Jane Walerud joins Niklas Zennström and Daniel Ek in the hall of fame

Niklas Zennström, Jane Walerud and Jessica Stark.

Yesterday evening I had the pleasure of attending the event where Jane Walerud, serial entrepreneur and angel investor (and a friend of mine), was inducted to the Swedish Startup Hall of Fame at SUP46 (Start up People of Sweden). She thereby joins Daniel Ek (inducted in 2013) and Niklas Zennström (inducted in 2014).

The motivation for the induction: “During the past 15 years, Jane Walerud has been involved in, and passionate about, the Swedish startup ecosystem – founding, funding and driving management teams. She has enabled companies in the community such as Klarna, Lensway, Bluetail and Tobii to take their first steps into becoming the big players they are today. Apart from that, she has paved the way for women within the tech and investment scene and helped develop the Swedish startup scene into the flourishing creature it is today. We therefore see it as an honor to commemorate this by inducting Jane Walerud into the Swedish Startup Hall of Fame.”

Last year’s inductee, Niklas Zennström, joined SUP46 co-founder and CEO Jessica Stark, in handing over the trophy to Jane Walerud.

”It is a great honor! I hope I can inspire other women from around the world to go for a career in entrepreneurship; it is exciting, profitable and educational”, Jane said after the award ceremony.

Jane has participated in several of ESBRIs events over the years. For instance, in 2013 she was one of the speakers at the Sweden-U.S. Entrepreneurial Forum and talked about lessons learned from a serial tech entrepreneur and angel investor.

Congratulations to Jane, and to SUP46 for choosing her as a worthy third inductee to the Swedish Startup Hall of Fame! And for a great party last night!

/Magnus

PS The Swedish Start up Hall of Fame event was a part of GEW Sweden

Meet Noa Fridmark of NOA Potions

During one week each November, Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) engages millions of people in an active celebration of entrepreneurship. ESBRI is the country host for the Swedish GEW efforts. As part of our work with GEW, we asked some profiled Swedish entrepreneurs, and a couple of our GEW partners to answer a few questions – about their entrepreneurial journey and about GEW. We talked to Noa Fridmark, the CEO and founder of NOA Potions. This Swedish startup manufactures Noa Relaxation, an award winning natural beverage that reduces stress and increases focus. NOA Potions won top honours in the best premium drink category in the last year’s World Beverage Innovation Awards, beating the major global players in the industry.

Hi Noa, where did you draw most inspiration from while starting up your business?

Professionally, I was at the top of one of Stockholm’s hottest companies that was about to go public. Despite an executive marketing title and a sizeable salary, I felt empty. Most of all, I just couldn’t stand for the company’s core values. So, I did it. I quit. Everything.

It was the best decision I have ever made. My new home became an uninhabited island in the outer wilds of the Stockholm archipelago. This giant leap off the career path and away from the city was life-altering. Gazing out at the sea, serene in the presence of the moment, an intense calmness washed over my soul.

It struck me that there must be other people who yearn to feel this way. How could I bring back the essence of my island to the cosmopolitan crowd in the city? A natural beverage became a way to share this feeling.

For me, NOA Relaxation has become a symbol of self-inspection – who am I, what do I value? When you free yourself from society’s expectations you truly connect with your inner inspiration. It is my hope that NOA Relaxation will be an oasis in daily life to return to tranquility, a place where we reflect and focus on life’s more meaningful matters.

What personal strengths have been critical for your success?

To never give up and to not accept when people say ”that cannot be done”. Just because it hasn’t been done before doesn’t mean it can’t be done. Also to set your own standard of how you like things to be done and not focus too much on what others are doing.

What is the greatest challenge that you have experienced in your entrepreneurial career so far?

To keep up the speed and have everyone in the organisation understand and act on what we need to do to reach our goals.

What is your view on Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW)? Do you think an initiative like this can boost entrepreneurship worldwide?

To me, it has been one of the best decisions ever to start my own business and I applaud GEW for being a catalyst that makes more people realise their dreams.

