Meet Host Michel Wendell
Follow this monthly program conceived and hosted by FFN Trustee Michel Wendell, who interviews Finnish and Finnish-American entrepreneurs who share their stories as they follow their dreams and paths to success in the United States.
Michel Wendell is passionate about helping Finnish companies to grow and internationalize.
He was among the first “Finnish techies” in Silicon Valley, and served as Honorary Consul of Finland for Northern California for 10 years, before relocating to Austin, Texas. Michel is a trustee of Finlandia Foundation.
My American Dream Guests
Sari Stenfors
Sari is a futurist and strategist who, even as a girl of 12 in Finland, knew, “I wanted to create positive futures for mankind.”
Jani Tuomi, imaware CEO
Motivated by a family health issue to launch the innovative imaware, which connects individuals with “laboratory testing for wellness monitoring, informational, and educational use.”
Kirsti Chou
A native of Finland. The San Francisco resident shares her experience, from her start at Nokia to her current work as an angel investor focusing on tech companies with a positive impact on climate and the environment.
Mårten Mickos
“Our hackers have that evil genius, but they use it for a good purpose,” says Mårten Mickos, CEO of HackerOne, the world’s leading vendor of hacker-powered security.
Hanna Mikkola, M.D., Ph.D.
“I would like to cure leukemia.” Meet Dr. Hanna Mikkola, who is dedicated to teaching and broad stem cell research at UCLA.
Jonas W. Karlsson
Grammy award-winning, multi-platinum selling producer and songwriter from Finland finds success in LA.
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Kevin Jussila, Winemaker
“Passion gets you everywhere,” says Kevin Jussila, who turned a hobby into the award-winning kukkula winery.
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Eero Teerikorpi
A son of a sea captain in Finland, Eero talks about his own voyage to the U.S. and his accomplishments as a serial entrepreneur in California. He shares insights and tips for anyone in their own business. (Spoiler Alert: It takes SISU and a lot more.)
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AI Understood
Risto Miikkulainen describes Artificial Intelligence in plain English. With a Finnish twist.
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Tonxu, Noodelist
Thuong Tan—call her Tonxu—was born in Vietnam, grew up in Finland and now lives in California. Her first startup, Noodelist, makes plant-based, better-for-you instant noodles.
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Ari Tulla, Elo Health
Ari is a serial entrepreneur, dad, rock climber and CEO and co-founder of Elo Health, who solves problems that help people live better lives.
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