Crush Movement

Advisory Board Member

Monaliiku

Promoting health, diversity, and equality through sports in Finland

Suppleant Board Member

ConnectUz

I offer customizable services such as: 
- Guest workshops, keynotes on inclusive leadership, international talent matchmaking and retention, diversity inclusion, social capital (volunteering, mentoring, community building)
- Strategic adviser and inter-company referrals for corporations, NGOs, education institutions in Finland (higher education institutions, municipalities, public, non-profit and private employers)

DEI Consultant, Keynote Speaker, Event Host & Workshop Facilitator 

Global dignity Ry

Co-founder and Board member at a Finnish branch of Global dignity movement, a non-profit focused on connecting role models and youth through dignity-themed storytelling events. In 5 years over 4000 students were engaged in our events, workshops, seminars and panel debates. Our largest event was held in Helsinki Messukeskus/ Expo center in May 2017 with 1600 participants in cooperation with Taitaja, Business Helsinki College and Helsinki Vocational College. We welcome cooperating partners and always looking out for storytellers who need to be heard. 

Main topics: to raise awareness of dignity, self-esteem, self-confidence and power of dreams among teenager groups and promote youth agenda in general public.
- initiate and arrange workshops, speaker events 
- recruiting role models & volunteers
- fundraising 
- coaching interns and volunteers 
- reporting to Global Dignity CEO 
- outreach to Finnish education institution

Global Dignity was established in 2006 by HRH Crown Prince Haakon (Norway), Professor Pekka Himanen (Finland) and founder of Operation HOPE, John Hope Bryant (United States). The co-founders created Global Dignity in 2006. Since then they have worked with many Young Global Leaders, Global Shapers, Schwab Social Entrepreneurs and other partners in over 60 countries, hosting what are known as Dignity Days. #globaldignityfi #globaldignity

Board Member

Muutostöissä (2nd Campaign)

My role:

✨ Content Evaluation: Reviewed campaign materials, including Instagram, LinkedIn, and podcast content, to assess whether the right questions were being asked, the tone was effective, and the topics aligned with campaign goals.

✨ Podcast Commentary: Provided constructive feedback and commentary on podcast episodes to ensure impactful and inclusive storytelling.

✨ DEI Perspective: Examined the Muustostoissa (2nd campaign) concept through a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens, offering actionable recommendations to enhance representation and inclusivity.

Impact:
The first campaign, which garnered 2.5 million views in Finland, was under the leadership of Varpu Rusila.

Consultant

Naturpolis Oy

Helping Naturpolis serve better their regional development. 
Case: Kuusamo, Posio, Taivalkoski municipalities are on the lookout for insights and solutions for recruiting and retaining international talents.

With my fellow project partners; Varpu Rusila (Her Finland) and Innoduel engagement tool our job: 
1. map three municipalities citizen attitudes in an engaging survey tool, 
2. shed light on importance of community building approach to retention and recruitment, and 
3. enable a marketing campaign on social media which puts these three municipalities on the world map.

Project consultant at Koillismaa regional development (intl talent recruitment and retention) 

Hanken School of Economics

Hanken's diversity initiative: Hanken International Talent  #HankenHIT went from initiative to fully integrated in Hanken Career services

Results: increased cooperation of Hanken with the business community
- Outreach to C-suite and HR professionals 
- Enable Finnish companies and organizations from private, public and non-profit sectors engage with diversity quality talent. 
- Build ecosystems for change through inter-city and inter-university collaboration project 
- Motivate Finnish leaders to invest and commit to employer branding, experimentation and proactive diverse recruitment.
- 46 students matched during last years out of 60.

Project manager, Career development and employer relations

Maersk Line

As a first employee in a new business line for Maersk line operations, I kicked off the business off the ground from scratch. Brought in a large customer base across the regions, introduced framework agreements to enable wholesale of containers to deliver continuous revenue. 

For a 28-country portfolio, I created a new product concept in a short timeframe with various internal and external stakeholders. New, value-adding product offered a 1-year-long-term supply spanning 9 geographical locations to one key customer and delivered USD13mil$ extra in team revenues in 2016, outside personal scorecard.