/Jelena

Meet Karl Lillrud of Pricelizer

Karl Lillrud, Pricelizer.

During one week each November, Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) engages millions of people in an active celebration of entrepreneurship. ESBRI is the country host for the Swedish GEW efforts. As part of our work with GEW, we asked some profiled Swedish entrepreneurs, and a couple of our GEW partners to answer a few questions – about their entrepreneurial journey and about GEW. So far, we’ve talked with Alan Mamedi, Sanna Nilsson, Caroline Walerud, Nils Nilsson and Michaela Holtz. Now it’s time for Karl Lillrud, the founder and CEO of Pricelizer. PriceLizer’s web service, RevaLizer, enables e-commerce merchants to reacquire customers who have abandoned their online shopping carts. Last week, Pricelizer was listed among GEW’s top 50 startups in the Startup Open, a global competition to find some of the most promising new startups in the world. In addition to this, Pricelizer has also been shortlisted as one of the world’s 20 hottest startups in 2015 by CNBC. Karl Lillrud is on Twitter: @karllillrud

Hi Karl, what is your definition of an entrepreneur?

An entrepreneur is a modern name for an inventor, a person who sees possibilities where others see problems or challenges. Entrepreneurs have learned that what others believe to be the laws of nature might not be true. They are prepared to challenge them to prove that there are alternative solutions to everything.

Where did you draw most inspiration from while starting up your business?

I would say that I have been inspired by several things. Firstly, from my previous startup, an early e-commerce website that was translated into 11 languages and had 200 suppliers in 18 countries. I never learn as much as I do when I run these new business ideas.

Secondly, I would say logic, as there is always logical behaviour behind any decision and sometimes it can be totally different from the expected one. But if you dig down deep enough you will see the connection to the logic for the person in question and it might be different from your own logic. By building solutions based on logical behaviour instead of trying to force the user to the logic that you created in your product, you will be far more successful.

Thirdly, I would say research. As an entrepreneur, you have to know what research studies say. You don’t need to follow and believe them, but you should definitely study, understand and learn them. If you don’t agree, then make sure you can motivate your difference in opinion and understand why the research studies are wrong.

What personal strengths have been critical for your success?

Energy, productivity, multitasking and belief. I have a different type of energy, I don’t need to sleep 8 hours and during my office hours I am productive every single second of the day. I have been optimizing these things for many years and found many small things I can do to improve my delivery capacity.

Working is good, but working without being productive is worth far less than working on the right things at the right time, prioritizing everything and changing priorities wherever needed. Things change all the time and you need to be able to change fast and firmly. For example, when we were shortlisted by CNBC as one of the world’s 20 hottest startups, we had to tell our entire team to throw all the previous priorities away and focus on the most prioritized tasks, based on this incredible news and the current situation.

Everything has loading time, even your brain, so I multitask a lot. Yes, there are studies that show that you should not multitask too much but there are also studies saying that you should. There are movements like mindfulness and so on. I am not against mindfulness, I actually think that it’s great, but not all the time. You just need to know when to use which method.

As an entrepreneur you will be questioned, you will be challenged, and you will be asked stupid and smart questions. If you don’t believe in what you do and how you do it, then it’s basically no point in doing it. People who are not entrepreneurs will only see problems and not possibilites. There will be challenges for sure, but they will only make you stronger in the long run, and make you learn a lot.

The Pricelizer team at Internet Discovery Day 2015. 

What is the greatest challenge that you have experienced in your entrepreneurial career so far?

To have to close down a business. A business for an entrepreneur is a baby, it really is something that you love and that you put so much energy into. Sometimes things don’t turn out the way you planned and you can find yourself at the point where you have to close down your business.

It’s not something you will be happy about, but you will again learn a lot, which will be of great value to you in your future challenges. Learning to make the tough decision to close down your business is also a great power for the future.

What is your view on Global Entrepreneurship Week? Do you think an initiative like this can boost entrepreneurship worldwide?

