The Silver winner of the global award Founder of the Year Small Size Companies, Jaakko Wäänänen founder of Hellon, helps drive customer value-driven growth in mid-sized and large companies

Jaakko Wäänänen, founder of Hellon received the Growth Rings in Silver for the global award Founder of the Year category Small Size Companies at the Founders´ Awards Gala held at Stockholm City Hall on September 22.

“The founder of the year award feels amazing. To me, its is a prestigious personal level recognition of all the effort and devotion put in as an entrepreneur throughout the years. I feel truly honored.”, says Jaakko Wäänänen.

Jaakko Wäänänen founded Hellon 2009 and is headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, with studios in London and Helsinki and in their global operations they have delivered 1000 projects in 20 countries worldwide. Hellon helps forerunner companies and pioneers in the field of customer experience innovation and provides advice, consulting and solutions for mid size and large global companies, to enhance their customer value driven growth.

Hellon has been very active in the field of sustainability and creating impact by a design approach for sustainable business transformation within human, social and environmental sustainability. Internally, Hellon has been creating a culture that is socially sustainable and shows an example of a future workplace.

Jaakko’s driving force is entrepreneurship with a positive impact among his peers, founders and society, and curiosity to new things and new business.

The finalists have earlier introduced themselves and their companies to a jury of large scale founders consisting of: Chairwoman of the jury Sofi Franzén - Eventyr Nine Yards, Vladimir Borisov - Teleport Amsterdam, Harshil Karia - Schbang, Level, Greger Hagelin - WESC, Utopia and Sabina E. von Arx - Q. Brands.

Founder of the Year

Founder of the Year is Founders Alliance's main award, and aims to draw attention to and highlight global large scale founders who own and operate sustainable companies, and thus stimulate more medium-sized and large internationally expanding companies.

The founders and their companies are ranked based on the Founders Alliance (FA) Index, which takes into account past performances, future potential and societal achievements.

To pay attention to the highest performing founders in several company development phases, and to highlight female and male winners, Founder of the Year is awarded to male and female founders in three categories based on financial results the year prior.

In the category Founders of Small Sized Companies are active founders of a company with a revenue of approximately 2-10 MEUR with at least 20% ownership in a profitable company.

Photo: Jean Lapin, www.jeanlapin.com, and Evan Pantiel, www.evanpantiel.com