Meet our new team members taking this community to new heights

It is time to introduce the new team members putting on their red hoodies. Great things ahead with a bigger team, great enthusiasm and a passion for making Startuplifers the best internship program in the Nordics. Without further ado, meet Joni, Sura, Matti, Hanna and Veeti!

JONI

At the beginning of this year, Joni was looking for a job where he could make an impact as his bachelor’s degree was just about to be finished. After an enjoyable spring as the Startuplifers’ Head of US, he wanted to continue developing this super cool program and continue changing people’s lives. Now Joni is working as the programs Executive Director, and despite the fancy title he has legally, most of his time is spent parenting (bossing) and leading (whipping) this awesome team to new heights and making sure that Startuplifers is going to the right direction.

Even though in the Moomin version of the Myers-Briggs personality type test Joni got told that he’s The Groke, he is actually a humorous, silly guy who is always willing to think deep and discuss anything from philosophy to cat videos. He is constantly learning to be a better thinker, ask better questions, enjoy boredom and learn how to juggle. Outside the office, Joni loves to go to underground techno parties and watch series like Rick and Morty. He is also learning to enjoy reading books and articles again. The latest book consumed was Gandhi’s autobiography and the next in line will be Wes Nisker’s book Buddha’s Nature.

Joni’s lifestyle quote: “I admire people who go their own way. As said by many, this life is too precious to be wasted by living someone else’s life. A lifestyle that respects other beings on this planet is the bestest.”

SURA

Sura is an artsy architecture student with a background of project management and graphic design, so she was (and still is) the perfect choice to direct Startuplifers’ marketing! If you randomly scroll through your Instagram feed and come across something related to us, it’s probably Sura’s fault. With her unique touch, she makes Startuplifers pop out on social media, events and universities.

On one day Sura might be calmly observing the fuzz going around her and enjoy having a chill conversation, and on the other day, she might be the fuzz, standing on a chair having a meme show, craving for attention. The last one might be a bit more accurate, since even though Sura is trying to keep her spare time as chill as possible, somehow she always ends up having crazy amounts of side projects. She loves drawing, painting, music events, clothing and all kinds of artsy happenings, and can usually be found hassling around these topics. Suras goal is to someday sell a painting of hers to someone who’s neither her friend or mom.

Sura’s lifestyle quote: “I admire people who are very determined in a passion of theirs, no matter what it is.”

MATTI

Matti ended up as our Head of US kinda accidentally. While doing his exchange studies in New York this spring, he noticed that Startuplifers was looking for new people. Inspired to learn more about the working culture in the US and the mysterious world of startups, applying for the team was a perfect next rock for Matti to conquer. To the team Matti is bringing all the cultural know-how gained during his time in the US, some great sales skills and a handful of great (or usually not-so-great) jokes – he could be described as the team’s jester.

In his free time, Matti is zero ug: 43% chill and 67% active. The chilling part includes reading books and cooking nice dinners whereas the active time is spent meeting friends and doing sports or some other stuff. This summer Matti has been traveling in the US, sailing and learning to fly stably during a free fall. His bucket list contains among other things a parachute jump and finding the best sushi in the world.

Matti’s lifestyle quote: “Teamwork with a team where everybody is motivated to reach the common goal doesn’t feel like working at all!”

HANNA

Hanna is taking over a whole new role in the team as our Community Manager! She had been following the program with curiosity for some time already, and after hearing about the new role she knew on the instant that it was made for her. Which might be true since she usually tends to be the mother hen of the gang. Hanna will be sparring our applicants and developing the Startuplifers community to become the best network of like-minded, ambitious talents.

This summer Hanna has been spreading sand around wherever she goes since all of her spare time has been spent playing beach volley. In addition to that, her hobby seems to be filling her calendar way too full with all kinds of exciting projects. Even though she enjoys a busy life full of inspiring activities, her current challenge is also learning to say no sometimes and making time for relaxing. A more concrete goal for this summer is learning to fix her bike so that she could finally start biking around again.

Hanna’s lifestyle quote: “Although the ambitious and busy people are super inspiring, I truly admire also those who sometimes dare to stop and take some time for themselves. Life is also meant to be enjoyed.”

VEETI

Veeti (our gift straight outta Lappeenranta) went backpacking to Asia for 6 months and somehow ended up organizing startup-excursions and working for Slush Singapore. Soon he heard about an open position in the Startuplifers team and realized it was the perfect continuum for his time in Asia. Now as our Head of Asia Veeti is motivated to dig the best opportunities in East and provide life-changing opportunities for talented students in Finland and Sweden.

Veeti’s friends might describe him as a lottery ticket since many of his life decisions are originated in some sort of lottery. Veeti’s life is a combination of doing stuff on full turbo, but simultaneously not taking it too seriously. He’s trying to find happiness through balancing these two philosophies in his life. Veeti fills his spare time with adventures, people and events. This weekend he is heading to Arctic circle to hike alone for a couple of days!

Veeti’s lifestyle quote: “I get inspired by people who are doing stuff that makes them happy.”

With the new team taking over, we say bye bye to our Laura, Mirva, Veera and Aapo and wish them the best of luck in all the upcoming adventures!