The University of Helsinki Innovation & Entrepreneurship team is a multi-disciplinary group of seasoned doers and knowers, ready to support professionals, students, researchers and alumni who are looking to embark on their entrepreneurial journey.
While we all work hard together to bring you our many programmes, each campus' team has the lead on the activities taking place at their location. Therefore, if you're looking to find out more about a specific programme or wish to work in collaboration with us in making the programmes even better, don't hesitate to reach out to one of the team members at that campus.
Irina Blomqvist has over 20 years’ experience in building global value networks, be they ecosystems, platforms or partnerships. She has worked in a startup, a large US technology company, and in the public sector building corporate and public ecosystems, corporate accelerator and growth programs for startups (VC meetings & discussions, innovation and though leadership events, internationalisation programs).
Irina has a sound understanding of management, strategy, innovation ecosystems, and processes in addition to displaying remarkable foresight and excellent planning skills. She is also a disciplined business leader: think big, start small, fail fast, scale quickly.
Irina has engaged with several national and international development projects and organisations in the areas of technology, digital transformation, innovation, foreign direct investments, and sustainability. She has also established a European Digital Think Tank activity for lobbying purposes and understanding weak signals with innovation & regional development agencies in seven European countries (Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, the UK).
Contact details:
+358 29 41 23206
Ari Huczkowski is the Programme Manager & Deputy Team Leader for Helsinki Incubators. A seasoned and experienced innovation ecosystem professional whose career spans four decades and multiple successful companies and incubators, Ari brings with him not only world-class expertise in start-ups, coaching and mentoring, developing FDI, and much more, but also a global network consisting of thousands of academics, professionals, and global visionaries.
With his T-shaped nature, broad range of skills, and extensive network, he is perfectly suited for helping build and run top-tier incubation programs at the University of Helsinki.
+358 40 52 15642
An experienced veteran from the ICT industry, Pete Karumo's experience spans several decades working in notable technology giants as well as a co-founder in VC-backed startups. He is passionate about helping clients with commercialisation efforts, digital transformation, building scalable, easy-to-use solutions and increasing productivity. Before joining Helsinki Incubators Pete worked the past decade in Singapore helping companies to enter and expand in the APAC region and mentoring Asian impact startups. He is fluent in Finnish, English and French.
Pete runs the TREMOR incubator programme, manages the participating teams and is developing a network of experts, mentors and programme collaborators.
+358 29 41 21208
Andrès Peña Archila is the Project Lead for the Kumpula-based
+358 29 41 21201
Santeri Tuovila is the Project Lead for the interdisciplinary, cross-campus pre-incubator
Santeri has lived in several cities in China and helped Nordic entrepreneurs to enter the market. As a serious hobby Santeri is part of the association facilitating the biggest life-planning movement in Finland, Self-Hack.
+358 29 41 21207
Ekaterina Nekhay is the Event and Alumni Coordinator at Helsinki Incubators.
Ekaterina leads community engagement and organises events that bring together founders, researchers, and aspiring entrepreneurs. She plays a key role in fostering an inclusive and active community across the incubator programmes.
Ekaterina holds an MA in Intercultural Encounters and is currently completing her Master’s degree in European & Nordic Studies. Her academic background in international politics and intercultural communication informs her approach to community building and collaboration.
In addition to her role at Helsinki Incubators, Ekaterina is also a small business owner. She is the main point of contact for questions related to events, community activities, alumni engagement, and co-working space access.
+358 2941 21210
My Nguyen is the pre-SPARK Coordinator, as part of SPARK Finland and Helsinki Incubators team. My completed her Master’s degree in Management and International Business at Aalto University, specialising in strategy and sustainability. For several years, My has been working in the field of entrepreneurship education and inspiration, interacting with the startup ecosystem in Finland and around the world.
My's main responsibility at SPARK Finland is coordinating and developing the national Pre-SPARK Concept Discovery Program, as well as facilitating international activities between SPARK Finland members and the SPARK Global communities.
Contact details:
Lis Vila Rosas is the Head of Communications and Community Relations at Helsinki Incubators, where she leads the organisation’s communications strategy and community engagement. She is responsible for social media, storytelling, event visibility, and highlighting the work of startups within the incubator. With a strong interest in analytics and impact measurement, Lis ensures that communications reflect the diversity, inclusivity, and innovation at the core of Helsinki Incubators.
Lis has a background in advocacy and social impact, with professional experience supporting inclusivity policies at the European Parliament in Brussels. She previously served as Chairwoman of Youth for the Scouts of Spain and has contributed to advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through non-formal educational programmes. She also brings experience consulting small and medium-sized companies on marketing, branding, and communications.
Contact details:
+358 29 41 22960
Eleni is the Communications and Marketing Coordinator at Helsinki Incubators, where she supports the organisation’s digital presence and outreach strategy. She handles the storytelling and branding, ensuring that the achievements of startups, alumni, and the incubator itself are promoted across all platforms. With a background in quantitative research, Eleni brings an analytical approach to marketing, focusing on engagement and impactful messaging.
Currently pursuing an MSc in Economics at the University of Helsinki, Eleni combines her academic background with professional experience in finance and consulting. Her long-standing involvement in various entrepreneurship clubs during her academic years keeps her closely connected to the startup ecosystem. Beyond her core role, she is interested in brand management and consumer behavior, exploring how strategic brand identity drives business growth.
Contact details:
+358 29 41 21205
Laura Kaisto is a specialist (architecture) in HEVi-programme and a part of the Helsinki Incubators team. Laura’s background is in architecture and graphic design. In the HEVi (Helsinki+Espoo+Vantaa Innovations)- programme "Breaking the silos for unifield health innovations" her focus is on the spatial and concept development for example in rental laboratory facilities and services. She is working closely to the Facilities and Properties sector of the University of Helsinki.
Contact details:
+358 29 41 23165
Yliopistonkatu 3, 3rd floor, 00100 Helsinki
University of Helsinki Innovation & Entrepreneurship Services
P.O. Box 54
FI-00014 University of Helsinki