Entrepreneur Tuesday at Helsinki Metropolitan Entrepreneurship Academy

By Juha Pullinen, Project Manager, Helsinki Metropolitan Entrepreneurship Academy

We just had our 2nd Entrepreneur Tuesday (30th March) which was a great success. Little over 100 students & entrepreneurs gathered to Active Life Village's large auditorium to hear Will Cardwell's inspiring lecture. Lectures subject was "Taking Your Idea to Reality - Can Your Idea Really Be a High-Growth Business?". Will's impressive experience in start-up business and investing made the audience just stare in awe. Great points and case examples! After the lecture we had a nice networking session and discussion went on for hours after the lecture!

Will Cardwell is the CEO of Technopolis Ventures, which offers professional & customized business development services to companies. Earlier Technopolis Ventures was the largest High-Tech business incubator in Finland, but from the start of this year, those non-profit incubation services were moved under Laurea University of Applied Sciences (Where I'm just finishing my studies) and under organisation called Spinno Enterprise Center (where i'm currently working). Spinno Enterprise Center supports and coordinates HMEA's programs. Will Cardwell is taking the lead of new Aalto Centre for Entrepreneurship (links to Aalto University, number 1 University in Finland) at the start of May.

ACE and Will Cardwell are playing a very important role in developing Finnish entrepreneurship in the near future. HMEA is gladly collaborating with them and making sure that all possible (maybe also impossible) is done in order to create new High-Growth businesses in Finland!

When HMEA operates kind of between Laurea University of Applied Sciences and Spinno Enterprise Center, we can create a realistic path for promising business ideas. Students can develop their ideas in HMEA's programs, Entrepreneur Tuesdays, Workshops & Camps and when they feel ready, they will have a direct link to a professional business incubator, Spinno.