Meet Svenja Fassbender, ESA Phi Lab Finland's Project Coordinator

1. Could you please give us a short introduction about your role at ASUC?

Hi, I’m Svenja and in my role as project coordinator at Aalto Startup Center, I’m going to wear different hats. I’ll mainly contribute to the newly established ESA Phi-Lab Finland, but am also going to be in charge of event management and mentoring tasks in the creative sector.

2. Can you tell us a bit about your professional background?

I studied languages in Germany and have lived in Belgium, Sweden and China before moving to Finland. For the past six years, I’ve mainly worked in the film business and hosted Oscar and Golden Globe winners at film festivals such as Berlinale, Göteborg Film Festival or Helsinki International Film Festival. Besides that, I know my way around the Finnish startup scene and have also worked with different universities before joining Aalto.

3. So, what brought you to Aalto Startup Center originally?

Among others, I worked with Slush and Arctic15 and have been following Finnish startup activities ever since. I am especially fascinated by the versatility and the ability to constantly adapt to new challenges. Aalto Startup Center plays a crucial role in the Finnish scene, supporting new ideas and constant innovation and it’s a dream come true to now becoming part of the team.

4. After a few weeks of working here, do you enjoy the experience? Which part is your favorite so far?

I love the variety of happenings and tasks at Aalto Startup Center and that no day looks the same. I’m surrounded by incredibly talented colleagues and I’m learning something new every day.

However, I really enjoy working with ESA Phi-Lab Finland and creating something new from scratch. The project manager Miika and I have the freedom to bring our own ideas to the table and work creatively. We also get to adjust structures to fit our own working styles, which makes the job even more fun and rewarding!

5. What have you been working on recently?

We’re currently working hard on launching the first open call for the ESA Phi-Lab Finland! 

6. What’s your preferred work style?

I enjoy working in an adaptive and dynamic environment. Remote days can be rewarding but in general I prefer to be surrounded by people.  

7. Do you want to say something to our startups?

I’m super excited to support the Finnish startup scene at Aalto Startup Center! If you have ideas for new creative and innovative event concepts, but don't know where to start, feel free to approach me and let’s figure out how we can bring your ideas to life.

8. If you were a Finnish startup product, which one would it be?

Probably a Solein protein developed by Solar Foods. This special protein is made only from thin air, a bacterium and solar energy - how cool is that? Read about it!

9. Any plans or goals for 2025?

Well, my goal was to get the position at Aalto Startup Center. For now, I’m looking forward to staying ahead of trends, picking up best practices and getting a handle on the new structures and content. It's all about learning, adapting and keeping things fresh.

10. Tell us one thing about yourself that would surprise us

Many won’t expect this, but I love video games a bit too much and had to stop myself from buying a Nintendo Switch again as I ended up spending over 300h on Splatoon 2 last time (and even more on The Legend of Zelda).

• Learn more about ESA Phi-Lab Finland: esaphilab.fi
• Learn more about Aalto Startup Center: startupcenter.aalto.fi