I believe that this is of great value to the entrepreneurial community, but also to raise awareness and interest of others. There are many wantrepreneurs who need that extra kick to get started. Initiatives like this are a great way to encourage that.

Entrepreneurs are always in a game of balance. How much should I spend on the product and how much on product exposure? By attending events like GEW, Pricelizer gains a lot of good exposure and gets to meet press, consumers, partners, investors and potential customers.

/Jelena

Meet Michaela Holtz of Zeifie

Michaela Holtz. Foto: Björn Mattisson.

During one week each November, Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) engages millions of people in an active celebration of entrepreneurship. ESBRI is the country host for the Swedish GEW efforts. As part of our work with GEW, we asked some profiled Swedish entrepreneurs, and a couple of our GEW partners to answer a few questions – about their entrepreneurial journey and about GEW. So far, we’ve talked to Alan Mamedi, Sanna Nilsson, Caroline Walerud and Nils Nilsson. Now it’s time for Michaela Holtz, the CEO of Zeifie. Zeifie is the safety app that will alert not only friends and family in case of emergency, but also people nearby. Last week, Zeifie was listed among GEW’s top 50 startups in the Startup Open, a global competition to find some of the most promising new startups in the world. Michaela Holtz is on Twitter: @HoltzMichaela

Hi Michaela, what is your definition of entrepreneurship?

To me, entrepreneurship is a mindset. It is a problem solving attitude that builds on creativity, passion and curiosity, and it has business in focus.

Where did you draw most inspiration from while starting up your business?

The inspiration for Zeifie comes from a deep understanding of the pain and the problem that we are trying to solve. It is such an important problem and the pain is felt by at least half the world population on a regular and daily basis. This has also made it impossible for me to give up, even though at times I have felt like I had no other choice. The importance of Zeifie has given it kind of a driving force of its own.

What personal strengths have been critical for your success?

Well, I’m not a success yet :). But my personal strengths as an entrepreneur have to do with accepting failure. I try, fail, learn and repeat. And that is due to being stubborn, a little naive and having a bit of stamina.

What is the greatest challenge that you have experienced in your entrepreneurial career so far?

I have experienced many challenges. In fact, the adaptation to challenges is part of being an entrepreneur. But most of Zeifie’s challenges have had to do with raising capital. It is a time-consuming and difficult task for all startups. And being a female entrepreneur does not help. But then we decided to do a crowdfunding campaign instead, and it was a great success! We reached the goal in less than three hours…

What is your view on Global Entrepreneurship Week? Do you think an initiative like this can boost entrepreneurship worldwide?

I think this kind of initiative is very important for many reasons. It gives entrepreneurs a chance to learn from each other, create partnerships and find inspiration and energy.

/Jelena

Gästblogg: Från idé till succé på Linné

Andreas Carlsson har skrivit låtar till artister som Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys och Céline Dion. Han delade med sig av sina erfarenheter under GEW.

Att inspirera unga människor till entreprenöriella stordåd är en viktig del av Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW). Linnéuniversitetet är en av årets svenska GEW-partners, och ett av de lärosäten som satsade mest på GEW 2015. Nils Nilsson är vicerektor, med ansvar för ”Det entreprenöriella universitetet”. I denna gästblogg berättar han om de aktiviteter som genomfördes, och om varför GEW är viktigt /Åse

Linnéuniversitetet har tillsammans med partners, för tredje året i rad, arrangerat en välbesökt entreprenörskapsvecka: 10 evenemang på två orter, och över 550 deltagande studenter och näringslivsföreträdare. Föreläsningar, mingel och workshops har skapat inspiration, insikt och nya möten.

Veckan invigdes på tisdagen, 17 november. Då höll entreprenören och låtskrivaren Andreas Carlsson mycket uppskattade föredrag i både Kalmar och Växjö på temat ”Från idé till succé”.

