Creativity and Collaboration: Transforming the Impossible

Creativity and Collaboration Keynote Speakers

Astrid Huopalainen
Assistant Professor in Leadership for Creativity, Aalto  University  

Astrid Huopalainen is an Assistant Professor (tenure track) in the field of Leadership for Creativity, in the Department of Management Studies and the Department of Art and Media. Her research is within organization theory, animal organization studies, and critical management studies, with a particularly keen interest in arts-based, posthumanist practice-based and processual approaches to issues of work and everyday organizing. She studies creative labour in the post-industrial era, gender- and diversity-related inequalities in organizations, and 'more-than-human' (multispecies) organizing. Currently, Astrid is part of the co-research projects Luova Lämpiö and Creative Leap

Mark A. Runco
Director of Creativity Research and Programming, Southern Oregon University & Visiting Professor of Radical Creativity, Aalto University

Mark A. Runco is Editor in Chief of the Journal of Creativity and recipient of several Lifetime Achievement Awards for his research on creativity. His PhD is in cognitive psychology but his studies of creativity are also developmental, clinical, genetic, historical, and economic. His latest research examines the artificial creativity of AI. At the moment, Mark Runco is also a Visiting Professor of Radical Creativity at Aalto University.

Anniina Suominen
Professor of Art Pedagogy, Aalto  University  

Dr. Anniina Suominen earned her BA/MA from the University of Arts and Design Helsinki (1999) and her Ph.D. in Art Education from The Ohio State University (2003) and is currently an Associate Professor of Art Pedagogy at the School of Arts, Design and Architecture. Her research and teaching focus on advancing equity and social justice through the arts as well as sensuous epistemologies and pedagogies. The themes she works with are knowing/learning in relation to place and others (including diverse environments and & animals), democracy and diversity in education, curricula and pedagogy that are sensitive to gender diversity, immigrant rights and human rights, and visual/artistic knowing, learning, and research. Anniina is currently leading co-research project Luova Lämpiö.

Creativity and Collaboration Moderator

Ia Adlercreutz
Professor of Practice in Artpreneurship, Aalto University   

In recent years, Ia has held top management positions in renowned consumer goods companies such as Kekkilä, Hasselfors Garden, Fiskars and Harvia. She has also served on the board of the Family Business Association and as the chair of the board at Design Forum Finland. Ia’s career, spanning over 20 years, has been a rich tapestry of expertise in various aspects of business management, from leadership and business development to product innovation and branding. After establishing her own company, Co-founders, in 2016, Ia has crafted business strategies for a wide spectrum of organisations, including NGOs, SMEs, and corporations.  Ia believes that her biggest strength as an executive lies in a deep-seated understanding of how business and broader society converge and interact. Ia’s educational background is in arts and business, and she is always eager to explore how these two fields can work together fruitfully, creating added value for individuals, society, and the world.

Creativity and Collaboration Panelists

Samuli Kivikko
VP Talent and People Development, Posti Group  

Samuli is well-rounded HR professional with a passion and vision for people development. He has versatile and long HR leadership experience in multi-sector and international companies, incl. Nokia, Nordea, Microsoft, PepsoCo. Samuli is currently leading strategic Human Resources Development in Posti Group, with a mission to foster connections between people and companies across Nordic and Baltic countries, while building a more sustainable future for us all. 

Susanna Rahkamo
Co-founder & CSO, Yellow Method 

Susanna is an experienced leadership consultant, leader, and researcher, specializing in analyzing and enhancing organizations' innovation capacities. Currently leading the research and analytics at Yellow Method, Susanna helps organizations uncover and integrate their creative potential as a core component of their business strategy.

During her PhD studies at Aalto University, she developed models that illustrate the critical role of creativity in driving success and fostering exceptional expertise.

Saara Saarinen
Senior Lead, Innovations, The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra  

Saara Saarinen is Leading Specialist in Innovations Unit at Sitra.  Her work focuses on various stakeholder processes related to learning and co-creation, as well as on building innovation capacity. 

Sitra produces significant societal innovations and strengthen Finland's innovation capacity. The company aims to address identified societal challenges by bringing different actors together to develop and test solutions together with our partners. In addition to methodological and facilitation skills, this also requires courage and creativity.

Thomas Saurén
Environmental Impact Manager, Rights and Brands   

Thomas has a strong background in sustainability and impact initiatives. He is the co-founder of No Palm Trees and previously served as the CEO of The Baltic Sea Fund, focusing on environmental protection and sustainable practices. Thomas also has worked with environmental protection and education as a Commissioner for UNESCO. Currently, Thomas is the Environmental Impact Manager at Rights & Brands and Moomin Characters

Sami Sorvali
Design Director, Taiste   

Sami Sorvali is the Design Director at Taiste, Helsinki office with long experience leading design in both startups and multinational companies. At Taiste, he brings expertise in user experience, visual design, and design strategy to guide projects that seamlessly blend creativity with functionality, supporting Taiste’s mission to craft meaningful digital experiences that resonate with users and drive business success. Sami is also working in Aalto University’s research program, Luova Lämpiö, which helps companies collaborate with the creative sector.