From Business Idea to Startup

- Entrepreneurship Lunch Talks

Business ideas are born everywhere and by people in all professions. Do you have an idea you’d like to bring to life, or are you simply curious to learn more about entrepreneurship?

Join us for our free lunch talks, where inspiring speakers share their own entrepreneurial journeys along with practical tips, examples and useful tools.

The series is a collaboration between University West and Innovatum Science Park’s incubator, which supports people in turning innovative ideas into real businesses.

Each talk stands on its own—you can join just one, or attend all three. No experience needed, just bring your curiosity.

We’ll provide a lunch sandwich and some coffee.

The talks

The talsk are independent sessions. In the registration, you choose which session(s) you want to attend.

Entrepreneurship – Introduction and Inspiration
📍 University West, Room F123.  You can also attend this session online.
📅 Thursday, October 16, 12:00–13:00

What exactly is a startup, and how does it differ from a traditional company? What characterizes a good business idea, and what are the key questions you need to ask yourself early on in the journey? This session is packed with useful insights, but above all, a big dose of inspiration, as we also share a startup story that illustrates what an entrepreneurial journey can look like.

Speaker: Markus Sulkupuro & Frida Finnman

Product Development with a Customer Focus
📍 Thursday, November 6, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM.  You can also attend this session online.
📅 University West, Room F123

Are you curious about how to turn your ideas into smart products that your customers actually want and need? Then this session is for you! During the lecture, we will dive into the art of conducting early experiments and involving customers in the development process. You will also get concrete examples and tips on how to avoid the most common pitfalls in product development.

Speaker: John-Erik Hassel

Funding your business idea: What Opportunities Are Available?
📍 University West, Room F123. You can also attend this session online.
📅 Thursday, November 20, 12:00–13:00

Turning your business idea into reality is an exciting journey, but to really gain momentum, funding is often needed. What options are there when it comes to financing? And what do they entail? What is important to consider, and what groundwork is necessary? This session offers a unique opportunity to understand how you can secure the capital you need.

Speaker: Pavel  Calderon

Curious to get to know our speakers? You’ll find more info about them further down the page.

Practical Information

Where? All sessions will take place at Campus (Room F123). Its also possible to join online.
When? October 16, November 6, and November 20, from 12:00–13:00.
For whom? For students and staff at University West who are curious to learn more about entrepreneurship.

The lectures are free of charge, but registration is required. 

Coffee and a sandwich are included.

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Meet our speakers

The talks are led by Innovatum Science Park’s business coaches—entrepreneurs who’ve turned their own ideas into startups and now guide the next generation of founders to success!

Frida Finnman

Frida has a long and accomplished background in entrepreneurship. For more than 20 years, she has built, sold, and invested in companies, and she also brings extensive experience from board work. In 2006, she founded Plushögskolan, where she served as CEO for several years. Under her leadership, the school grew from one location to twelve, and together with her team, she increased the turnover to 100 million SEK in just a few years. Since 2019, Frida has coached around 50 startups and today she is the Head of incubation at Innovatum Science Park.

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Pavel Calderon

Pavel Calderon has spent the past seven years in the startup world as a founder, investor, and advisor. With a strong passion for sustainability, he has founded several startups in the energy and green technology sectors, combining technical expertise with business development. Prior to this, Pavel gained over a decade of experience as a corporate advisor and technical director in the electric vehicle and battery industries. Since 2025, he has been working as a business coach at Innovatum Science Park’s incubator, where he supports entrepreneurs in developing and scaling their companies, and driving innovations that generate both commercial success and long-term environmental impact.

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John-Erik Hassel

John-Erik is a serial entrepreneur and holds a PhD in entrepreneurship. After several years as a management consultant and export manager, he started his first company in 2004 and has since built businesses primarily within HR tech and Medtech. Together with his friend Magnus Mollstedt, he founded the recruitment system Varbi and took the company from idea to market leader within the public sector and universities, serving millions of users, until its sale in 2021. Since the spring of 2025, John-Erik has been coaching startups at Innovatum Science Park’s incubator and is responsible for ESA BIC, the program that gives space-related ideas extra power to grow.

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Markus Sulkupuro

Markus has a background from fast-growing international companies, where he has worked with organizational development, quality improvement, sales, and strategic matters. He is the founder of the startup PQM, which trains and coaches managers, providing them with digital tools to lead companies and individuals toward achieving goals and building a thriving organization. Markus is passionate about leadership and sales and now shares his expertise with the entrepreneurs at Innovatum Science Park’s incubator.

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Questions? 

Contact Markus Sulkupuro
markus.sulkupuro@innovatum.se 
072 - 083 60 08

Innovatum Science Park