We are happy to announce that Pekka Walkama joins Coventures as an Entrepreneur in Residence. Pekka is a highly experienced entrepreneur and CEO and has worked in the tech and digital business industry for over 20 years.

Our clients will benefit from Pekka's experience building product businesses, scaling up and transitioning from consulting to a product-led business, and building/running a vast reseller partner ecosystem globally across all time zones.

Tell us how you ended up here?

I've worked in the Finnish digital business industry for so long that my professional network is substantial. For example, when I founded my startup in early 2022, I started talking to interesting people in my network. I ended up investing in some of the most inspiring companies, started as a board member, and joined an advisory board. 

From a consulting perspective, Coventures hit a sweet spot for me, because they truly understand the benefits of entrepreneurism in helping businesses grow. If you want your company to be successful, fostering an environment that encourages entrepreneurship is critical.

What type of experiences have you had? Where does your background lie?

I come from the digital business space, where I've worked as a CEO and entrepreneur for 20 years, building solutions used by millions of people globally in the Microsoft ecosystem. I started my career as a software developer, but I've fallen in love with venture building and entrepreneurship. 

Nowadays, every company is a digital company, and that's a massive opportunity for us Finns – we have all the competence needed to win big in that market on a global scale.

What are some of the most impactful ventures in your career?

Throughout my career, I've worked towards improving companies' customer and workday experiences using digital tools and more innovative ways of working. 

I've lost count on how many global organizations I have had the pleasure of working with - I honestly believe we've made an impact, by helping these companies grow and become more alluring places to work. 

I'm also currently working as the chairman of the Finnish Software and e-Business Association. We help Finnish digital companies succeed, and I know we're also making an impact there.

As an entrepreneur, how do you help clients grow meaningful businesses?

On the one hand, I have a clear focus on the digitalization space, but on the other, I've worked in broad roles and with all sorts of different customers and partners. I have experience building consultancy and product businesses, scaling up and transitioning from consulting into a product-led business, and building/running a vast reseller partner ecosystem globally across all time zones. 

Every venture is about learning something new - I believe combining entrepreneurial experience with the client's domain knowledge is a winning combination to build meaningful businesses.