WHO ARE WE

a community of entrepreneurs, helping businesses turn ideas into growth.

Maria Petrova

Maria Petrova boasts a decade long career in software and product management, where she has been focused on building software products solving real user needs. Throughout her journey, Maria has made her way into various senior roles in product management, showcasing her leadership and strategic skills. Her tenure at renowned tech giants like Smartly.io and Zalando marks a track record of success and innovation. Most notably, her recent accomplishment at Supermetrics stands out, where she spearheaded the development of one of Finland’s most acclaimed product teams. Maria’s approach, blending analytical prowess with user-centric design, has been pivotal in her teams consistently delivering excellence in the tech industry.

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Matti Torniainen

Matti's career in retail and ecommerce has been marked by significant growth and transformation. After contributing to the evolution of S-ryhmä’s ecommerce, he took a year off in 2022 to learn new things and build on his own business ideas. This led him to embrace entrepreneurship, founding a company and later joining Coventures. Matti's experience includes scaling a grocery retail segment from €10 million to €200 million, managing large product assortments, and enhancing customer experience. As an entrepreneur, he currently runs his own company and advises other businesses, leveraging his insights in digitalization, team dynamics, and business profitability to help clients grow and avoid common pitfalls.

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Eemeli Metsäntähti

For over a decade, Eemeli has partnered with companies in leading innovation and growth. He has gained extensive experience in helping them go from the strategic planning phase into a profitable new business. Eemeli is exceptionally skilled at connecting dots, conceiving ideas, and drawing out winning strategies. His amicable approach and natural talent for bringing people together help him get buy-in from all levels. Eemeli can get to a first answer quickly, and he’s great at keeping things clear, simple, and effective. He has worked with diverse companies, ranging from Fortune 500s to scale-ups and startups, and in various industries and markets. Along with his ample international experience that spans the Netherlands, UK, Germany, Nordics, and beyond, Eemeli has a unique and broad perspective to help guide businesses toward growth.

  • Interim strategy manager at eCommerce SaaS company.
  • Interim strategy manager at corporate venture builder.
  • Interim growth-building roles at leading technology companies.
  • Business unit growth strategy, digital strategy, venture unit strategy, omnichannel strategy, and customer experience strategy.
  • Multiple business concepting and validation projects, which included e.g. trend analysis, benchmarking, customer interviews, business casing, and technical feasibility analysis.
Anna Katariina Kindahl

Anna Katariina is a seasoned Product Leadership expert with over 20 years of experience in the software industry, including 10 years in leadership roles. She has worked in developing, building, and launching successful software products in large markets, such as the US and the UK. Anna Katariina understands that product development requires a holistic approach, considering market demand, internal capabilities, and business objectives. As a leader, she works her magic, which includes a good bit of humor and drive, to align team members and create effective change. She is especially skilled in working collaboratively with teams across organizations, from strategy to design, engineering, and sales. Anna Katariina has been leading change and product leadership for a long time. Her depth of knowledge of product leadership is profound, making her one of the partners to support businesses in product and growth.

  • Multi-channel product offering design and development for versatile international audiences.
  • Product function design, build and management.
  • Next Generation platform and CX transformation for a B2B and B2B4C portfolio.
  • Product management capability and process building for digital services development in a traditional industry.
  • Design, development and product management transformation for a B2B Saas company.
  • Leading product vision & strategy.
  • Design & Digital service development management.
  • Leadership position for change management.
Asmo Halinen

Asmo has a unique digital business career combining entrepreneurship, director positions in major corporations, and lots of startup experience. As a true digital generalist with over 20 years of experience, he can be an extremely versatile help in many areas: sparring the digital strategies, working around business design, making product development more focused and faster, and guiding teams with a strong intrapreneurship mindset. To put it short: Asmo is a warm-hearted team player with a superb “let’s get things done” attitude. You might have spotted Asmo also on television as he’s a regular commentator on Yle morning’s “Jälkidigi” program, focusing on the latest news and phenomena around the tech and digital world.

Ira Wichmann

Ira is a highly experienced business leader with a background in digital strategy, UX, and product management. For over 15 years, she has helped companies at different growth stages, from near-bankruptcy to acquisition, and in complete restructures. Ira's coaching experience extends to mentoring junior PMs, advising early-stage startups on product management, and lecturing at Aalto University. As a business leader, her approach ensures the team creates actual end-user value, measuring and validating the work, and fostering a fun and productive environment. Ira aims at scaling as efficiently as possible and focusing on what moves the needle to achieve desired outcomes. Ira’s expertise is best suited to companies that are looking to establish a product organization from scratch or improve their existing product management processes, and create a data-driven product culture.

