Founders

VILLE VESTERINEN, Editor and Co-Founder

’Life is about taking calculated risk, listening to your heart, and realizing your aspirations. So is entrepreneurship’.

I live by this ethos and commit my time to what I believe in. Since the summer I worked on a sheep farm in Australia, aged 16, to finance my snowboarding trip to the Southern Hemisphere, I have dedicated my entire capacity to realize my dreams. This led me years ago to co-found an extreme-sports equipment retail company with two friends here in Finland. This was also my first personal touch point to entrepreneurship.

Later on, when I came back to Finland after studying and working a few years abroad, I started organizing OpenCoffee Meetups in Helsinki and subsequently ArcticEvenings. These events are part of an initiative to build an open, encouraging and passionate entrepreneurial culture first in Finland and then across the Nordic and Baltic countries not forgetting St.Petersburg or Moscow. This cause is very close to my heart and something I believe can make a difference for many people in Northern Europe.

I am currently working as a Strategist at Nordkapp, an Interaction Design Consultancy in the heart of Helsinki, Finland. I hold a BSc from the Helsinki School of Economics and an MSc from the London School of Economics. I have worked in various fields and disciplines -from an Argentinean non-profit to a multinational like BT Global Services and everything in between. I am always looking for new adventures and great people to share them with.

No financial disclosures.

E-mail: ville(at)arcticstartup(dot)com
WWW: You can find me at Jaiku, Twitter, FriendFeed and LinkedIn. I’ll also update my blog occasionally about my travels and life beyond ArcticStartup.

ANTTI VILPPONEN, Founder

I’ve enjoyed travelling and learning new things since I can remember. We moved to Singapore in 1990, where I learned a lot about different cultures and ways of doing things. Travelling is one of the big passions in my life and another one is entrepreneurship.

My interest for entrepreneurship ignited when I started my first company at the age of 24. I designed websites as a freelancer to support my studies. After that, there was no looking back – going the somewhat riskier way has definitely been my road. Working in a small company is so much more rewarding than working as a statistic in a large multinational. After getting my degree in International Marketing, I worked a few years in Apaja Online Entertainment directing consumer sales. During the early autumn of 2007 I resigned from my position in Apaja and went on to found Gyllene Skor with 9 other digital marketing professionals. Gyllene Skor has taken a very business focused approach to clients’ digital business and potential, therefore we work on a relatively strategic level.

My interests are in online business, online strategies and commercialisation of online innovations. During my free time, which I have far too little of, I socialise with friends, read, travel or ride my motorcycle.

Financial disclosures:
Shareholder in Oy Gyllene Skor Ab.

E-mail: antti(at)arcticstartup(dot)com
WWW: Antti.Vilpponen.net, Twitter.com/Vilpponen, LinkedIn

MIIKKA KUKKOSUO, Co-Founder

Coming from an entrepreneurial family (though very much brick and mortar business), I’ve been always interested in entrepreneurship, but I guess it was professor Peter Kelly some years back at Helsinki University of Technology who really got me enthusiastic about the subject. The last few years I’ve been working in the mobile gaming industry at Digital Chocolate, contributing to the growth from a startup to a world-class business in technical, managerial, and sales and business development roles. My areas of interest include social media, the complex sale, marketing, and branding in the converging web and mobile worlds. My academic focus has been on international business and strategy, covering especially information and software business. I have M.Sc. (Tech) from Helsinki University of Technology TKK. I enjoy multicultural environments and traveling, attending seminars and other socializing events to exchange thoughts with people from various backgrounds.

Though I don’t find myself with too much leisure time, you can regularly find me at the gym, as well as going to theater and movies. Investing and finance is also something I struggle to find more time to deepen my knowledge in.

No financial disclosures.

E-mail:miikka(at)arcticstartup(dot)com
WWW: LinkedIn, Twitter

KARRI SAARINEN, “the Tech Dude” and Co-Founder

I started my path in the web industry at the age of 16, when I got my first summer job as a web developer. After few years doing various web related work, I found my own company and continued doing all the web stuff and consulting on my own. In retrospect, those experiences with business early on had a huge impact on me and how I see the world.

