns including Unity, Oura, Iceye and Boom Supersonic. Jyri’s entrepreneurial journey began with Jaiku, a mobile social networking service he co-founded with Petteri Koponen and sold to Google in 2007. He sold his second company Ditto, a recommendation service, to Groupon in 2012. In 2020 he founded Primary Diagnostics, a healthcare platform serving tens of millions of people across the U.S. For four years Jyri was at True Ventures, a leading Silicon Valley venture fund, where he invested in e.g. Iceye, the world’s largest radar satellite constellation, with Lifeline. Alongside Lifeline Ventures Jyri is Partner at Yes VC.

Monterro
Platform Lead Finland 

Jacob has over ten years of experience in technology investing and corporate finance, with previous senior roles at NGP Capital and Deutsche Bank in London. Jacob leads Monterro’s transactions in Finland, partnering with ambitious Finnish B2B software companies looking to scale and internationalise.

Arctic Oak
CEO & Founder, MBA, CMC

María Pulkkinen combines futures thinking with strategic foresight: she helps organizations look 10+ years ahead and turn that perspective into decisions that strengthen growth and investability. She works with both executive teams and investors, ensuring that growth meets the requirements of scalability — leadership, resilience, and a shared direction. For María, a clear long-term direction is not just a story but an action — a demonstration of vision, accountability, and leadership.

DLA Piper Finland

Partner

Jonathan is a partner at the law firm DLA Piper and a lawyer specializing in venture capital and growth investments. He has assisted numerous Finnish startup and growth companies, as well as both domestic and international investors, in financing rounds. In addition to venture capital investments, Jonathan also advises on a wide range of corporate and financing transactions, such as mergers and acquisitions, debt financing arrangements, and fund formations, as well as on general corporate law matters and the day-to-day affairs of startup and growth companies.

Suomen Yrittäjät

Entrepreneur and Chair of the Federation of Finnish Enterprises

Petri Salminen has served as Chair of the Federation of Finnish Enterprises — Finland’s largest business organization by membership — since 2020. He also chaired SMEunited, the umbrella organization of European SME associations, from 2022 to 2025, representing more than 26 million small and medium-sized enterprises across Europe. As an entrepreneur, Salminen has worked in sales and leadership development since 2004. Following a generational transition, he is also an owner and board member of a family-owned company operating in the metal industry.

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Senior Specialist, Rural Business Financing

Juuso Kalliokoski is responsible for EU rural development funding for businesses at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland. The funding is directed towards the development and growth of rural enterprises. Its aim is to strengthen the competitiveness of rural businesses and the overall vitality of rural areas in a sustainable manner, for example in food processing, tourism, and renewable energy. In his speech, Juuso discusses the funding opportunities available for rural SMEs and ways to accelerate business ownership transfers.

Finnfund
Investment Director

Finnfund is a development financier and impact investor that builds a more sustainable future and creates lasting impact by investing in companies that address global development challenges. In her speech, Loikkanen will explain what kind of companies Finnfund’s annual investments (€200–250 million) are targeted at.

Nasdaq
Account Director 

Erja Retzén has worked as a Client Director for Nordic IPOs at Nasdaq for 20 years. At the RISE 2026 event, she brings her energetic approach to exploring company growth journeys—from the startup phase to going public and operating as a listed company—sharing practical insights drawn from decades of experience. Erja’s broad perspective on the different stages of corporate growth helps the audience understand the opportunities and choices companies face on their path from initial spark to sustainable, scalable growth.

grenke
CFO

Jussi Jokinen serves as CFO of grenke Finland and Sweden. With more than 25 years of diverse experience in equipment and asset financing across the Nordics, he is a true expert in enabling growth. In his talk, Jussi explains how leasing and flexible financing solutions can free up capital, increase business agility, and support more sustainable financial management in a rapidly changing operating environment.