  • Head of product portfolio & member of the management team at Hintsa Performance, a well-being coaching & coaching SaaS company.
  • Head of Loyalty at Wonderbly, a publishing/tech company in the UK.
  • Member of the management team, head of product, and early employee at Swoon Editions, a UK furniture retailer.
  • Product mentor, advising on product strategy, product team structure, ways of working.
  • Digital marketing consultancy to multiple early-stage startups.
  • Launch of a new furniture retailer in the UK, including hiring & mentoring the CEO, mentoring the head of marketing and up-skilling the team.
Juho Vehviläinen

Juho is an experienced sales leader with a wealth of experience in business development. Drawing from his background in management consulting and firsthand experience developing and selling digital solutions, Juho has developed a deep understanding of what it takes to grow product and consulting businesses. As a Co-Founder at Coventures, Juho has worked with dozens of startups, scaleups, and enterprises in sales projects, helping them with go-to-market strategy, implementation, and building systematic sales systems. His ability to identify bottlenecks for growth, create effective solutions, and capitalize on market opportunities, coupled with his unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional customer experiences, has earned him a reputation as a results-driven sales leader and trusted advisor.

  • Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Coventures.
  • Go-to-market strategy development and implementation projects.
  • Enterprise sales model for B2B SaaS scale-up.
  • Sales models and systems implementation for startups, scale-ups & corporations.
  • Customer-centric service and sales development.
  • Headhunting & recruiting for companies.
Marko Oksanen

Marko is the Co-Founder and CEO of Coventures. For the past 13 years, he has studied the art and science of value creation. Marko has hands-on helped large enterprises with corporate innovation, turning their ideas into new revenue. He has delivered more than 40 different innovation projects, giving him extensive insight into different types of companies and industries. Marko also understands the founder mentality and startup realities, having taken on several startup endeavors. He is considered one of the top Product Management experts in Finland, teaching courses on the subject at Aalto University, and coaching in leading incubator programs. Marko's personal insights into building new products and companies have allowed him to support others in growing their businesses. Marko always aims to overdeliver for his customers and ensure they are on the road to success.

  • Facilitated the strategy process for the biggest Corporate Venture at a Finnish Electric service company.
  • Built a new business from 0 to revenue for a family-owned Finnish chemical manufacturer.
  • 10+ Product Leadership benchmark projects to analyze the current state of product leadership.
  • 6 years of in-house product management in fast-growth product-led companies.
  • Consulted/Coached 100+ companies e.g. Kiuas coach, and teaching product management in Aalto University.
Riku Kokkonen

Riku is an ambitious serial entrepreneur with over ten years of experience building ventures. His deep knowledge and experience building product-led businesses from the ground up make him an invaluable asset to any startup or growth company. Riku has also made a name for himself as an expert in discovering and validating opportunities for growth and identifying market gaps while helping other companies build new revenue. Most of all, Riku’s energy and drive are infectious, inspiring those around him. He is always looking for new challenges and opportunities to make a positive impact on the world, and his passion for innovation and entrepreneurship is contagious. Whether you are a scale-up or a large enterprise seeking to explore growth potential, Riku is the best aid for any organization looking to discover opportunities and build lasting value.

  • Co-founder of company building tools for financiers to find winning Entrepreneurs/Teams
  • Founder of a financial adviser company, specialising in European Investment Bank (EIB) -loans and leveraging equity based capital for growth.
  • Co-Founder in a biotechnology firm, offering the most comprehensive and reliable genetic tests for nutrition, sleep, exercise and personalised medicine (pharmacogenomic testing).
  • Customer discovery and sales for company building carbon negative constructions materials from industry side streams.
  • Innovation/Venture Model architecture.
  • PMFD - product market fit discovery.
  • Startup & Growth Financing.
  • Headhunting.
  • Venture building.
  • Financial modeling.
Sampo Lehtiniemi

Sampo is a highly experienced senior strategy advisor with over 15 years of experience in leading companies to grow. He supports companies in corporate leadership, digital transformation, product development, and management advisory. Sampo's expertise has helped numerous companies build new revenue streams and achieve cultural turns, particularly in the energy, service, and technology sectors. In addition to his ample experience and knowledge, Sampo is known for his roll-up-your-sleeves approach. He is dedicated to delivering results and goes above and beyond to ensure that his clients achieve sustainable growth. Sampo is a strategic thinker who can see the big picture, and align teams for change. He is also highly regarded for his ability to develop strong partnerships with business leaders and supporting them in achieving their business goals.