Under veckan har studenter sedan kunnat möta näringslivsrepresentanter under kreativa frukostar, entreprenöriella after works och digitala luncher. Vi har haft smarta föreläsningar med toppkrafter om såväl den nya delningsekonomin som sinnesmarknadsföring. Drivhuset Växjö har dessutom passat på att hålla sitt 20-årsjubileum i samband med GEW.

För Linnéuniversitetet är denna vecka ett utmärkt tillfälle att göra skillnad och kraftfullt markera entreprenörskapets viktiga roll i lösandet av samhällets olika utmaningar. Att ge våra studenter inspiration och öka deras tilltro till sin egen förmåga att göra skillnad i olika sammanhang är så klart också ett huvudmål som styr vårt urval av aktiviteter. Den globala inramningen är också en bonus som tilltalar i dessa tider av växande murar.

/Nils Nilsson

Meet Caroline Walerud of Volumental

During one week each November, Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) engages millions of people in an active celebration of entrepreneurship. ESBRI is the country host for the Swedish GEW efforts. As part of our work with GEW, we asked some profiled Swedish entrepreneurs, and a couple of our GEW partners to answer a few questions – about their entrepreneurial journey and about GEW. So far, we’ve talked to Alan Mamedi and Sanna Nilsson. Now it’s time for Caroline Walerud! She’s the CEO and co-founder of Volumental, a Stockholm-based startup that uses 3D scanning technology to create a world in which products are made to suit your body – an antidote to the world of mass-production. Caroline Walerud was recognized as the #1 Super Talent of the Year 2013 by Veckans Affärer. In 2015, Wired named Volumental one of Europe's hottest startups. Caroline Walerud is on Twitter: @CWalerud

Hi Caroline, where did you draw most inspiration from while starting up your business?

I'm driven by creating a positive change in the world, solving problems, and growing a great team and business. Volumental's big vision is to build a world that fits you: We're changing how the world designs, manufactures, buys and sells products. Through this we minimize returns, mass production and waste, we enable artisans, and make people happier through putting the individual at the core of product creation.

What personal strengths have been critical for your success?

Getting people excited about our cause and vision. Dedication and persistence. Curiosity, cheekiness and charm.

What was the greatest challenge you have experienced in your entrepreneurial career so far?

It's been an extra sharp learning curve to scale the company (and myself as a manager) to a team size that can't all sit in one room. Communication, transparency, and maximising individual freedom to make decisions, will continue to be central now that we scale up from twenty people!

What is your view on Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW)? Do you think an initiative like this can boost entrepreneurship worldwide?

It's great to showcase more role models and paths to entrepreneurship. That will encourage more people to take the leap!

/Jelena

Entreprenörskap i utbildningen - lär för en osäker framtid (del 2)

Entreprenörskap i utbildningen - lär för en osäker framtid (del 1)

Meet Sanna Nilsson of Codarica

Sanna Nilsson and Codarica won the Swedish final of Creative Business Cup 2015.

During one week each November, Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) engages millions of people in an active celebration of entrepreneurship. ESBRI is the country host for the Swedish GEW efforts. As part of our work with GEW, we asked some profiled Swedish entrepreneurs, and a couple of our GEW partners to answer a few questions – about their entrepreneurial journey and about GEW. Their answers will be published here at Esbribloggen within the next week. We talked to Sanna Nilsson, the CEO and co-founder of Codarica, a Stockholm-based startup that creates fun coding games for kids. Yesterday, November 18, Codarica represented Sweden at Creative Business Cup, one of the featured events of Global Entrepreneurship Week, and successfully made it to the top 12 finalists. Follow Codarica on Twitter: @CodaricaHQ

Hi Sanna, where did you draw most inspiration from while starting up your business?

Before we even started Codarica we applied to a handful of startup competitions to validate our business idea. At the competitions we met a lot of inspiring people – both entrepreneurs doing the same thing as us, but also mentors and jury members. We could network with all different kinds of people, both the ones who had done the startup journey once, twice, or even more times, but also new startups with energy you could live on for a whole week. When we started Codarica, these were the people that inspired us to move along with our idea and actually start a business.

