Over the past decade, Startuplifers has connected hundreds of talent from the Nordics with fast-growing startups in Silicon Valley and beyond. After the program, many of the alumni have played an essential role in building some of the fastest-growing Nordic startups including Wolt, Varjo, Hoxhunt, Blok, Singa, Valohai, Meru Health, Matchmade, Smartly.io and many more.

Working in San Francisco through Startuplifers
Startuplifers alumna, Sini Toivonen, joined PFX Inc through Startuplifers in 2018.  Joining the team in San Francisco, she worked on the startup’s Go-To-Market and Sales functions developing and implementing channel outreach and communication plans. According to Sini, the biggest takeaways from working at a startup were gaining the courage to do things, learning to embrace creativity and to always be curious about new things.

Living the Silicon Valley experience
While living in California, Sini built networks and experienced the world’s largest tech ecosystem by visiting a number of Silicon Valley’s biggest technology companies and universities. She took note of the positive atmosphere and people’s willingness to do things big and startups' goals to aim high from the start. A startup failing or going though bankrupcy is not a taboo but often regarded as a learning experience and a chance to start fresh. In addition, working with the latest tech and talented teams had a big impact on Sini’s experience. 

It's all about work-life balance
Outside of the office, Sini enjoyed the vast amount of attractions that the Bay Area has to offer: In San Francisco, I learned about work-life balance. It is worth seeking out creativity and inspiration from museums and nature, as well as meeting people from different backgrounds,” Sini says

Life after Startuplifers
Being an extrovert and an ambitious businessperson with a make-it-happen attitude, Sini was part of many entrepreneurial organizations before Startuplifers, including SHIFT. Today, Sini is the CEO and Co-Founder at SHIFT – a Business Festival that brings together growth-oriented businesses. SHIFT was born as a result of various entrepreneurial organizations with a vision to do things together and reach bigger goals.

It's life-changing experience...

Reflecting back on your experience in San Francisco, what would you tell someone who is thinking about applying for a startup job through Startuplifers?

“The worst thing you can do is not go!”,  Sini says.

Are you eager to hear more inspirational stories of Startuplifers alumni? Stay tuned on our blog and social media.

If you are interested in working at a startup check out our open positions today and join the community of game-changers!

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