“It’s no surprise that I’m drawn to startup founders and teams who are highly knowledgeable about what they’re tackling and are absolutely determined to see it through.”

Curiosity, a sense of responsibility, and a drive to get things done have shaped many of my life choices.

After high school, I pursued a degree in International Journalisn at Liverpool John Moores Univerity, where I honed my communication skills and researched the role of media in shaping democratic processes and interantional politics across different regions. I also embarked on the Trans-Siberian Railway, exploring the outdoors and forming lifelong friendships along the way.

Intrigued by the impact of technology and digitization, I began my career at Dell, where I spent three years before founding my own company in Norway. As a founder, I’ve experienced the full journey—starting, scaling, and exiting a business—much like the entrepreneurs we support in our portfolio today.

As an investor, I am at my best working with early-stage teams because of the diverse challenges they face. I enjoy diving deep into different areas and learning from their unique industry or product expertise. In return, I offer a broader perspective and support, especially during those tough moments when the emotional runway is high.

I’ve found that the most significant setbacks often contain the
most valuable lessons for growth, if you have the courage to confront
them. This was certainly true for me. Years ago, one of my commercial strategies failed spectacularly, pushing my company to the brink of bankruptcy. It was a liberating realization to understand that the failure was entirely my own, not due to the market or the clients. This gave me the power to change the situation. Embracing this responsibility, my team and I worked diligently to overcome the setback and successfully get the company back on track.

One of my proudest achievements is the launch of She Conference in 2014 with a friend. Today, it stands as Europe’s largest initiative focused on gender equality and social equity. What started as a passion project alongside our regular jobs quickly grew in both scale and impact. In just 18 months, we secured external investors, established a mentorship program, and introduced an award.

This project taught me the immense value of thinking big and fostering genuine engagement. It also reinforced that to succeed authentically, you need to truly believe in your mission and its potential impact on the world and yourself.

In my role as CEO of Katapult and through various other endeavors, I’ve had the privilege of meeting and working closely with countelss founders. I’ve seen firsthand that proper funding and support are essential.

Each generation has a unique role in shaping history. Ours has the opportunity and responsibility to harness technological advancements and wealth to drive meaningful change. Venture investments play a critical role in nurturing new industries and challenging established technologies. Impact investing leverages our financial systems to promote significant progress and improvements.

At LUMO, I deeply value our commitment to getting things done, making an impact, thinking big, fostering engagement, and being positive, authentic, and brave. Our team has a profound understanding of the industries and ecosystems we work in, coupled with a strong sense of teamwork, empathy, and drive to optimize our efforts across Europe, from the Netherlands and Germany to Scandinavia, the Baltics, Spain, Portugal, and beyond.

On a personal note, I’m passionate about literature. Reading broadens my perspectives and deepens my empathy, offering insights that I might not encounter otherwise.