My main responsibility at ArcticStartup is to handle the tech and design of the site. With ArcticStartup I want to give my own contribution to the startup scene, since I believe culture being a key factor in nurturing creation of successful startups. My interests lie in almost anything web related, business, learning, innovations and strategy.

I currently study business at the University of Vaasa, consult part-time on web matters, help to organize ASSEMBLY demoparty and occasionally work on various other web projects. During my free time I like to explore new subjects, write non-fiction, attend various events, hang on IRC and try to keep up physical fitness.

No financial disclosures.

E-mail: karri(at)arcticstartup(dot)com
WWW: karrisaarinen.com, Twitter, LinkedIn

PAULA MARTTILA, Writer, Sweden

I’m a Finnish geek girl living in Sweden who loves Jaiku and all electronics with an Apple logo. I’m also a survivor of the 24 Hour Business Camp and co-organizer of the Geek Girl Meetup.

I have my background in online media, where I spent the past eight years developing online media solutions and payment services at Aftonbladet, the largest daily newspaper in Sweden. I work today as an online strategist, at the moment with Swedish Skincare System.

At ArcticStartup I will cover and report from the Swedish startup scene.

E-mail: paula(at)arcticstartup(dot)com
WWW: Jaiku, Twitter, Friendfeed, Bloggy, LinkedIn

PÄIVI KANGASMÄKI, Writer, Cleantech

Cleantech is the sustainable venturing for me together with interesting people, which it’s all about. Prior to cleantech, about two years ago, I worked in the financial industry for over 12 years. My experience covers treasury and asset management, both venture capital and equity market.

My entrepreneurial background includes developing a brokerage house in Finland financed by angel and venture capital. I’m currently working with building up and boosting Finnish cleantech companies in early stages.

I hold an MSc in Economics from the University of Wasa and CEFA from the Swedish School of Economics and Business Administration in Helsinki, while now enrolling the studies in Helsinki University of Technology.

I love to spend my free time with my two sons and enjoy outdoor activities like kayaking, running and winter swimming.

E-mail: paivi(at)arcticstartup(dot)com
WWW: LinkedIn

Contributors

Contributors act as our eyes and ears in the different countries, helping us to spot and report on interesting startups and events.

Ugur Kaner is the CEO & Creative Director of Finnish mobile innovation company Kuneri. He is an experienced Visual designer, UI Specialist, Software designer & developer and Flash Lite expert; as well as Forum Nokia Champion, a recognition and reward program for top mobile developers worldwide by Forum Nokia. Ugur has been the name behind many novel products such as KuneriLite, SWFPack, Easy Vote and KISS60. Check out Ugur’s LinkedIn profile and blog.

Lauri is a partner of communications agency Vare & Jaakkola and has been working for major news papers and magazines since 1999. He has also been active in public relations for 8 years and has been consulting Estonian ITC companies. He has graduated from the University of Tartu in journalism and communications, receiving MA degree. Lauri’s LinkedIn profile.

Tomi is a serial entrepreneur who has more than ten years of experience from wireless communications and Internet sectors. He holds a M.Sc in engineering from Helsinki University of Technology. Up until 2005 he worked for Teliasonera Finland in R&D. Tomi’s first startup, Innofile, was established in 2006. He is currently the CEO of Tori Innovations Ltd., a startup that provides enterprise software for user-driven innovation. Tomi’s e-mail.

Märt has worked at different expert and managerial position in the IT systems management field in Elion and MicroLink. From the end of 2007 Märt has been the development manager in MicroLink and the head of the MicroLink Incubator program.
Check out Märt’s blog and LinkedIn profile.

Toivo is working for Estonia’s biggest weekly Eesti Ekspress. He’s writer, editor and founder of two business and technology news weblogs, one in Estonian and TigerPrises.com in English. Blogging enthusiast, who thinks he has lot to learn :)