Start your Helsinki Pride Week in an international Business Forum context – and invite your stakeholders to join as well!

This event isn’t just another networking opportunity — it’s a chance to be part of the conversations shaping the future of sustainability and LGBTQIA+ in business. Whether you’re a decision-maker, entrepreneur, investor, or thought leader, you’ll gain fresh perspectives on leadership, LGBTQIA+ inclusion, sustainable business, connect with other top-tier professionals, and leave with insights you can immediately apply to foster meaningful change in your company and beyond.

Who: 

International network of investors, C-suite senior leaders, entrepreneurs, and change makers. The event is free of charge and in English.

Date and venue: 

Clarion Hotel Helsinki, June 18, 2025, at 8–13

The morning starts with breakfast from 8–8:30, and the event wraps up at 13. 

What to expect:

We are proud to present a diverse program of thought leadership, new revelations, networking, pitches of new LGBTQ+ led organisations, and Minister Moment with State Secretary Laura Rissanen.

• Fireside Chat with Identity.vc and ikkio – An open conversation about leadership and the importance of LGBTQ+ inclusion in business success
  This open chat is spiced up with real, raw, lived experiences and opinions on the benefits of being LGBTQ+ in business. We will share our insights, stories and data on where we stand and what still needs to change to flip the script on what it means to be a powerful driver of change.
• Nordic Information on Gender (NIKK): NIKK is a co-operation body under the Nordic Council of Ministers for Gender Equality and LGBTI. We will be hearing about their latest knowledge intersecting policy and practice, data and research in the field of gender equality and LGBTI with a Nordic and cross-sectoral perspective. Kajsa Widegren, Ph.D in Gender Studies and Analyst, from (NIKK): “In the Nordic region, as well as internationally, working life conditions for many in the LGBTI group are worse than for the majority population. These conditions can have serious consequences for LGBTI people’s finances, quality of life and health.” NIKK’s presentation brings new Nordic knowledge on the matter, with a specific focus on the conditions for trans people, providing a comprehensive picture of the current situation.
• Keynote with Stine Marsal, InklusioNordic: What your LGBT+ colleagues wish you knew. Stine Marsal is the Founder of InklusioNordic.org, uniting lived experience experts and NGOs to help companies create inclusive employee and customer experiences that drive growth, while making the world a better place for all. Stine Marsal doesn’t just talk about inclusion, she shows how it transforms businesses from the inside out. InklusioNordic unites voices across LGBTQIA+ communities, neurodivergence, disability, and minority backgrounds, spotlighting intersectionality and making it impossible to ignore the real barriers — and the real solutions. With a career spanning corporate roles at Copenhagen Zoo, Tivoli Gardens, and Copenhagen Airport, and consultancy projects with brands like LEGO House, The Royal Danish Theatre, Novonesis, Berlin Airport, and Securitas, Stine delivers anything but theoretical insights. As a queer, neurodivergent professional herself, she mixes sharp research, lived experience, and practical strategies that drive measurable results — boosting engagement, loyalty, and business performance. Her message is clear: Inclusion isn’t a side project. It’s your greatest untapped business advantage.
• Legally Proud: Inclusive Leadership and Accountability. Moderated by Helsinki Pride Main Partner Dottir, featuring Castren&Snellman and Helsinki Pride partners the Finnish Bar Association, Borenius.  This panel centers partners on the legal sector to discuss how inclusive the Finnish legal industry is in 2025, and how we look ahead, with accountability.
• Panel: Authentic allyship in business rebellion: think BIGGER and QUEERER. This thought-provoking panel discussion, moderated by Fiban (Finnish Business Angels Network), explores how authentic allyship fuels bold, inclusive business transformation, where human rights, sustainability, and investment intersect to drive impactful, future-forward leadership. Get ready to challenge the status quo in business to build more inclusive, ethical, and forward-thinking companies. It’s time to courageously rethink outdated norms and define “rebellion” as embracing innovation, values-driven strategies, and a willingness to lead differently. Featuring representatives from DNV, Impaktly, and Helsinki Pride partner Akava.
• Speed networking – new contacts and networking.

• Pitching – get to know new LGBTQIA+ led organisations, their stories, products, and services.

More information:

Anna Mäkinen
Head of Partnerships
anna@pride.fi

Book your accomodation in Clarion Hotel Helsinki:

Clarion Hotel Helsinki offers 15 % discount for Helsinki Pride Business Forum visitors. The promotion code is valid for all room categories, as long as there are enough hotel rooms. You can make reservations with the booking code EVENTSHELSINKI on the website: www.strawberry.fi

Cancellation of a room reservation made with the booking code is free of charge, if it is made no later than 4 pm on the day of arrival.