  • Spin-Off from a renewable material corporation.
  • Strategy Director at large energy company.
  • Corporate Venture Capital model development.
  • Management Consulting unit creation to a large environmental services company.
  • Director positions in Western Europe and Nordics at global  tech companies.
  • Annual mentoring programs for university talents moving to worklife.
Sebastian Aniszewski

Sebastian is a highly experienced strategy, innovation, and growth leader. His career began in management consulting, honing his skills in operating model development and change implementation across various industries. Sebastian spent nine years leading growth as a Head of Business Development and PMO. As New Business Director, he helped drive important change and systematically co-developed scalable circular economy solutions with customers. Sebastian is a genuine, bright, and driven team leader. He empowers his team members and fosters a culture of innovation and ambition. With his deep expertise in strategy, innovation, and implementation, Sebastian is a valuable partner to any organization looking to achieve sustainable growth.

  • Interim strategy and development director
  • Customer discovery for new concepts
  • New business development model
  • Interim PMO
  • Business and growth strategies
  • Innovation models and management
  • Agile business development
  • Customer and product discovery
  • Design and commercialisation
  • Scaling new businesses
  • Project and program management
  • Change management
Ville Hulkko

Ville is a highly experienced serial entrepreneur and technology expert. With a background in building deep-tech companies, developing service-driven product development strategies, and dealing with venture capital, both as an investor and investee in Silicon Valley, Ville has a wealth of experience and expertise to offer. Ville's particular focus has been on AI technology productization, building effective go-to-market strategies, and commercialization, both locally in Finland and internationally. What sets Ville apart are his great facilitation skills and down-to-earth approach. Whether he's working with a small startup or a large corporation, Ville can quickly and easily establish rapport, build trust, and work collaboratively towards shared goals. He is a true and passionate entrepreneur at heart, and in his free time also enjoys making some music.

  • CEO of Carbon Negative company, specialising in industry leading biochar technologies, processes and scaling services.
  • Co-founder of Silo AI, the largest private AI lab from the Nordics (250+ top experts / 120+ PhD:s).
  • Co-founder of Valossa Labs, multimodal video AI company (listed top 6 most promising AI startups globally by Goldman Sachs).
  • CEO of Twelve Textiles - an industrial production technology & brand portfolio company.
  • Investor both individually (focus in prop-tech), as well as through family office.
  • Winner of multiple pitching competitions on three continents (including Guy Kawasaki’s Art of the Start pitch).
Samu Seppänen

Samu is a deeply experienced product leadership expert, having built digital products from scratch and scaled multiple foundational fintech products, which now serve millions of customers globally. He is always up for a challenge and enjoys delivering complex projects with ambitious goals. Samu has also worked in corporate venture building and VC investment in Berlin. His role helped build and finance new digital ventures in energy, mobility, and health verticals. Whether he's leading a team of developers or brainstorming new ideas with colleagues, Samu brings his A-game to every project he is a part of. He has an eye for detail and enjoys creating products that people will love. Samu is the ideal partner for any sized company looking to establish a product-driven organization or simply build a killer product.

  • 5+ years of experience in validating, building and scaling new products and businesses.
  • Strong experience with startups and leading technology companies as a product manager and early employee in Berlin & London.
  • Built and scaled multiple foundational fintech products at a German online food delivery company.
  • Built and scaled a new product at a Finnish retail company.
  • Managed building and financing of new digital ventures in energy, mobility, and health verticals at a corporate venture builder and VC investment firm in Berlin.
Tom Weckström

Tom is one of Finland’s most experienced innovation experts, with over 20 years of experience in the field. He is a truly unique talent, bringing together an engineering background with a humanist perspective, and a passion for driving positive change in the world. With his broad experience leading product development in several leading-edge startups and serving as CTO of a publicly listed company, Tom has honed his skills in leadership and building successful products. Tom is solution-oriented and a true team player. Moreover, you would be hard-pressed to find a more kind and open-minded person. Tom's genuineness, combined with his product leadership expertise and deep understanding of engineering principles, enables him to help customers develop new products that create long-term value for his customers.

  • Strategy facilitation for a corporate startup in the Electric Vehicle charging industry.
  • Sales enablement and go-to-market strategy for a corporate industrial security startup.
  • Commercialisation of a property energy optimization service for a listed company.
  • Strategy facilitation for a listed software services company.
  • Product-Led-Growth enablement for a budding B2B SaaS business of a listed company.
Mirka Parenteau

Mirka is a passionate community builder, who believes people achieve great things together. She has a strong communications background, having worked in several roles including copywriter, PR, marketing, branding, and management. Mirka also spent eight years working as a personal coach in the wellness and fitness industry, leading her to open her own studio in Canada. Everything Mirka has done over her career has been oriented toward connecting people. In her own business, she was able to grow a tight-knit community of over 2k members. She continues to work in the wellness space, teaching yoga and helping people find the right tools to improve their well-being. She is also responsible for the Coventures community, working in both marketing and community management.

