School of Business alumni stories
Here you can find School of Business alumni stories. Our alumni share their professional journeys and give advice and tips regarding working life. The stories have been sorted based on the alumni's majors.
Alum Laura Suomalainen: ”The idea of always having your life with you and being able to move from place to place spoke to me.”
Laura Suomalainen had long dreamed of "Vanlife" until the opportunity to go on exchange to Norway set the wheels of her dream in motion. Nowadays she travels across Europe in her own van and works remotely.
Who are you and what do you do?
’m Laura Suomalainen. ’m 25 years old and have worked primarily remotely for four years in the IT field as a marketing specialist and strategist. I began my bachelor’s degree in Aalto University’s International Business programme in 2018. I then completed my master’s degree in the International Design Business Management programme. In my free time, I live so-called “Vanlife” lifestyle, meaning I live in a van and travel around Europe in it.
How did you end up studying in the International Business programme?
I grew up in the United States and lived in the Seattle area for the first 18 years of my life. However, my roots are strongly in Finland since my parents are Finnish. I heard about the International Business programme from a family friend living in the U.S. I had long dreamed of moving to Finland, and when the opportunity came to apply for studies in English using the SAT exam, I decided to apply to the programme. I had also been interested in business for a long time, as I had run small businesses alongside high school, for example in photography.
What stands out the most from the programme?
The first thing that comes to mind is the close-knit community. People were like-minded, which helped keep a balance in studies when free time was also enjoyable. The community also made a small town feel much larger. In the studies themselves, it was nice to get different perspectives from visiting professors, and the three-week modules helped focus on one subject at a time.
What have you learned during your studies at Aalto?
In the International Business programme, we spoke and gave many presentations, which brought confidence in being in front of others, presenting, and structuring information for an audience. In my master’s studies, we did many projects with companies, which provided a lot of learning opportunities. I would say it has been extremely valuable to learn at such a young age about how businesses operate, how to communicate with companies, how to work with clients, and how to manage long-term projects, even with international stakeholders. Overall, to learn how the business world functions.
What stands out the most from your IDBM master's studies?
In the master’s program, I learned a lot from people with different backgrounds. I gained skills and confidence not only in creating a business plan, but also in designing a logo or prototype, taking an idea from start to finish, or even creating an entire company. I got to work in multidisciplinary teams where I learned from professionals in other fields and, in turn, taught them about business. It was a huge advantage to be on the main campus and find my own direction and areas of interest in my studies. Since you have the freedom to try different things at Aalto, you can take a business idea from concept to completion if you want. Ideas don’t get stuck because of a lack of resources or not finding the right people. There is such a broad network of people from different fields and areas of expertise within Aalto.
How did the Vanlife project begin?
Originally, my Vanlife project started when I got an exchange place in Norway. The thought of having to pack all my belongings, figure out the logistics of moving, and relocate there felt challenging. When I saw Vanlife content on social media, the idea of having my whole life with me and being able to move from place to place spoke to me. I enjoy being in nature, but I don’t necessarily want to live permanently in the middle of it. I want to move around and be flexible. I had long dreamed of moving into a van. With the exchange placement, I decided to make my dream happen. I bought a van, planned the move, got a Finnish driver’s license, gradually sold everything unnecessary, and gave up my apartment at the time. At first, there was a lot to learn, but I left for Norway in the van, and from there I continued around the Nordics and Europe.
I also wrote my master’s thesis on the same topic. I interviewed Finns who live in different types of vehicles about how it relates to their identity, their Finnishness, and what motivations they had behind it. Now, I don’t see an end to this lifestyle!
What do your future plans look like?
I don’t have anything major in the works yet. However, I’ve long wanted to study to become a wilderness guide related to my hobbies. My background in marketing would also be a great addition to that. ’m also interested in entrepreneurship and, for example, running retreats. That would probably happen alongside other work as a side business. This is still just an idea, but maybe one day!
What tips would you give to students?
You don’t need to know yet what you want to do. I still don’t know what I ultimately want to do. I’ve just followed what interests me at the time.
And if you come up with a business idea, I encourage you to just try it, because at Aalto you truly get support for it. There’s no better place to experiment than Aalto!
Learn more about Laura’s career path and studies on !
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