2024–25 · The idea, then the first edition
In 2024, I told Svenska Yle I wanted to bring the best of the startup world into culture. In 2025, we made the first ODDfest happen in Helsinki.
2,600+ participants. allthingsodd.co (opens in a new tab)
Ronny Eriksson
Entrepreneur, speaker and host, working across creativity, culture and business. I make ideas real, and make people care about them.
Founder of ODDfest · Co-founder of Ambitious.Africa and Norders
When anyone can make it good, only the odd gets remembered.
Good ideas need people who care.
AI is putting more of the work of writing, designing and building within reach. As making gets easier, the question gets sharper: what is worth making, and why would anyone care?
That second question is my work. On stage, in the room, and all the way to something built.
How I work
I learn by making things happen.
I was the basketball player who never grew tall enough. So I played point guard: read the floor, make everyone else better.
I’ve done the same since, on bigger courts: startups from my first year at Hanken, then ventures, a festival and rooms full of people who don’t usually meet. The method hasn’t changed. Put an idea into the world, see what happens, make the next one better.
- 2017CaterMateCo-owner, joined in my first year at Hanken
- 2020Ambitious.AfricaCo-founder
- 2021NordersCo-founder
- 2022Hanken Venture StudioCo-founder
- 2023ODD · New Nordic WayFounder
- €1.5M+Fundraising led at Hanken Business Lab, across multiple sources. One of them, a 2024 funding agreement: hanken.fi (opens in a new tab)
- 5,000+participants in ODD’s first two years, 2025–26. allthingsodd.co (opens in a new tab)
The basketball part: Svenska Yle and Keski-Uusimaa, November 2024.
Founder and CEO, with the ODD team
ODD 2024–27
The ODDfest 2026 launch, 28 January 2026.
ODDfest / 2026
2026 · An event and a place
By 2026, the work included ODDfest and ODDference, and ODDspace in Vallila: a place for people to work, meet and make things together.
June 2026: 150+ acts across central Helsinki, and two days of ODDference at Bio Rex, made with a core team, guest curators, volunteers and partners.
Figures: allthingsodd.co.
2027 · All Things ODD
What I’m building now: All Things ODD, the whole under one name. ODDfest across Helsinki on 19–25 April 2027, ODDference as its own business conference at Tanssin talo on 22–23 April, and ODDspace all year.
An interview, then a festival, then a place. Built from the ground up with a team, collaborators and people willing to join in. That’s what I bring to other people’s ideas.
Before ODD, and beside it
The same position, on other courts.
01 · Connecting across places
Ambitious.Africa Co-founder · 2020–22
It grew out of the startup incubators three of us from Hanken were building in Rwanda. From spring 2020: events in entrepreneurship, education and entertainment, linking young changemakers in Africa and the Nordics.
Co-founded with Peter Vesterbacka, Vincent Forsman and Victor Lindahl.
02 · Making ideas viable
Norders Co-founder · 2021–24
A creative marketing agency: film and content for clients.
Hanken 2022–
I co-founded the Venture Studio. At Hanken Business Lab I led fundraising of more than €1.5 million across multiple sources and was Development Manager; now I work on its projects.
03 · Bringing people into the room
60+ talks, panels, workshops and hosted sessions since 2020
In Finnish, Swedish and English.
Stages
Public voice
In print and on air.
(opens in a new tab) News
Ronny Erikssons udda kulturfestival får 200 000 euro
Hufvudstadsbladet, 13 April 2026. The Alfred Kordelin Foundation’s two-year grant to ODDfest. Card photo: Cata Portin / HBL.
Column
”Teknologia ilman merkitystä muuttuu helposti raaka-aineeksi.” In English, our argument Finland builds technology well. The contest is moving to what automation can’t answer: what feels real, earns trust and builds community. That is competitive advantage.
Suomi osaa rakentaa teknologiaa – mutta ymmärtääkö se, mikä maailmaa kiinnostaa?
Kasvuryhmä, 2026. By Ronny Eriksson and Aki Pöntinen.
Also on the record
- 6 June 2025 News ODDfest förenar kultur och business (opens in a new tab)
- 22 May 2025 Conversation Cofounderi: Ronny Eriksson – yrittäjyys on paras tapa löytää vapautta elämään (opens in a new tab)
- 14 February 2025 Radio Den nya festivalen Oddfest ska föra samman den kreativa branschen med företagare (opens in a new tab)
- 3 November 2024 Profile Ronny Eriksson vill ta kulturen till uppstartsvärlden: ”Det finns pengar” (opens in a new tab)
- 2024 TV Sijoittajat: one of the four leads in Yle’s documentary series on investing (opens in a new tab)
Work with me
What I bring to your event.
At your event, it usually starts with a talk.
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Theme 1
Time to be human
Aikaa olla ihminen – kiinnostavuus on uusi kilpailuetu
What to hand to the machine, and what to do with the hours it gives back.
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Theme 2
From audience to movement
Yleisöstä liikkeeksi
How an audience becomes people who show up and build with you.
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Theme 3
Thriving in oddity
Erilaisuus on etu
Why the ones who don’t fit are the early signal. For young people, and those trying to reach them.
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The story keynote
Always the odd one in the room
My own story, told so your audience sees its own odd thing as the advantage.
Most booked: From Idea to Innovation · Luovuus strategisena työkaluna · Nuoret ja yrittäjyys – rohkeus tarttua tilaisuuteen.
“Esitys oli ajatuksia herättävä, innostava ja inspiroiva.” Annina Ylitalo, Valio. The full quote
Discuss a keynote-
Workshops
Plan a workshopFor a team with a concept, story, pitch or decision that needs to move.
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Hosting & conversations
Find your hostFor an event, panel or programme that needs its conversation held.
Väärinpäin, Radio Helsinki: ten Sunday episodes, 2025 (opens in a new tab)
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Build with me
Talk about a projectFor a venture, organisation or cultural initiative with an idea to shape, test or build.
For conferences, companies, cities, universities, cultural organisations and founders.
What are we making happen?
Tell me what you have in mind. I reply within one working day, and I’ll tell you honestly whether I’m the right person and where we’d start.
Thanks — your enquiry has been received.
I’ll reply by email within one working day. Your reference is .