Hi Mirka, great to have you with us! Tell us how you ended up here?

Great to be here! 

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I just recently joined the Coventures team. I stumbled on this opportunity with Coventures and really resonated with their proposition. I first spoke with Juho and had a good feeling from the start. Then, I met with some other team members and had felt that ‘’they speak my language’’. I can’t imagine a better scenario from which to start working with a community. From then on, it’s been about learning the ropes and getting to know the whole team - everyone has been great! 

Brag a little about your accomplishments!

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‍I have quite a nontraditional career path, but I like it that way. I’ve learned so much from every experience, from writing at a high fashion magazine, to managing communications at a tech firm, and then co-founding my own fitness company in Canada. It’s a good mix of industries. However, there is a crucial point of consistency: My role has always been to bring people together, share values and knowlege, and create a strong sense of community. 

The last two years especially forced me into a steep adaptation curve. The full migration to digital was challenging, but I found great opportunity to grow communities in this environment. I am so proud of having been able to do this for my team and community; continuing to engage online and also growing during this time. This is the power of meaningful relationships and valuable interactions. 

What is your main focus at Coventures?

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‍Right now, I am working on getting to know the team. I want to know their areas of expertise, their interests, their goals, what they value, what makes them laugh, and generally what makes them tick. It’s the only way I can serve them well as Community Manager. 

My focus is always to grow a community organically. I don’t believe in pressuring people to participate or communicate - I prefer engagement to be genuin. For that, there needs to be real value in the interactions. Whether that be sharing crucial information or making each other laugh, it has to happen naturally. Luckily, the Coventures community is really inspiring; they truly are experts and have great insight. I only aim to be a facilitator. If I can also help attract more skilled entrepreneurs to our group, that will feel like success.

How about your downtime? What gets your juices flowing?

I have been practicing yoga for over 13 years and teach twice a week. It’s a huge part of my life and really helps me access the creative part of my brain. I also enjoy art - Helsinki has some really great galleries and museums. I’ve also been playing piano since I was a kid, but I recently picked up the guitar - dare I say, it’s not that difficult! 

Other than that, I have two french bulldogs that require (beg for) a lot of my attention. I’m also from Montréal, so I love to visit cafés, read books, see live music, and enjoy a glass of wine with loved ones. I get a lot of my inspiration from my personal community and surroundings. Keeping in touch and taking walks in public spaces are a must for me.