The Dean has selected the students to receive the Dean's Impact Award 2024

The Dean of the School of Business, Timo Korkeamäki, will present the Dean's Impact Award for the second time in December 2024 to students Joel Hentunen and Ninni Norra, who will each receive a scholarship of 1 000 euros. Both students have contributed to a sustainable future at Aalto and beyond, and their actions reflect Aalto's values of responsibility, courage and collaboration. In addition, student Isaac Jyväsjärvi will receive the Dean's Impact Award, an honorary mention of €500. 

Joel Hentunen and three friends founded Riesa Consultative Oy in 2019. Riesa's mission is to promote accessibility in both the built environment and the attitude climate through accessibility consulting. Joel and his friends wanted to prove that by trying something new, accessibility can be promoted effectively while creating a new professional culture around an important topic. Riesa has also proven through its business that accessibility consulting has a domestic market and can create new jobs in Finland. 

Joel has also worked as an accessibility expert to promote accessibility at Aalto University. In 2023, he trained ACRE staff on accessibility in the built environment and has worked with Sari Dhima, Head of Facilities Planning at Aalto, to solve challenging accessibility problems in campus buildings. From 2021–2022, Joel Hentunen worked with KY to develop accessibility for student events.

Ninni Norra played an active role in the launch of the Olea Think think tank for young people at the end of 2022. Ninni has served as President of the association since its inception. Olea Think is a think tank for young people, registered under AYY. Its mission is to promote an economically, ecologically and socially sustainable society, where everyone contributes to social well-being. Olea Think emphasises the role of individuals, companies and communities as agents of change in Finland, rather than the state-centred approach we are used to in Finland. Olea has already connected and engaged hundreds of young people physically and online by raising different perspectives in an interdisciplinary way. 

In addition to her work in Olea, Ninni has been active in EU politics, most recently as editor-in-chief of the trilingual youth magazine Tähdistö focused on European affairs. She has also been an active member of the Finnish Business School Graduates' Labour Market Policy Committee.

Isaac Jyväsjärvi has shown courage and creativity in tackling a sensitive and touching subject with his body positivity project Giggeli. His project has succeeded in opening up a wider social debate around the themes of openness, art, body positivity, and mental health.

By the deadline (10 October 2024) seven proposals were received, all of which were good. Thank you to all those who submitted proposals. Joel, Ninni and Isaac will be invited to a special event at the School of Business on Tuesday, 10 December 2024.

Congratulations to the award winners! 

The Dean of the School of Business will award Bachelor's and Master's students with the Dean's Impact Award again in autumn 2025. Detailed application information will be published in early September.