Founder of the Year Honorary Award - Christina Wahlström, Mama Mia

Christina Wahlström, founder of Mama Mia, was awarded the Growth Rings in Gold for the Founder of the Year Honorary Award 2021. Christina was awarded at the Founders’ Gala held at Stockholm City Hall on September 16, for her lifelong contribution to sustainable and long-term company building.

- It is almost impossible to describe in words the gratitude and joy I felt when I received this award from Founders Alliance. For founders the award is worth its weight in gold and it gives even more strength to build a successful company, says Christina Wahlström.

When Christina Wahlström worked as a midwife at Danderyd Hospital, she realized that there was much to improve for pregnant women, and in 1988 she founded the women's and children's health clinic Mama Mia. What started as a small business in Stockholm grew over the years to Scandinavia's largest women's and children's health clinic, and was later supplemented with the health company To Care Sweden. Together with her three children Christina continued to develop the business, and along the way her hard work and struggle for better maternity care has led to a number of changes, including the introduction of MVC money, the right of midwives to prescribe contraception, the abolition of mandatory doctor visits for healthy pregnant women and the commencement of a course in Women's Health for midwives.

Christina has also been a member of the Board of Vårdföretagarna and the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise's board SME. She has received several awards, including the King's medal 8th size in high blue ribbon. Today Christina has left Mama Mia which is now owned by Nordstjernan, but she is still passionate about helping women around the world to improve health and maternity care.

Founder of the Year Honorary Award is Founders Alliance most prestigious accolade and is presented annually at the Founders Gala. By rewarding particularly successful founders who have made a lifetime contribution, Founders Alliance wishes to inspire sustainable company building and inspire other founders to act as similarly great role models.Each year, the Founders Alliance Exemplary Council nominates the winners of the award.

The Growth Rings
What all founders have in common is that they themselves are a seed that grows into a successful company. Just like trees in a forest, founders are the most important organism in the ecosystem that creates growth in the world.

The symbol that pays tribute to these successful founders we call The Growth Rings.

“It starts as a seed in the founder’s mind. For it to grow strong, patience is required and real perseverance. During a company's development, strong years with good conditions alternate with meagre and tough years without development. The Founders Awards annual growth rings symbolize this story”

Learn more about Founders Alliance here

Before using the pictures, please contact Nina Hahn at Founders Alliance, nina.hahn@foundersalliance.com