Meet the 90 Day Finns of 2023

The 90 Day Finn programme is back again, and this year it is welcoming 16 talented individuals to Helsinki. Our participants get the unique opportunity to boost their business, discover the secrets of success in Helsinki, achieve work-life balance, and invest in a better future.

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Carmen Nguyen

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Meet the 90 Day Finns 2023

The 90 Day Finn programme is back again, and welcoming 16 new talented individuals to Helsinki.

From a healthcare founder and investor to a celebrated Indian travel content creator, this diverse group of professionals are eager to explore the business and cultural opportunities that Helsinki has to offer.

They arrive in Helsinki in August with the programme running until October. Said programme includes industry-specific visits, networking events, and family-friendly leisure events. Participants will also receive a local business guide to help them navigate the Helsinki ecosystem and build a relevant network. The aim of the programme is to provide participants with an in-depth understanding of Finnish business culture, and society.

With that, we are pleased to present the 90 Day Finns of 2023:


Headshot of Alice Lloyd

Alice Lloyd

United Kingdom
Alice is a podcast consultant and executive producer with a background in local BBC News and BBC Radio 1. After spending thirteen years with the BBC, she moved to the independent audio sector where she has overseen documentaries, podcasts, and short films for platforms such as Audible, The Science Museum, and various BBC networks. Alice is passionate about using audio to amplify untold stories, marginalized voices, and global issues.

Alice wants to become a 90-Day Finn to experience the progressive culture and lifestyle of Helsinki. She is curious about the Finnish welfare state, phenomenal education system, low-hierarchical working culture, and ethos of inclusivity.

Alice is looking to establish lasting and valuable connections between the Finnish and UK audio markets. She hopes to network with book publishers, tech startups, and developers who are looking to enter the audio market in bigger and bolder ways.


Headshot of Amanda Young 90 Day Finn 2023

Amanda Young

United States
Amanda is the president and CEO of Pine Chemicals Association International, a non-profit international trade association representing the renewable, natural raw materials extracted from the pine tree through the pulp and paper process or by tapping the tree.

Since Finland has a similar approach to renewable raw materials, Amanda wants to become part of the Nordic conversation about sustainable and circular economy concepts. One of her goals is to organise programmes in Helsinki in 2024.

Amanda is looking for contacts who work with renewable materials, sustainability, and circular economy concepts. She aims to identify opportunities to co-create educational programmes.


Headshot Amelia 90 Day Finn 2023

Amelia Schaffner

United States / Italy

Amelia is a strategy and innovation partner at Lexicon Strategies, a consulting firm that helps change-makers and great causes with their strategy, storytelling, and impact.

She is also the co-founder of the Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Emory University, #22 among American universities, where she drove an entrepreneurial culture in the school and the ecosystem. Before that, she led global initiatives for the management consulting firm Accenture.

After living in the US for 20 years, Amelia and her family are looking to come back to Europe and find the perfect place for their next phase in life. They are eager to build something new and special with their entrepreneurial spirit. Amelia wants to become a 90 Day Finn to explore new opportunities and experiences in Europe.

Amelia is seeking contacts and opportunities in impact-minded companies, as well as the academic and NGO world. She is interested in discussing innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as exchanging ideas about culture, philosophy, poetry, eastern spirituality, and photography.


Arpita

Arpita Shrivastava

United States

Arpita is the CEO of SpatialThink, an innovative startup that helps the new generation of workers learn, re-skill, up-skill, and collaborate most effectively with human-centered technologies. She is responsible for product and engineering within the company.

Arpita wants to become a 90 Day Finn because Finland is a forward-looking country with a focus on sustainability and an innovative approach to workforce development. She believes that Helsinki is an ideal place for SpatialThink’s second location due to its highly effective relationship between the private and public sectors.

Arpita is looking to enter the Nordic and European market and is seeking connections in Helsinki’s technology and business community.


Bankole

Bankole Oloruntoba

Nigeria

Bankole is the Honorary Consul to Finland in Lagos, Nigeria, and a social and business tactics engagement specialist with extensive experience in entrepreneurship development, business development, and innovation management. He founded the Abuja Startup Ecosystem and has supported the setup of over 15 innovation hubs in Nigeria.

Bankole wants to become a 90 Day Finn to gain first-hand living and business experiences that will strengthen trade and innovation exchanges between Nigeria (and West Africa) and Finland.

Bankole is looking for expertise in startup and venture building, including early-stage investment. He is seeking contacts for collaboration between Nigeria and Finland.


Boutros Lama

Boutros Lama

Palestine / Italy

Boutros is an experienced professional with international work experience in process engineering, project management, and business development. He is passionate about startups and business development and currently works as the CEO of STARBOX, a company in fulfilment and last-mile delivery.

Boutros wants to become a 90 Day Finn to establish a company in Helsinki. He is looking to connect with the business ecosystem in Helsinki. Boutros is a polyglot and speaks five languages.


Caroline Hughes

Caroline Hughes

United Kingdom

Caroline is an accomplished entrepreneur who co-founded and currently serves as CEO of Lifetise, an award-winning Fintech company that helps people plan major life events like buying a home or having children. She is also deeply involved in supporting other female founders through her work with Hive Founders, a global network for women entrepreneurs, and Womankind Ventures, an angel syndicate that aims to fund more women-led businesses.

Caroline is excited to become a 90 Day Finn and immerse herself in Finnish life and culture, having previously lived and worked in various countries. During her stay, she hopes to connect with other female founders and professionals in the Fintech industry, expanding her network and exploring potential collaborations.


