Press release -
For her Dedication to Extraordinary, Inclusive, and Sustainable Events, Sofi Franzén, Co-Founder of LIWLIG, was awarded Gold as Founder of the Year in the category Large Size Companies.
Sofi Franzén, Co-Founder of Eventyr and LIWLIG, received the Growth Rings in Gold in the Founder of the Year category Large Size Companies at the Founders Awards Gala on September 25.
”Standing on stage and receiving this award felt both unreal and amazing. Above all, I feel an enormous gratitude to all colleagues, customers, partners, family, and friends who in different ways have been part of this journey – without them, this would never have been possible", says Sofi.
The Founders Jury Motivation
“By placing sustainability, inclusivity, and culture at the heart of her work, Sofi has redefined the event industry. She has built a leading Nordic agency while raising the bar for ethical leadership and climate-smart innovation. Starting her entrepreneurial journey in Åre, with resilience, passion, and vision, Sofi has proven herself a true survivor — and a driving force for positive change.”
The Impactful Journey of Sofi Franzén - Co-Founder of Eventyr and LIWLIG
In 1995, Sofi Franzén co-founded Eventyr together with Kristoffer Schjött-Quist, and later joined Timo Aalto and Joonas Patama to form LIWLIG, a Nordic event agency creating unforgettable live, hybrid, and digital experiences that prioritize DEIB, sustainability, and strong brand connections. LIWLIG is now expanding across Europe through innovation and transformative experiences.
How the Winners Are Chosen as Founder of the Year Large Size Companies
The Founder of the Year award honors successful global founders who have built one or more strong private or public limited companies. It aims to spotlight these founders and inspire growth in medium to large-sized internationally expanding companies.
To honor founders across various stages of company development, the award has three categories: small, medium, and large companies. In the category Founder of the Year Large Size Companies are active founders of a private or public limited company with a revenue of more than 50 million euro and approximately 20% ownership in a profitable company, based on the fiscal year 2024.
The finalists have been assessed by the Founders Alliance Index, which takes into account past performance, future potential, and social benefits, and they have been evaluated by a jury of experienced founders.
The Founder Jury consisted of Chair of the jury Oliver Lagerström, co-founder of MFEX by Euroclear now Euroclear Fundsplace, Cecilia Ekholm, founder of Särnmark Assistans, Linda Bjernstål , founder of Tondere & Consola, Håkan Paulsson, co-founder of QGroup and Tore Teir, founder of Greenstep.
Photo: David Thunander & Evan Pantiel
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Founders Alliance
Founders Alliance was established in 2002 by Niclas Carlsson. Today Founders Alliance is a premium collaborative business forum for founders of large-scale corporations, owners of international growth companies and engaged in multiple social impact initiatives around the globe. We facilitate a platform for collaboration for founders (members) incl. Founders Groups, one-to-one introductions, closed online communities, international business trips and events (hybrid). Its membership comprises over 300 high performing founders owning over 3000 companies in all parts of the world stretching across all industries and areas of expertise.
The core of Founders Alliance is independent from state funding, financial actors, advisory firms and academic institutions.
