INTERVIEW WITH THERESE GEDDA
Therese Gedda is passionate entrepreneur and keynote speaker with loads of creativity and determination and she has demonstrated a remarkable ability to create exceptional value and media attention from limited resources all around the world.
Her talent and expertise in startups, entrepreneurship and performance describes perfectly her results which has reflected in several companies which were built up from the scratch.
Get inspired by this amazing Startup CEO and international Keynote speaker as our Inspiring- Speaker Team takes you through our exclusive interview with Therese Gedda:
- When I hear “inspiration” I think…. of the magic that occurs when people realize they can achieve more than they ever thought possible — the spark in their eyes when they connect the dots and start aiming higher than ever before. That’s what inspiration is to me.Even before I founded my first company within management consulting when I was 17, I was passionate about how we can change the world for the better — how more people can reach their potential, excel in their fields and achieve amazing results.Being a maximizer myself (excellence, not ‘good enough’, is my measure), I’ve always looked for ways of taking everything to the next level — building companies, motivating people and bridging the gap between what science knows and what business does. Regardless of whether I’m speaking, mentoring or leading, inspiration is key.
- When did you know becoming a speaker was your calling? I grew up on stage. At the age of three, I took the stage for the first time, and I have never left since. My first professional speaking performance was at age 12 as a compère. Until I was 19, I worked out on a professional level in athletic fitness. The discipline I obtained from being around some of the world’s top athletes extended to other areas of my career — including speaking. When I was 21, I began guest lecturing at the Stockholm School of Economics and The Royal Institute of Technology on topics ranging from entrepreneurship and startups to achievement and performance. Standing in the spotlight as a keynote speaker, motivational speaker and panellist at conferences, boardrooms and business schools, I’ve had the honour of inspiring thousands of people to make meaningful changes in their businesses and lives. I believe in empowering people to reach their full potential. The way I make a difference in people’s lives is by founding companies, being the best leader I can be and travelling the world to spread the word through my talks. Recently I had the fortune of being a keynote speaker at conferences such as Arctic15 (Finland), Web Summit (Ireland), Viva Tech (France), American Chamber of Commerce (Sweden), and many others.
- You have been awarded Sweden’s largest prize for innovators in memory of Alfred Nobel – tell us a bit more about that?
In October last year, 30minMBA and I had the great honour of receiving The Future Innovation Award in Stockholm, in memory of Alfred Nobel. My long career as an entrepreneur means that I have been working with innovation, entrepreneurship and empowering people my entire life, which has allowed me to do some amazing things. I have been a founder, a speaker, a startup mentor and advisor, a board member, a jury member for some of the largest business plan competitions in Sweden and I have performed research on the entrepreneurial mindset. Today, I’m the Founder and CEO of the rising star — 30minMBA.We were recognized and awarded for how we bridge the gap between what science knows and business does via mobile learning. We provide the companies that use our app with best practise business knowledge on a variety of different topics, in an actionable format, with the option of listening to our material as well as reading it. Our users can learn in their own environment and at their own pace — on the train, while cooking, or between meetings. With 30minMBA, they can develop their business skills when it fits them.The ceremony was held at the Tessinska Palace, close to The Royal Palace in the heart of Stockholm with the distinguished guest, Chris Heister, the governor of Stockholm presenting the award. The SKAPA Foundation, which gives out the prize, was established in 1985 in Memory of Alfred Nobel. It’s Sweden’s largest and most prestigious innovation prize. The foundation is moderated by the Swedish Inventors Association and the Stockholm International Fair in cooperation with VINNOVA, Almi, the Swedish Foundation Agne Johansson’s Memorial Fund and PRV.
- You have a passion for entrepreneurship and innovation. What is your insight on how to perform in your workplace as an entrepreneur (especially in the start-up phase)? Yes, this is a great passion of mine, and there are so many things I could share! This is an area I often speak about in talks such as “There Is No Spoon – The Entrepreneurial Mindset”, “Life Of A Startup CEO — Get A Sneak Peak Into The Life Of A Fast-Growing Startup” and “The Self-Leading Company — How To Design And Develop A High-Performing Business Culture Where People Thrive”, so I could easily write a whole book about this. However, if I would give five insights to founders and startups it would be:
1. Always, always start with your purpose.
2. Think big and then bigger and commit.
3. Design a culture where you put people first.
4. Invest in yourself and others.
5. Act in line with your own strengths and lead people based on their potential, not where they are today.
- What is your greatest motivation in life? I have always dreamt about driving change on a global scale together with like-minded people. I believe in empowering individuals to reach their full potential in everything I do. Today I have the amazing opportunity to spend my time building 30minMBA and sharing insights on entrepreneurship, business culture, innovation, personal branding, pitching and networking as a speaker all around the world.
- Do you have a personal motto? Absolutely! I live by the following:
“Strive for excellence, work hard and trust the process.”
“If you can dream it, you can achieve it. Strive to fulfil your potential. “I’m also inspired by some of the greats…
Aristotle – ”We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
Steve Jobs – ”Without passion, any rational person would give up.”
Albert Einstein – ”We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”