Dan Bierenbaum

Dan Bierenbaum

United States

Dan is a CFO of Nithio, a climate finance platform powered by AI. With over 15 years of experience working on ventures addressing challenges in the finance and energy sectors in emerging markets, Dan is interested in exploring the possibilities Helsinki offers for his family and business, particularly in terms of sustainability, inclusivity, and work-life balance.

Dan was recommended to the 90 Day Finn program by Ladi and Sean Carr, who participated in the program in 2021. He seeks to build a new venture, identify potential business opportunities, and establish partnerships with local universities and businesses to accelerate Nithio’s technology development in Helsinki.


Jessica Mendoza

Jessica Mendoza

Venezuela | United States | United Kingdom

Jessica is a tech entrepreneur and Forbes contributor who is passionate about sustainability and data privacy. She founded Monadd, a home bill management software that helps users manage their bills efficiently, saving them time and money. Jessica is also an active member of industry organizations that advocate for better data ethics in technology products.

Jessica aims to gain a better understanding of the role sustainability and ethics play in business transformation in Finland, as well as the methods employed to develop a sturdy business foundation that allows for long-lasting momentum. As someone who has lived in seven different cities and four countries, she believes that extra-curricular activities are important for business productivity.

She is excited to become a 90 Day Finn to learn about how Finns thoughtfully transform businesses for long-lasting impact beyond Finland’s borders. Additionally, she is looking for connections in Helsinki’s tech ecosystem.


Joshua Ford

Joshua Ford

United States

Joshua is a serial entrepreneur in different industries and is currently the VP, of Commercial at FORME, a fitness company he helped take public in April 2023.

He was the CEO and Co-Founder of HipTrain which was acquired by FORME. Joshua is looking to explore Finland as a place for a European hub for FORME, as his last business was acquired in November 2022. He is seeking contacts that work with digital health, business opportunities in Helsinki, and ideating his next company.


Masahiro Kunieda

Masahiro Kunieda

Japan

Masahiro is a business designer at Moon Creative Lab in Tokyo, specializing in technology, healthcare, and organizational culture design. He has a passion for innovation and improving society. His connection to Finland comes from his master’s degree in IDBM at Aalto University. Masahiro hopes to learn more about Finnish culture through the 90 Day Finn program and further enhance the connection between Japan and Finland for cross-cultural collaboration.


Rebecca Weisinger

Rebecca Weisinger

United States

Rebecca is a healthcare founder and investor currently running Helio Sleep, a company that treats sleep apnea. She actively participates in communities such as the tech and healthcare community and her alumni communities at Stanford and Harvard. Rebecca aims to find deal flow in Finland and expand Helio Sleep’s business operations to Europe. She’s looking for partners to expand both the therapeutic and geographic areas that Helio Sleep serves. Additionally, Rebecca is interested in meeting other founders and future founders to invest in and support their enterprises.


Rohit Sahgal

Rohit Sahgal

Singapore

Rohit is a seasoned senior strategist, editor, and principal with over two decades of experience in healthcare initiatives across the globe, spanning Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, India, China, and the Pacific Islands.

He currently works as a technical advisor to The World Health Organisation and believes in making the world a better and safer place for future generations. Rohit is passionate about creating a forward-looking hub in Europe that caters to the needs and requirements of the EU regulatory framework, bringing together the best of Asian innovation and cost-effectiveness to further the healthcare priorities of leading pharma and life-sciences organisations in the region. He has always dreamt of visiting, living and setting up his new venture in Finland, and sees this as an opportunity to explore the possibilities further.

He is looking for opportunities to expand into Europe, connect with like-minded individuals, and develop partnerships with leading pharma and life-sciences organisations to advance healthcare priorities in the region.


Tanya Khanijow

Tanya Khanijow

India

Tanya is an acclaimed travel content creator from India, known for her successful travel blog, travel courses, and Instagram channel with 684K followers. She is interested in expanding her work to the European market and promoting sustainable travel through Finnish success stories. Tanya hopes to become a spokesperson for tourism in Finland during her 90-day stay and is seeking meaningful partnerships and connections within the travel industry.


Yashodhan Bhawe

Yashodhan Bhawe

India

Yashodhan is the chief scientist of the GIIAVA Group, which prioritizes sustainability and works to add value to agriculture while creating circular routes to upcycle byproducts. He aims to explore opportunities to expand GIIAVA’s R&D, manufacturing, and business collaborations in northern Europe through Finland and seeks to connect with universities, research institutes, companies, and government agencies in the region.


Yusuke Matsuo

Japan

Yusuke is an official of the Fukuoka City Government and a key person when it comes to designing startup projects with the team Startup City Fukuoka. The mission is to foster the startup ecosystem of Fukuoka for not only startups in Fukuoka but individuals from overseas to start their business in Fukuoka by offering a special visa programme for entrepreneurs, the incubation facility named “Fukuoka Growth Next”.

Yusuke’s reason for becoming a 90 Day Finn is to explore new points of view and discover Helsinki’s beautiful nature, its liability, work-life balance, and daily sauna experience. He hopes to build an even better relationship between Helsinki and Fukuoka.


We can’t wait to welcome all 90 Day Finns in Helsinki from August – October 2023!

Follow Helsinki Partners on LinkedIn and hear more about the programme and the individual stories of the 90 Day Finns.

About 90 Day Finn programme

90 Day Finn programme was designed to provide the opportunity to international investors, founders, corporate executives, event organisers and tech talents to live and find opportunities in Finland for three full months. As part of the programme, we provide support for the 90-day relocation, tailored services based on your business needs and guidance for obtaining long-term residency.

Diverse group in a snowy forest
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© Juhana Hurtig

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