Omendon
Omendon Partner – Nordics

Marko Raatikainen is a growth entrepreneur and an experienced business orchestrator, with expertise in intelligent transport systems, embedded systems, public procurement, and the aviation sector.

Omendon
Omendon Partner – Nordics

As a global citizen, Awab Al Mashkoor sees markets beyond the borders of any single country. He is an open-minded developer and an out-of-the-box thinker who believes that the boldest ideas create the most sustainable growth.

Caravantures

Founding Director

Host, Caravantures
Stage

Ebra Gohari is the Founding Director of Caravantures, a seasoned serial entrepreneur and international expansion expert dedicated to scaling businesses across the global market. With extensive C-level experience in European and Pan-European sectors, he specializes in navigating complex cross-border transitions and has a proven track record of securing funding from Seed to Series B. 

Koju

Founders

The founders of Koju, Finland’s only agency specializing in marketing entertainment, Heikki Oinonen and Matias Vihko, demonstrate how to turn a company’s story into a competitive advantage that supports growth, brand awareness, and business. Koju is an award-winning Finnish creative agency that helps companies create content people genuinely want to watch. The company works as a partner to growth companies, international brands, and some of Finland’s largest enterprises. Its clients include Valmet, Mastercard, Osuuspankki, Pihlajalinna, LähiTapiola, and Gofore. Notably, Koju has also produced the Porisuhdeneuvoja video series and has been involved in creating phenomena, campaigns, and content that keep clients’ brands in public conversation for longer. In their speech, Oinonen and Vihko explain why traditional marketing is no longer enough—and how companies can drive growth through content that doesn’t feel like advertising, but rather like compelling storytelling.

RISE
CEO & Founder, M.Sc. (Econ.)

Eija Ranua, CEO of Rise, is passionate about supporting growth entrepreneurship. Rise is a movement that drives Finland’s economic growth by strengthening the growth entrepreneurship ecosystem and fostering collaboration among its stakeholders.

Kaisuaakoo
Host, Funding Stage 

Kaisu Aarno-Kaisti is an energetic and charismatic host who brings fluency, presence, and a great atmosphere to events. She has hosted both corporate events and international occasions with thousands of participants. She has strong experience in performing and engaging with audiences in a professional, yet warm and natural way.

Valjas

CEO

 Pasi Tasanen is the CEO and founder of Valjas Services Ltd. He specializes in financial management for growth companies and particularly helps technology and expert-driven businesses build financial processes and systems to support international expansion. Pasi is known for his practical approach and his ability to combine modern technology with strong financial expertise. 

Visma Solutions Oy
Growth Program Director 

Sampsa Wulff has a strong background in management consulting and strategy work. At Visma Solutions, he is responsible, among other things, for the Growth Program, which aims to accelerate the growth of partners.

Economic Development Centre
Development and Service Manager 

Kirsi Wendelin-Arponen has several decades of experience and expertise in financing and development tasks for SMEs within the administrative sector of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. She leads a nationwide public financing and business advisory service and is known as a developer of customer-oriented, digital, and impactful public service models for SMEs. In her presentation, Kirsi Wendelin-Arponen will discuss the financing services offered by vitality centers for micro and small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as the conditions for obtaining them.

Voima Ventures

Founder & Managing Partner

Inka Mero is a Finnish future-maker and technology influencer – as well as the founder and CEO of Voima Ventures, Europe’s leading deep tech fund. She invests particularly in growth companies within energy self-sufficiency, the AI revolution, quantum and defense technologies, and medicine.

At the core of Inka’s work is the belief that Finland’s greatest growth potential emerges when the most significant breakthroughs in cutting-edge research are combined with bold ownership and entrepreneurship. Inka has taken a strong stance on Finland’s future, economy, and growth together with Tero Ojanperä in their book Radical Solutions – 7 Bold Actions for Finland (Tammi WSOY).