RESULTS

Delivered 105% of sales scorecard year-on-year with 12 million USD strongest in 11 regions.
VALUE-ADDED

- Identified cost-structure, needs and benefits of the new product offering
- Negotiated with shortlisted bidders & the key customer
- Led the change across multiple stakeholders (forwarders, terminals, ports, customs authorities, accounting)
- Implemented new product concept offering across 9 offices and container sales team

Equipment Sales manager

European Parliament

Mentee in a European Women Lobby's political mentoring network

Nordic Tankers A/S

- Enhancing purchasing and logistics practices
- Supply delivery project management 
- Relationship-building & stakeholder engagement
- Coordinating  internal communication projects

Purchaser & Supply chain coordinator

I'm...
✨ an award-winning speaker
✨ an experienced DEI trainer and consultant 
✨ a multilingual event host
✨ a networking catalyst (Innoitaja) 
✨ Mother, volunteer, mentor

…known for uplifting and engaging with diverse cultural and professional audiences. 

I founded ConnectUz in 2018 after a 7-year successful sales career in Scandinavian container and tanker shipping companies, organizing high-level speaker events - all out of my passion for creating inclusive workplaces where EVERYONE's potential is recognized and valued. Since then, I've engaged with 50+ companies and organizations (including Kone, Nokia, Vaisala, Nasdaq, Kemira, and Lindström) on diversity and inclusion; from intention to action, how, own it, and advocating for it while building winning organizations.

Key themes I talk about and work on: 
🗣️ Culturally responsive workplaces
🗣️ Inclusive leadership skills
🗣️ DEI strategies
🗣️ Talent recruitment and retention in local communities
🗣️ Strengthening talent pipelines
🗣️ Leading in a cross-cultural environment. 

What clients say about me is my proven ability to bridge gaps among individuals from diverse sectors and cultural backgrounds, and foster genuine collaboration that leads to tangible outcomes. My keynote and moderation move people as I combine relevant insights and mind-shifting stories, offering audiences conviction and tools to work differently here and now. 

In 2018 I delivered a TEDx talk on my rough journey of belonging and becoming in two world’s happiest countries and what my 10+ years of active volunteering roles have taught me.

My work recognitions for speakership and civic engagement:

⭐ MySpeaker of the Year in 2023 for Responsibility and Ethics
⭐ Interviews on global platforms like Al-Jazeera and YLE
⭐ MySpeaker Spokesperson 2024 (top 60 speakers/hosts by leading Nordic speaker agency)
⭐ Nominee: Nordic women in Tech 2023 Liva Echwald diversity advocate 
⭐ Barack Obama Foundation Emerging Leaders of Europe at Obama Summit in Berlin 2018
⭐ European Young Leader alumni by Friends of Europe Think Tank 2015

🔥 My contribution to any project is to deliver VALUE FIRST. I am passionate about being on stage and uniting people on their humanity. I never skip an opportunity to talk about accountability, the capacity to cooperate despite limited hope, and more importantly; I'll never stop defending the importance of leading with recognizing dignity in others. 

Watch my speeches and videos on DEIB at https://www.youtube.com/@KamillaSultanovaWorld/

Let’s leave a mark together at the next event and DEI project.

Just came home from second "Afterwork with Kamilla" 
It is an event which I organised to get Linkedin community offline.
Set in a vibrant Outrun Pasila cafe Outrunpasila by invincible Rabia Khan Muhammad Atif Shaikh we were 32 people who joined and some for the second time. 

- Kristina Markovic shared how she landed a job within a month, which she starts tomorrow, we cheered for her! 
- We learned to get clarity, calm and confidence with Ling Choi happiness coach and I want to know all the neuroscience behind "hi-fives" & shaking 
- Celebrated and cheered for Michaela Kettner to register her company and offer world class coaching.
- Met so many spouses from Brazil to India, to Nepal to Uzbekistan who are establishing their own lives besides caring for families and kids and their language classes. Spouse program echoed, so well done Helsinki! 
- Reminded to thank their immigrant role models and first movers in their space and door openers - it is as important! 
- Reminded how much moving is a big deal and also moving within Finland - it is not easy, so give yourself grace!
- One person said "I came cos I knew at least - you will be one safe person around! Another one doubted as she was a still a student and felt intimidated to be around #afterwork people who are all working.  So it keeps ringing, how to make someone feel at ease around you and not to discredit one's humanity basis your titles or no titles. We all matter. 
- Feedback keeps pouring, thanks for joining. And lets meet again in January!

