While hiking in Gotland in October 2020, I got an email. It was the offer for the CEO position at Skåne Startups. The organization is located in the bustling city of Malmö. Never had I thought of moving to Malmö, a city that had been associated with mixed reputations.

As the offer sank in, I felt hesitant yet intrigued by the leadership position. The role was unique. It was mixed with many different skill sets that I knew would challenge me. It was an opportunity to lead and support a community of entrepreneurs, mentors, investors, and stakeholders, and to help build a thriving startup ecosystem in the region. After much contemplation, I decided to take a leap of faith and relocate to Malmö in November 2020.

Being the only paid full-time employee/CEO, I knew I had to act quickly and creatively. The immediate challenge was a lack of funding and human resources. So, I focused on meeting with all the stakeholders and partners and prepared to secure short-term and long-term funding. At the same time, I utilized my scholarship alumni network to recruit the most qualified interns and quickly train them to ensure we were delivering the best possible work with limited resources.

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I ensured that the day-to-day tasks ran smoothly. However, my approach to business is not just limited to keeping the ship afloat. I never lost sight of the bigger picture. I worked closely with the board members and other stakeholders to develop long-term strategies that benefit local tech founders, international investors, and regional policymakers.

The role demanded a lot of responsibilities from me, including:

  • fundraising, developing and maintaining relationships with stakeholders at regional and national levels
  • increasing brand awareness and creating effective marketing strategies
  • hiring and training interns and employees
  • devising and implementing activities and initiatives to benefit local entrepreneurs and global investors
  • ensuring clear and regular communication with the board members
  • and collaborating with the team to execute plans and drive the organization toward achieving our objectives.

I had to wear many hats. But I was determined to succeed. Within two years, my leadership led to exceptional outcomes, including securing a total of 3 million SEK in private and public grants/funding. With meticulous planning, we organized and facilitated 54-60 impactful startup events, both online and offline, attracting 10 to 600 attendees. I've always been the kind of person who sees the world through rose-tinted glasses. I'm incredibly resourceful, always finding a way to get things done and make things happen, even when the odds are against me. 🦾

Below you can read more about my work:

Fundraising and Sponsorship Management

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Result: I maintained and secured in total of 3M SEK private and public funding from partners including Lund University, SEB, SONY, Vinge, ALMI Företagspartner, and Region Skåne.

Action:

  • Identify and cultivate relationships with later-stage startups, corporations, and community organizations
  • Formulate compelling grant proposals and reports, and manage stakeholders' relationships
  • Develop and execute the fundraising plan, including goals, strategies, and tactics for public grants, corporate sponsorship, and events

Talent Attraction and Culture Building

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Result: I recruited and trained a total of 30 interns. Upon completion of their internship, 17 were employed by startups, VC firms, and large corporations including Pale Blue Dot, Accelerace, Lynk & co, and Volvo Group. In addition, I secured funding to hire 3 full-time paid employees.

Action:

  • Develop and implement recruitment strategies to attract and retain top talent in the Skåne region, including sourcing candidates in various social platforms, screening resumes, and conducting interviews
  • Build and maintain relationships with potential candidates and develop a pipeline of hires through students & startups related events
  • Educate and train the team to equip them with up-to-date knowledge on venture capital, startup community, and business development
  • Create and build a positive and inclusive culture within the team, and coordinate team-building exercises and initiatives
My team and I hosted the Startup Live! 2022

Marketing and Communications

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Results: I increased brand awareness and visibility among our target audience (founders and investors). For example, LinkedIn, being our main social channel, has grown organic followers by 470% without any budget. 

Action:

  • Set up clear branding and communication guidelines and strategy including brand positioning and messaging, target audience, brand identity, tone of voice, content strategy, and communication channel
  • Support the team in creating and curating startup and investment-related content, including blog posts, articles, and videos, that aligns with the organization's brand and marketing objectives
  • Guide the team to manage the organization's social company page, including posting updates, engaging with followers, and monitoring metrics

Events management

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Result: I was responsible for coordinating and organizing 54 - 60 tech events ranging from small gatherings of 10 founders to large investor events of 600 people. 

I was interviewing founders during Startup Live! 2022

Below are a few highlights:

  • GrowInvest Helsingborg, 2021 and June 2022
  • Startup Live! Helsingborg, June 2022
  • The Drop Conference Malmö, September 2022
  • Women in Entrepreneurship events: weekly events with a different theme each week
  • Startup Coffee events every two weeks
  • Investor Chat events every month

Action:

  • Identify the suitable skill sets of each team member and form a capable project group to host different kinds of events
  • Develop project plans and timelines and ensure that all tasks are completed on time and within budget
  • Communicate and update effectively with stakeholders and partners to ensure satisfactory results
My team and I successfully organized The Drop 2022

Startups Mapping and Investor Relations

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Result: I supported Skåne founders to meet with Swedish and global investors regularly through events and personal introductions.

Action:

  • Build up the Investor Service team and trained the team members on venture scouting and supported the team to build and maintain the database of 450 startups and evaluate the data quality
  • Built and maintained relationships with global VCs, CVCs, and angel investors and guided the team to prepare quality deal flow for investors
  • Organize bi-weekly in-person or online investor events for local founders (participants from 20 - 90 people)
  • Support the team to publish the Mental Health Tech Report Sweden 2022
I was moderating the Startup Live! 2022 

Community Engagement and Partnership Building

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Result: actively engaged the community which resulted in increased participation, diverse representation, and closer collaboration, fostering a sense of ownership and positive change within the community

Action:

  • Meet with community partners and stakeholders regularly to find opportunities to collaborate and co-develop short-term and long-term initiatives including Women in Entrepreneurship, Startup Coffee, Startup Live! and many more
  • Present Skåne Startups at tech events such as Slush, Nordic Demo Day, and SaaSiest and engaged with relevant founders and investors in the community
  • Act as a jury and speaker for numerous startups & business events/competitions including Venture Cup, Malmö Näringslivsgala, Venture Lab, and Lund University student demo day
  • Maintain active & positive relationships with Minc, Fast Track Malmö, Hetch, Mindpark, Malmö Stad, Invest in Skåne, Almi Företagspartner, SEB, Sony, and many other stakeholders who are keen on building a strong tech community
I was invited to join Malmö Näringslivsgala 2022 as a Jury member

Board Management

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Result: I ensured a well-functioning and high-performing board that effectively fulfills its responsibilities and contributes to the success of the organization.
  • Develop and maintain effective working relationships with all board members and the Chairperson
  • Act as a liaison between the Board and the organization's staff, volunteers, and external stakeholders
  • Organize and coordinate board meetings, including preparing agendas, minutes, and supporting materials

Web Development

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Result: I rebuilt the company website to increase our brand awareness and enable simplified content publishing

Action:

  • Design the website with Miro, and work closely with the web developer to build the website on Ghost that enables simplified content publishing and better customisability

Budget and Financing

  • Work closely with an accountant to prepare budget and yearly forecasting
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At Skåne Startups, my journey was a blend of strategic vision and hands-on execution. I turned a lean budget into a thriving ecosystem by smartly navigating resources and forging key partnerships. Each challenge was an opportunity to innovate and grow. My knack for connecting with people helped me build a talented team and meaningful relationships across the board. This experience honed my skills in strategic planning and leadership, teaching me the value of adaptability and the power of a collaborative spirit in achieving collective goals.
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