Aspia Sweden
Financial Consultant  

Elisa works as a financial consultant at Aspia’s Haparanda office in Sweden and specializes in helping Finnish companies expand across the border. She collaborates closely with clients and Nordic colleagues, helps navigate local requirements, and turns international growth goals into practical actions.

Ceranda Cross Border Talent
Managing Director

Astrid S. Gottwald is the Managing Director of a cross-border executive search firm focused on Composites, Advanced Materials and Deeptech. She works with high-growth industrial SMEs and Fortune 500 companies to secure the few hires that directly impact R&D execution, commercial traction, and supply chain resilience. Her work sits at the intersection of technical innovation and market reality, where leadership decisions determine whether products scale or fail. 

WeSimplify & Caravan Guide
Co-Founder

Ramiar is a systems thinker and digital transformation expert who helps organizations navigate the "messy middle" of growth through behavioral design and agile experimentation. As a Caravan Guide and former growth strategy lead at Growth Tribe, he specializes in simplifying complex operating models to help founders from emerging markets scale with clarity and sharp execution. 

Startup Grind
Director

Ahmad is a multidisciplinary entrepreneur and ecosystem builder with over a decade of experience scaling innovative ideas across three continents. As the Director of Startup Grind Warsaw and a mentor for Techstars and the Founder Institute, he bridges the gap between early-stage founders and global investment networks, focusing on investment readiness and strategic market expansion. 

GSD Venture Studios & Global Venture Builder
Founder 

Gary is a serial entrepreneur and investor who has co-founded 17 companies, including two Silicon Valley unicorns. As the CEO of GSD Venture Studios, he operates a global accelerator across 38 countries, focusing on AI integration and helping resilient founders from emerging markets scale into international powerhouses. Recognized as a "Top 5 AI Leader," Gary is a specialist in navigating the transition from idea to global success through aggressive execution and deep Silicon Valley networks. 

PORTAL Venture Partners / Caravantures 
Founding Partner / Board member

Peter is a Silicon Valley veteran with over 25 years of experience as an innovator and investor across 40+ countries. A founding team member of multiple startups and funds, he has backed industry leaders like Coursera, Marqeta, and Yandex. As a Board Member at Caravantures, Peter leverages his expertise in cross-border innovation to help founders from underserved markets scale into globally competitive tech institutions.

HEINEKEN
Customer Experience Growth Specialist 

Daniel is a digital growth and customer experience professional with over 10 years of experience driving experimentation and UX programs across Europe, APAC, and LATAM. Currently at HEINEKEN Global, he specializes in embedding a "test and learn" culture into large organizations and coaching teams to uncover new sources of business value through data-driven strategies.

MisterChrono
Co-founder & Lecturer

Mounia is a seasoned entrepreneur with over 17 years of experience in luxury retail and corporate wellness. As the co-founder and COO of MisterChrono, she has successfully scaled the brand across major international hubs including Paris, Hong Kong, and Singapore, specializing in omnichannel strategies that blend high-end craftsmanship with modern digital experiences.

Global Launch Base 
Director/ Internatonalization Strategist
Are Gudi Farms
Farmer/ Accelerator Founder  

Kiran Gange is an entrepreneur and internationalization strategist with over 20 years of experience helping startups expand across global markets. As Director of Global Launch Base, he has coached over 100 startups on cross-border go-to-market strategies across agritech, sustainability, and emerging markets in India, Europe, and Latin America. He is also the CEO of RapidPricer, an AI-driven retail pricing company, and Founder of Are Gudi Farms, a technology-driven farming initiative in the Western Ghats of India focused on precision agriculture and rural innovation. A published author and professional speaker, Kiran has trained founders and executives at UC Berkeley, the University of Amsterdam, the Indian School of Business, and through Dutch BaseCamp and the Netherlands Trade Missions.

 a better monday

Founder, GrowthX & Founding Partner, Winning by Design

Andy is a lifelong entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience in high-growth technology, notably as the co-founder and COO of Winning by Design, which he helped scale to over $25M in revenue. Now based in Helsinki, he focuses on the "Owner Economy," specializing in helping retiring owners transition their businesses to employee ownership to create financial freedom and community engagement. 

