Finland: Through the looking glass

Instead of going from one short-term role to another, Chinese-born researcher-turned-coder and financial specialist Irving Wang took time out to focus on a meaningful startup opportunity that would cement his legacy in Finland. Now he’s going all in on research commercialisation, and looking to match viable world-changing research with the deep pockets of the crypto world. Follow the discussion on...

Caribbean-background Chicago native Junae Benne returns to her hometown with frustrated dreams of building a business in Finland. Listen to this bonus episode as Junae reflects on her time in Finland, draws on the lessons she has learned and how the experience has moulded her, and squares her shoulders to tackle life in the US under a second Trump administration. Follow the discussion on Instagram...

With entrepreneurship in her DNA, Indian-born Ruchi Sahita has been playing the long game when it comes to building a digital platform for connecting Finnish employers with jobseekers living with disabilities. Listen as Ruchi describes doggedly nurturing the business while working a day job and raising a family, even as she celebrates onboarding tens of thousands of potential employees into the se...

Journalist-turned-coder Yun Ji came to Finland from China via Spain. In this episode of FTTLG, she shares how her feeling of being ignored by municipal employment services has prompted her to consider entrepreneurship, but with a twist: using her skills as a software engineer to help build communities and connect people. Listen to Yun Ji's journey toward a potential new career -- and a sense of pu...

Tech/gaming journalist and entrepreneur Junae Benne fell in love with Finland’s calm and serenity. But without basic services such as a bank account and lacking clear answers from immigration authorities, Junae faces an uphill battle to build a business in the country. Listen as Junae vows to overcome these obstacles with a generous dose of optimism and good humour.

Do you believe your success comes from hard work or luck? How can decision making in Finland be more inclusive without using Finnish? In this special bonus episode, Denise Wall and Travis Glossop grapple with the relay questions guests asked of one another during Season 1. Listen in and share your thoughts in a review or on our socials. And remember to tell a friend (or more) about FTTLG.

Marketer Rabia Khan left a thriving career in Karachi and Dubai to build a new life in Finland, where she hoped to offer her children independence, safety and serenity. But after initially scooping up a job in just one month, she’s now confronting the harsh realities of Finland’s tough labour market. Join us as Rabia discusses her hopes and challenges, and explains how her toddler has helped her b...

What does the theatre world in Finland look like in the eyes of an Englishman who has devoted his career to acting, directing and teaching performance arts? How does theatre in Finland compare to the UK? And more importantly, is there a place for someone like Ally Manson in Finnish theatre? Listen as Manson shares his pursuit of a stage career in Finland and his observations about the local theatr...

As far as entrepreneurship goes, the food business isn’t the easiest place to start. But stiff competition and a weak economic climate haven’t fazed Cameroon-born café owner Mikael Malin . Listen as Malin talks about his stumbles, learning moments, and motivation and how he stays positive in a challenging and competitive arena. Subscribe, rate, like and share the podcast and follow FTTLG on Instag...

Confused about how to break into seemingly impenetrable Finnish professional networks? Looking for answers on how to land your dream job and break through the birch ceiling? If you feel you're losing the battle to understand Finnish recruitment and employment practices, don't despair. Listen as People and L&D expert Mark Hayton joins FTTLG to share his understanding of what makes Finns...

After eight years building a life in Finland, Sonal Mahkija and her family took a deep breath and resettled in Sweden. It was an opportunity to pursue a career – not just hold down a job – in what felt more like a merit-based labour market. "It wasn't premised on knowing a language fluently other than the language of work. And we know that in Finland, opportunities like this do not really...

Is there such as thing as Schrödinger’s immigrant? FTTLG host Denise Wall discusses how she has felt simultaneously invisible yet highly visible as a Caribbean-background resident in Finland. In an extended chat with audio producer Travis Glossop , Wall frankly reveals her motivation for persevering with an unfunded podcast. She also expresses her sense of encouragement at seeing a broad cross sec...

After relocating from bustling Paris to significantly quieter and more conservative Seinäjoki in Ostrobothnia, western Finland, Fatima Choaïbi decided to take her fate into her own hands and moved to Helsinki in search of work – and sushi. Fatima soon decided that traditional approaches to the job search weren’t cutting it and she decided to do things “the Latin way”. Her move caught the attention...

How do you find your way after seemingly going from the frying pan into the fire? When radio and podcast professional Travis Glossop left Britain for a new start in Finland, he thought he had escaped the problems that led to the UK’s pivotal vote to leave the EU. He arrived in Helsinki to find a nation riven by controversy and uncertainty as a new right-wing government pushed contentious policies....

Starting a business in Finland is easy, but keeping it up and running is another matter altogether. What more needs to be done to help migrant entrepreneurs succeed so that they can employ others and contribute more to the wider economy? Ghana-born auto engineer-turned-skin and hair entrepreneur Edem Agbekey-Taylor shares her story of building the Inkuto Organics brand in Finland.   Like, rate, sh...

Why is it so difficult for foreign jobseekers to find work in Finland? Netherlands-born descriptive communication coach Joppe Quaedvlieg thinks he knows the answer -- and it has nothing to do with polishing your CV. Well, almost nothing! In this episode of FTTLG, he describes his technique for helping jobseekers find meaningful employment -- by first finding themselves. Quaedvlieg also issues a ca...

Web accessibility consultant Azra Tayyebi lost her sight as a young girl in Iran, went on to complete a software engineering degree there and moved to Finland pursue a master’s degree. However her dream to become a developer eluded her. “There were several times where I got past the first step because of my CV and then as soon as they realized that I'm blind, they're like, oh no, this is n...

Trigger warning: this episode deals with intimate partner violence and may be upsetting for some listeners. Swedish language integration advocate Allyana Thomas bravely discusses her experiences living in and exiting a relationship overshadowed by violence in our latest episode of Finland: Through the looking glass . “I think the biggest help aside from having a therapist to talk to was being able...

Consumers, retailers, importers, producers all want sustainable products, but is anyone really ready to pay the price? "I don't think so," says Brazilian-Israeli food industry entrepreneur Celso Khalili. He adds that many people don't quite understand the multiple facets of sustainable products, especially when it comes to the food we eat. On this episode of FTTLG, we discuss eth...

Comedian Jamie MacDonald joins Finland: Through the looking glass, to share his experiences as a transgender person who transitioned in Finland, his reaction to the passage of new transgender laws, and how he copes with anxiety as a member of a gender and language minority. “The thing that really needs to happen is normalisation. Even though we're a small group, it shouldn't be exceptional...

Canadian-born service design entrepreneur Pamela Spokes is our guest on the first episode of Finland: Through the looking glass. A resident of Finland since 2007, she shares insights she's learned from her entrepreneurial journey and ponders a few of the big questions facing Finland: skilled immigration and what Finland could look like in the future, unemployment among the foreign-background commu...