LEAD now welcomes this year’s participants in Entrepreneurs in Residence, a trainee program where young talents are tasked with transforming technical ideas into new, innovative companies.
Every year, 2-4 people are accepted into the program, which since its inception in 2018 has become an important springboard for future entrepreneurs. After completing the program, several former participants have taken leading roles in startup companies within the LEAD ecosystem.
Interest in this year’s edition was record high and after a careful selection process, four trainees have been chosen: Karl Persson, Johanna Davidsson, Tilde Skrealid and Rickard Bolinder.
For six months, they receive a unique combination of education, practical training and coaching in business development, company building and entrepreneurship. The work is done through real cases where they contribute to the development of new companies
– “We see this year’s trainees as an important reinforcement in our work to create the next generation of growth companies. They bring both energy and skills that will make a difference for our startups,” says Catharina Sandberg, CEO of LEAD.
The four participants represent a broad mix of backgrounds – from engineering and business education to business development and entrepreneurship. This year’s program will be a further step in LEAD’s efforts to promote entrepreneurship and innovation in the region.
Åsa Glavich, Program Manager at LEAD, is looking forward to the fall.
– This is the best time of the whole LEAD year in my opinion. I am so looking forward to following their personal development and all the results that will be created. This year’s team complements each other very well and we are so happy to now have them in place,” she says.
Get to know us!
What is your background?
– I come from Ludvika in Dalarna and it was there that my interest in entrepreneurship began to grow, especially during my UF year. After graduation I moved to California to study business and lived there for three years. When I came back to Sweden, I wanted to further immerse myself in entrepreneurship and started the Entrepreneurship & Business Development program at Linnaeus University in Växjö. During the program, I felt that I had found my home and came to the conclusion that I wanted to work with developing companies.
Why did you apply for the program and what do you hope to get out of it?
– Since I decided that I want to work in business development during my education, I felt that this program was a perfect fit for me. I want to be able to make an impact on society for a better world, which innovative technology definitely contributes to. In addition, I have always been excited about early-stage startup journeys and I want to be part of that journey. Entrepreneur in Residence felt like a natural next step. I hope to work with exciting business ideas, develop as an entrepreneur and open doors to new opportunities.
Biggest entrepreneurial role model?
– I’m inspired by entrepreneurs with big visions who have made exciting start-up journeys. One such entrepreneur is Stina Ehrensvärd, co-founder of cybersecurity company Yubico. She has built a global company with the vision of making the internet safer for everyone, and managed to get her dream customer Google. It has been an exciting journey, to say the least, from founding the company in Stockholm to operating in Silicon Valley today.
What is your background?
– My name is Karl Persson and I have a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. Before LEAD, I worked as a consultant at Saab for three years, where I started as a programmer but quickly moved on to working as a team leader and with change management to make the teams more agile. Before graduating, I did some major traveling and have, among other things, been a ski instructor in Austria and studied English in Honolulu. In my spare time I like to play sports, I play beach volleyball, swim and run. I’m also trying to learn how to play golf but it’s not going well…
Why did you apply for the program and what do you hope to get out of it?
– I applied for the program because it is a good way to test entrepreneurship. I’ve been interested for a long time but haven’t had an idea of my own to invest in. As a trainee at LEAD, you get the opportunity to choose and evaluate exciting ideas, get good coaching and also a salary, something you may not get if you go into entrepreneurship on your own. It feels like a very good first step into the startup world.
What I want to get out of the program is to learn as much as possible about everything from technology, business models and investment methods. Then, of course, the dream is to find an idea that you are passionate about, that has great potential and that you can help build from scratch.
Biggest entrepreneurial role model?
– My biggest entrepreneurial role models are Marc Randolph and Reed Hastings, the founders of Netflix. Partly because they built a global company with a strong and celebrated culture, and partly because Marc showed that it is possible to combine entrepreneurship with a life and interests outside work. That balance is something I value highly myself.
What is your background?
– I have a degree in economics and I am basically a Smålander who found my way to Östergötland. Growing up in an entrepreneurial family, I have always had a drive to create and develop, and I love new challenges. In my spare time, I travel as often as I can and like to fill the calendar with new experiences.
Why did you apply for the program and what do you hope to get out of it?
When I saw the program, I immediately felt that it was the missing piece of the puzzle. I have been thinking about new business ideas for a long time, but here I get the opportunity to be a real entrepreneur without finding “the perfect idea”. I want to grow as an entrepreneur, get the right tools and one day run my own business.
Biggest entrepreneurial role model?
– I think Boyan Slat is a cool contemporary entrepreneur, founder of The Ocean Cleanup, who shows that it is possible to both run a business and make a real difference to the world – you don’t have to choose.
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What is your background?
– I am a Dalmatian with craft roots. Then life took me to Linköping to study industrial economics – a real turnaround. When I relax, I prefer to do what I like most: go for a ride on my motorcycle, build some strange project or hike in the mountains. Why did you apply for the program and what do you hope to get out of it?
– I realized even before I started studying that running a business is a lot of fun – solving the endlessly flowing problems, big and small. But above all, it was the feeling of being passionate about what I do that attracted me. I hope that my time here at Lead will teach me how to run successful companies and give me the invaluable knowledge that Lead and the team have, so that I can run my own companies in the future.
Who is your biggest entrepreneurial role model?
– My biggest entrepreneurial role model is definitely Ingvar Kamprad. It fascinates me how he managed to build a global company from Småland, with simplicity and smart ideas as a foundation.