I think it is very important to surround yourself with people who give you energy and inspiration - especially if you are on the verge of starting your first business. It is very scary to do this the first time, but I can promise you that it is the first step that is the scariest. By meeting people who are also just about to start a business, and people who are 18 months ahead of you, you get that very needed courage to take the first small step into becoming an entrepreneur. It’s so inspiring seeing people throw themselves into the unknown, just to make the world a little bit better.

What personal strengths have been critical for your success?

I’m stubborn, competitive, a dreamer and naive. I think the mix of these skills is what makes me an entrepreneur at heart. I have this unrealistic picture of the grand things we could do with our company, and by aiming high we don’t settle for less. We are never satisfied with just being satisfied, and we never ever give up. We have had our dark times as well when we all felt unmotivated, which is probably the case for all entrepreneurs. But you don’t give up on your dreams, so you keep on fighting no matter what. Good things come to those who wait, but better things come to those who work their asses off for it. There’s no other formula for success than that.

What was the greatest challenge you have experienced in your entrepreneurial career so far?

Being an entrepreneur is challenging yourself on a daily basis. What’s been the greatest challenge is to keep pushing yourself to go out of your comfort zone - and also understand what that comfort zone actually is!

What is your view on Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW)? Do you think an initiative like this can boost entrepreneurship worldwide?

Yes! I think GEW is great to highlight entrepreneurs, startups, and all the great initiatives out there to help us grow our companies. Creative Business Cup is a part of GEW and we participated as national winners, representing Sweden. This allowed us to go to an international event to pitch for people that we might not have met otherwise. There are so many of these kinds of initiatives that exist just for us entrepreneurs so that we can run better companies – what’s not to love about that?

/Jelena

Meet Alan Mamedi of Truecaller

During one week each November, Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) engages millions of people in an active celebration of entrepreneurship. ESBRI is the country host for the Swedish GEW efforts. As part of our work with GEW, we asked some profiled Swedish entrepreneurs, and a couple of our GEW partners to answer a few questions – about their entrepreneurial journey and about GEW. Their answers will be published here at Esbribloggen within the next week. We start today with Alan Mamedi, entrepreneur, CEO and co-founder of the global phonebook app Truecaller. Today, November 18, Alan participates in "Finalen av Sveriges Ungdomsentreprenör" (the final of the competition Sweden's young entrepreneur), a GEW event. You can reach Alan via Twitter: @AlanMamedi

Hi Alan, where did you draw most inspiration from while starting up your business?
The speed at which technology develops and changes has always been fascinating to me. This is something I knew I always wanted to work with, developing technology that would improve our daily lives. I have always been excited about building something with my best friends and starting a business was not just about work. It was a complete passion to create something big together with my friends. Then of course, companies like Google and entrepreneurs like Niklas Zennström gets you even more excited about the opportunities that are out there.

What personal strengths have been critical for your success?
I believe in working hard with commitment, and taking no shortcuts in order to make something ‘become great’ faster. Great things don’t just happen; they need thought and hard work behind them. In order to grow, it is essential to be able to adapt to new ideas quickly, and remain receptive to change.

What was the greatest challenge you have experienced in your entrepreneurial career so far?
Something that I have learned while working with a great team, is that you can’t focus on your mistakes, and it is essential to continue to move forward with new solutions and ideas effectively. Focusing on mistakes, or past problems, can hinder innovation and cool new ideas. We try to learn and adapt every day.

On a more personal level, finding that work-life balance is always a challenge for any entrepreneur. You obviously have a strong sense of responsibility to the company, and to your team. It is important to take time to recharge, and bring a fresh mindset to the team on Monday, after a weekend doing the things you love.

What is your view on Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW)? Do you think an initiative like this can boost entrepreneurship worldwide?
I think that there has been a significant shift in how people view entrepreneurship during the past 5–10 years. I see more and more young people, straight out of school, who have a clear ambition to start something of their own. So an initiative like GEW is a good way to inspire people.

/Jonas