MySpeaker Rhetorich

 Head Coach & Founding Member 

André Noël Chaker is the Head Coach of MySpeaker Rhetorich and a founding member of MySpeaker. André holds multiple degrees in law and business (BCL, LLB, and MBA in Communications). He is a bestselling author and an award-winning speaker; he has won the Speaker of the Year award in Finland twice and Moderator of the Year once. André is a natural educator with decades of experience in academic teaching and leadership coaching. He has consulted and trained hundreds of leaders from a wide range of industries to become more effective speakers in their work. His energy is contagious, and every coaching session with him is a source of insight and inspiration.

Host, Growth Stage

Rami is a seasoned sales professional with a fantastic personality. Over 35 years in various sectors of commerce, both as an entrepreneur and an employee, have forged him into a true expert. Social and always positive, Rami spends his free time on the golf course, performing stand-up comedy, and renovating his dream home in Epilä, Tampere. Keeping him busy are also his children, spouse, and Hissu the dog.

VIBAe
One of the founders, the creative visionary behind VIBAe

With over 30 years of entrepreneurial experience and endless creative energy, she is a doer who never stands still. Minna has worked across multiple industries, from running a hair salon to fashion and real estate. She is driven by a constant passion to create, the courage to try new things, and a desire to follow her own inspiration. Her minimalist aesthetic and strong visual eye are evident both in the store (Visu Awards Winner, Store of the Year 2025) and in the brand’s identity and social media.

IN LOVE AND READY TO TAKE RISKS? ALWAYS!

LocalTapiola
Director 

Iiro is a versatile professional in the financial sector who, together with his team, builds solutions to support the growth of Finnish companies. He has accumulated broad experience ranging from startups to investment activities, as well as earnings-related pension and non-life insurance. Iiro considers it important to attract top international talent and capital, while also emphasizing the need to strengthen long-term domestic ownership—for example, through LocalTapiola’s €200 million growth investment.

Deal Room Events 
 CEO & Co-Founder

Erdal is a global entrepreneur and industrial engineer who specializes in operational excellence and data-driven human connection. Based in Toronto and having spent a decade in Finland, he has built Deal Room Events into a leading platform for meaningful networking at world-class events like Slush and MWC. Erdal is an expert in bridging the gap between technical innovation and user experience, helping founders navigate the transition from "Founder Magic" to scalable, stress-tested systems.

Armada Credit Partners
Partner 

Seppo is responsible for debt financing and investment activities for growth companies at Armada. Before joining Armada, he worked for 12 years in the debt financing team of the investment bank J.P. Morgan in London, where he led the evaluation and execution of leveraged financing transactions. In his speech, Seppo discusses the real financing options available to Finnish growth companies beyond bank lending and equity — and explains how flexible debt financing enables growth without diluting ownership.

Entrepreneur, Investor, and Startup Ecosystem Builder 

Vedat Öndas is the CEO of ArcticStartup, the Arctic15 Startup Conference / NORDEEP Summit, and a long-time builder of startup and investor ecosystems in the Nordics. Over a 30-year career, including more than two decades as CEO, he has launched startups, led IPOs, and worked across growth, scaling, and investment. His work combines hands-on entrepreneurial experience with research and teaching on startup strategy and failure.

Revial (Presented by TREX AI)
Head of AI, Co-founder

Jone Korpi serves as Head of AI at Revial and brings a business-oriented perspective on how artificial intelligence is transforming companies’ competitiveness. The young entrepreneurs Frans Heikkilä and Joonas Komulainen act as Event Leads at TREX AI, building an event aimed at business decision-makers that brings together practical AI presentations, discussions, and networking. At the core of TREX AI is the idea that Finnish companies need concrete tools to drive growth and improve productivity through artificial intelligence.