And we did so well as we got to network and support entrepreneurs who pour their heart into their cafe. Well done everybody!

#afterworkwithKamilla #socialcapitalFinland #networkingwithnofluff #soulfulgatherings

Kamilla Sultanova

Inspiring audiences, connecting cultures. Seasoned business event host & moderator • Award-winning keynote speaker • Inclusion expert with a Nordic voice

When inclusion turns into impact, it deserves a celebration. Last week I attended the 10-Year Gala of Startup Refugees, an organization that has changed Finland’s narrative on migration, employment, and human potential.

In 2015, when Finland received over 32,000 asylum seekers, there were no systems in place to help them find jobs or start businesses. What started as a spontaneous call by #RikuRantala and #TunnaMilonoff became a movement: Startup Refugees.

Today, under the leadership of Aicha Manai, the results speak for themselves:
✅ 2,100 people employed in the open job market
✅ 135+ companies created
✅ 1,300 future entrepreneurs trained
✅ 15,000 participation times in trainings, mentoring sessions, and more

This is what nation-building is all about.

And yes, I was dressed up, because they told us to go all in 😄💃🏽
But behind the gala glitter was a sobering reminder: inclusion pays off.

For every job created for a newcomer, Finland gains:
💰 €16,000 in saved benefits
💰 €6,000 in collected taxes
➡️ €22,000 in yearly value per person.

When we talk about “integration,” this is what it looks like in real numbers: dignity, stability, and contribution. I’ve seen the Startup Refugees team evolve up close, working in the same coworking space at Måndag in Hakaniemi, and this 10-year celebration truly felt like a family fest.

Huge thanks to Elisa Vepsäläinen, Mustafa Salam Camilla Naatus for sharing how it has all been. To Mustafa, the huge inspiration you bring not only to all of us here in Finland but also what you do with sizeable impact to your ed-startup Corrsy in MENA region. 

Maiju Mitrunen (she/her), Mustafa Aal-sahek, Arkan A., Muntaser Al Hamad, Sara Dehdashti, and Salla-Maria Korhonen (she/her) for organizing such a heartfelt gathering, and for reminding us that dignity is inherent, regardless of immigration status.

Reading Maiju’s reflection on her journey with Startup Refugees moved me deeply. You can read her post here: https://lnkd.in/dZ599rug

Congratulations to the entire team, volunteers, and partners. You’ve built not just careers, but belonging.

Finland needs more of this kind of courage and collaboration.
Here’s to the next decade of impact.

See the 10 Years of Impact Report in the comments 👇


#StartupRefugees #Inclusion #Employment #Integration #Finland #SocialImpact #Leadership #Community #Migration #Entrepreneurship

Kiitos Tampere! Oli ilo juontaa 🌍 Kansainvälisellä osaamisella kasvuun -teemafoorumia perjantaina. 🌏 

(In English in comments)
Tämä tapahtuma oli hyvä muistutus siitä, miten tärkeää on nähdä kokonaisuus – metsä eikä vain yksittäinen puu. Mukana oli niin käytännön kysymyksiä kuin suuria tavoitteita. Apulaispormestari Jaakko Mustakallio jakoi henkilökohtaisen näkemyksensä kansainvälistymisestä, ja minä omani – jolloin strateginen tavoite muuttui inhimilliseksi ja aidoksi keskusteluksi. 

Kiitos myös Alaa Salonen ja Amandeep Singh, että jaoitte polkunne ja vinkkinne Tampereen seudulla. 

Tampereelle tuleminen on aina erityistä. Puhuin Talent Boost -foorumissa jo vuonna 2018 ja kannustin yrityksiä DEI teemoihin – yrityksiä olemaan rohkeita muutoksen tekijöitä. Nyt, vuonna 2025, moni alueen yritys on edelleen edelläkävijä kansainvälisten osaajien palkkaamisessa. Opin itse Mikko Kesä Mari Taverne Aki Kangasharjun puheenvuoroista sekä panelistien näkökulmastaan. 