  • Community Manager Coventures - Building and strengthening a working community of entrepreneurs.
  • Co-Founder Studio Nostaa - Building a digital community and studio space in Canada.
  • Personal Wellness Coaching - Coaching people on how to live healthier and more balanced lives.
  • Communications Manager -  Internal and external communications, team management, process development, and recruiting.
  • PR & Marketing - Copywriting, editing (print and digital), press releases, ideation, content creation, and brand management.
Ville Riikkala

Ville is an accomplished business development specialist and sales leader, having worked with various large enterprises to establish and validate new businesses. Ville has also collaborated with accelerators, contributing to the selection process and assessing startups. As a passionate advocate for startup success, he offers practical sales coaching and guidance on how to pitch ideas to corporations. Ville also has experience in software product development, allowing him to understand common challenges and requirements that corporations face in this area. On a personal level, Ville is a sociable person and enjoys nature sports like randonnée skiing with friends. With his expertise and dedication to bringing people together, Ville can provide significant support to companies looking to expand and diversify their revenue streams.

  • Co-Founder of Industryhack, helping transform traditional industries with collaboration and experimentation. This company was acquired by Spinverse in December 2021.
  • More than 10 years of experience in B2B sales, building sales processes & running sales teams. 
  • Evaluated +4500 startups, from over 100 different countries, and helped fund 450. 
  • More than 10 years of experience in software development in various companies.
  • Coached 100+ innovation teams, helping them package solutions into commercially viable products. 
Valtteri Tuominen

Valtteri is a strategic innovation and technology sales expert. Over his career, Valtteri has gained a deep understanding and experience in building innovative solutions. He is passionate about designing unique business models that solve real problems for real customers. His experience extends from leadership, team building, and business development. In his view, truly innovative businesses require a multidisciplinary approach, from technology to sales and management. Valtteri is also never afraid to ask questions. In fact, his most successful ventures were directly born from his curious approach, as well as helping numerous companies in building and growing new revenue. Valtteri believes facing your fears is the only path to real growth.

  • Founder & CEO, NORDIC BUSINESS LAB, focused on digital transformation.
  • Business development for a company that improves the energy profitability of industrial heat exchangers. During the first year the MRR grew 29 % per month and we got all Scandinavian pulp & paper groups as our customers. 
  • Opened the European market and raised 6 M€ from Japan. 
  • Opened the US market from zero to 3 M$, after establishing a company in Cincinnati and recruiting the local team and management
  • Coached 13 companies. 5.5 M€ in new international sales. Average export grew by 30 %. The business was opened in 20 new countries.
Jesse Heikkilä

Jesse is a skilled venture builder with a strong computer science and business background. As a product team leader, Jesse has successfully scaled R&D teams to launch multiple new product segments. He has a profound understanding of technologies and developing digital products and services. Jesse also has extensive experience leading operations and product development in Finland and the US, and has participated in executing 15 M&A deals, including the integration phase. Jesse's strategic thinking, attention to detail, and ambition make him a valuable partner for any organization seeking to build digitally driven ventures.

  • 7 years of leadership positions, focusing on operations, product strategy and management in fast-growth companies, in the US and Europe.
  • Led growth operations in M&A in technology-enabled sport companies.
  • Operational product/service launches and go-to-market with new products and product categories
  • Hiring and mentoring Product team, including developers.
  • Avid Cycling enthusiast, enjoying weekly rides.

our story

The beginning of our story goes sometime back, to the year 2012 when our CEO, Marko Oksanen, was wrapping up his studies at Aalto University. While writing his master's thesis, he studied how entrepreneurship should be taught, and ended up diving deep into the topic of entrepreneurship as a skillset.

In this rabbit hole, Marko discovered a newfound passion—an eagerness to define the skills needed to become a successful entrepreneur and to find out how those skills could best be learned. It was evident that developing and harnessing them could create paramount value.

"We wanted coventures to be a place where entrepreneurs and people who wanted to become entrepreneurs could practice their skills, develop themselves as professionals, and help clients who have an urgent need for our assistance."

— Marko Oksanen

He figured that before he could start selling the skills as a service to others, he first needed to eat his own dog food and make sure he fully knew what he was talking about. He spent the next few years working in both startup and scaleup environments, where he nurtured his understanding of how companies are built, and the kind of entrepreneurial skills required. At the same time, he scouted the market, checking if there was indeed a demand for such a kind of consultancy.

The opportunity presented itself, and Marko seized it with gusto. He started a business as an independent consultant with a vision: a scalable platform for seasoned entrepreneurs to share their knowledge and help clients with the unique skillset they have.