OUR PEOPLE

Mika Friman

CEO

Mika leads Hive’s strategy and future, ensuring that Hive constantly moves forward and goes against convention.

He’s also the kind of CEO who will help move furniture, negotiate a major partnership deal, and facilitate a workshop within the same day.

With 11+ years at Google working with education and strategy, Mika is genuinely convinced about Hive’s teacherless learning model.

Fact: Can back a car with a trailer into a garage.

Noé Falzon

Pedagogy Lead

Noé leads Hive’s pedagogy, making sure that the learning is relevant and high-quality.

He oversees the study projects and creates additional learning opportunities, such as game jams and projects co-created with companies.

With 10+ years of experience as a Software Developer at companies like Rovio and Remedy, he supports Hivers to get the know-how required by fast-changing work environments.

Fact: Won’t admit it, but is an incredible karaoke singer

Salla Uusitalo

Community & Partnerships Lead

Salla leads Hive’s company partnerships and community, keeping Hive connected to the outside world.

She constantly scans signals from the tech and startup ecosystem, brings relevant speakers and tech to campus, and represents Hive to external audiences.

Like many Hivers, Salla is a career changer with experience from diplomacy, peacebuilding, brand, and project management – guaranteed she has some good stories to share.

Fact: Has played guitar on stage with Bruce Springsteen

Sara Majasaari

Career & Admin Lead

Sara leads Hive’s Mentoring Program and career support, while ensuring that Hive’s operations run smoothly.

A big part of her work is monitoring and navigating Finland’s government and education sector. In a system built around degrees and formal credentials, Sara clears the way for Hive’s non-traditional program.

Sara comes from the public sector, with an extensive background in employment support.

Fact: Can benchpress more than we dare to write here

Clément Cariou

Pedagogy SPECIALIST

Clément oversees the entire community’s study progress, providing pedagogical insight when needed.

He is also the team’s go-to-person for creating and managing tools and tech that keep Hive’s pedagogy and team running.

Clément is a Hive alum, which gives him first-hand experience of learning without teachers, figuring things out independently, and building software from scratch.

Fact: Diego Maradona calls him surprisingly many times to ask for help. Tells sometimes not-factually correct stories.

Joakim Larres

Marketing Specialist

Joakim is Hive’s Swiss Army Knife of marketing and leads the brand and overall marketing.

He manages everything from campaigns and social media to the website, analytics, and design assets. You probably can guess why the rest of the team says “he’s a workhorse” when they see Joakim being relentlessly focused and getting things done.

Joakim has years of expertise from marketing agencies, and no task is too small or too big for him at Hive.

Fact: Does Brazilian jiu-jitsu, which mostly means he gets choked out by people smaller than him, and calls it a hobby.

Sofia Nordbäck

Community MANAGER

Sofia manages the Hive community and all events on and off campus. She also leads Hive’s entrepreneurship track, bringing the startup world directly to students.

Sofia’s bread and butter is conceptualizing and organizing Hive’s events, making the campus a place where learning takes a variety of forms and strangers become friends.

Students describe Sofia as the heart of Hive’s community, and she constantly keeps her finger on the pulse of how the community is doing.

Fact: Refuses to give up her run stride on Runna. Also hosts shoulder workouts for Hive staff that nobody asked for and barely survives.

MARIA HELENIUS

STAFF INTERN

Maria is a Hive alum, which means she’s navigated the studies herself and knows firsthand what self-driven, practical learning feels like from the inside.

Maria supports the entire Hive team by supporting the pedagogy, managing daily operations and events, and building internal tools.

She has an academic background in pedagogy, and she focuses on the student learning experience and how students learn from each other.

Fact: Knits more than a grandma in the 18th century.

HELENA UTZIG

STAFF INTERN

Helena is a Hive alum, so like Maria, she knows what it feels like to navigate Hive as a student.

Helena supports the team with daily operations, internal tools, and keeping the campus running. She focuses on strengthening the connection between students and staff and making Hive a place where people want to show up.

She moved from Brazil to Finland to join Hive, which probably tells you everything you need to know about her.

Fact: Has been to Puuilo but hasn’t been to Motonet. Yet.