Oli hienoa seurata linkkarissa, kuinka viime viikon Talent Boost -foorumi Helsingissä synnytti paljon keskustelua tästä aiheesta. 📢 🤓 Regina Ainla Laura Lindeman André Noël Chaker Karelle Bélanger Natalia Gromova 

Täytyy sanoa.... On vaikea pysyä positiivisena, kun keskustelut maahanmuuttajista/kv-osaajista ovat rajoittavia ja sävy on vähintäänkin polarisoitunut ja negatiivinen. Olin kuitenkin iloinen, että kaupungilla on kunnianhimoa edistää kasvustrategiaa parantamalla kansainvälisten osaajien pitovoimaa ja tarjoamalla puolisoille realistisia urapolkuja – myös yrittäjyys huomioiden. Representaatio ja inklusivisuus ovat avainasemassa – tarvitaan kv-osaajia neuvonantajiksi, palkattuihin tehtäviin ja päätöksiin. "Nothing about us without us" – Mikään meistä ilman meitä: kokemus ja asiantuntemus kuuluvat samaan pöytään. Ja kyllä, jos poliittinen yhteisymmärrys talouden linjauksista löytyy, se vauhdittaa investointeja, edistää osaajien liikkumista ja avaa uusia työmahdollisuuksia alueelle!

Iso kiitos Marille, Lauralle ja Villelle Laura Ojanen Ville Halonen onnistuneen tapahtuman järjestämisestä sekä kaikille osallistujille - ihana meininki oli! 

Lopuksi, just-for-fun kysymys: Millä tavoin Tampere on pääkaupunkiseutua parempi pitämään kv-osaajia ja kv-perheitä ? 😎 
kuvat: Mirella Mellonmaa
#Tampere2035 #Inkluusio #Kasvustrategia #pitovoima #Kansainväliselläosaamisellakasvuun #juontaja International House Tampere

20 years of Global Dignity, and the question still stands: What does dignity mean in your country?

For some, it’s about being different and still belonging.
In Finland, it might mean being accepted for who you are, even when you don’t fit the mold.
In Pakistan, it could mean the freedom to move safely as a woman.
In Uzbekistan, the right to a job and a future for young people.

For all of us, it’s the right to be heard, seen, and respected.

➡️ Do women and girls have dignity in the face of ongoing gender-based violence?
➡️ When the DEI profession itself has become so polarized, is this work losing its value, or is it more needed than ever to ensure dignity and inclusion aren’t pushed aside by political backlash and shifting priorities?

This year, Global Dignity celebrates 20 years of promoting exactly that: a simple, powerful idea that dignity is not earned, but inherent.

I’ve had the honor of serving as a co-founder and Board Member of Global Dignity Finland since 2014, alongside my dear colleague Tanja Lankia. Over the years, we’ve reached more than 4,000 students across Finland through storytelling events, workshops, and seminars, sparking dialogue about self-worth, empathy, and dreams.

I’ve seen firsthand how dignity becomes real through:
💬 A classroom discussion where a shy teenager shares their story.
💬 A mentor who believes in you when you don’t yet believe in yourself.
💬 A stage where young people speak and adults listen.

For me personally, dignity grows when I can use my voice in different arenas of society, in workplaces, communities, and nonprofit spaces, and when I can give back.

But dignity is not just moral. It’s political. It’s about how we design our cities: are there street lamps for women to walk safely? How we shape our economies: are vocational students respected as much as university graduates? How we embrace technology: are AI and automation giving everyone equal access, or deepening inequality?

These are dignity questions too.

As we mark 20 years of Global Dignity, founded by HRH Crown Prince Haakon, Pekka Himanen, and John Hope Bryant, I hope more schools, companies, and communities will continue this conversation, because dignity is the starting point of everything human.

What increases your own sense of dignity?
For me: it’s mentorship, belonging, and the freedom to use my voice.
What about you?


#GlobalDignity #GlobalDignityFi #HumanRights #SocialImpact

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