Originally published by Inklusiiv – #IStartedThis
We have both had big visions since we were young, and we are driven by curiosity and a desire to create a better future. We studied Marketing and International Business in the USA, and when we returned to Finland, we noticed that there is a need for diversity expertise here. At the end of 2019, we established ATAÁ Agency, which focuses on equality-promoting marketing, building human-centred and vulnerable cultures, and inclusion as part of our brand strategy.
As entrepreneurs, we want to be involved in making the business world and entrepreneurship more accessible and diverse. Our vision is to normalise diversity. Representation and different role models, both in the business world and elsewhere in society, are the key to young people being able to pursue bigger dreams and not submit to the roles predefined for them by society. Bringing people together and creating a better future is a big goal and a great responsibility, which is why, since the beginning, we have been aware that this change is much greater than any individual or individual community.
Representation and different role models, both in the business world and elsewhere in society, are the key to young people being able to pursue bigger dreams and not submit to the roles predefined for them by society.
Swimming upstream and breaking norms is never easy. As social entrepreneurs, working on a topic personal to us has also caused mental challenges. Community and network support have always been particularly important, and this has only been emphasised recently. We have a team behind us that is more than a family. We are also lucky to have mentors and role models who have similarly had to contend with prevailing stereotypes.
Entrepreneurship provides the opportunity to act according to your own energy and intuition, as well as the freedom to develop something new. We learn that anything is possible at an early age. You just must come up with ways to do it. During all the rushing around, it is important to identify things that feel good and meaningful to yourself and to follow that feeling. At the same time, it is good to remember that the career we are choosing now is not set in stone for the rest of our lives. It is important to be able to enjoy the process and seek gratitude in times of uncertainty.
Read the story in Finnish from the #IStartedThis campaign page.