Charlotta Lundin is an entrepreneur and marketing professional who focuses on creating flourishing communities in real life and online. She bought and sold a coworking company and is now an investor in coworking, as well as the founder of Business Women Sverige, a 10 K-member community. Find out what is it about the entrepreneurial world that particularly attracts her and what she predicts for the startup ecosystem in Stockholm.
1. Hi Charlotta, thank you very much for agreeing to do the interview. Could you tell us about your background and how you got connected to the startup world?
Happy to! I am a Marketing professional who started her career at large companies but decided to leave the big corporate world to grow my coaching business and take over a coworking space in Stockholm. Coworking spaces are great for meeting startups and entrepreneurs and that’s how I got involved in the the startup world.
2. You’re the Founder of Business Women Sverige, a 10 K-member community. Could you tell us more about your mission?
Who you meet can change your life, right? I wanted to build this community and platform to boost possible meetings and networking opportunities. I started a business with events where people “were forced” (or nicely said encouraged) to speak to each other since Swedes can be quite reserved.
We are a matchmaking platform where employed talents can meet and support the startups in our community, or get the tools and network to get started with their own business. We want to educate business angels who can invest and support our startup members and connect them to role models, mentors, and talent.
When networking is done in a structured way so much happens! I’m happy with all the results – jobs, collaborations, and career accelerations. Currently, we have mentorship and education programs, however, the mission will always be to promote business opportunities by building your professional network.
3. What is it about entrepreneurship and the startup world that particularly attracts you?
Aaah I love the feeling of creating something, and the speed and possibilities that come with it. To have an idea turn it into action, to see it become real. The entrepreneurial scene is filled with positive people who think anything is possible and bounce back from challenges easily.
4. As a Founder, you definitely had to overcome a lot of hurdles. Which advice would you share with other founders?
The journey is filled with bumps, wrong turns, and craziness but as long as you enjoy the ride (not every day but most of the days) and find meaning and value in what you do, you’re doing it right.
My advice is to do something that recharges your energy because that’s what you’ll need in this journey. Support yourself with people who will support and help you and don’t forget to help others along the way.
5. What do you predict for the startup ecosystem in Stockholm? What are the challenges and the opportunities the ecosystem is facing?
Getting the right people on board and the amount of capital that great innovation companies need on time is a challenge in the Stockholm startup ecosystem. We should be more agile in moving forward fast enough to get results and sales, without losing track of the long-term vision.
The opportunities in Stockholm are great when it comes to accelerators and networking opportunities. AI will generate innovative tools and support faster ways to market entry. Since the upcoming generation has grown up with an entrepreneurial mindset, I believe they will explore the ecosystem more easily and take action with a brave mindset.
Thank you very much for sharing your insights, Charlotta. We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.
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