Student startup born in shopping centre display window encourages Vaasa entrepreneurship
A three-day event in a shopping centre display window in Vaasa brought together students to launch business ideas on the spot, with organisers aiming to lower barriers to entrepreneurship among the city’s 18,500 students, Yle reports.
Ten students from local universities spent three days in a glass-walled display at Rewell shopping centre, developing four distinct business concepts with mentorship from entrepreneurship professionals. The initiative, organised by the Vaasa Entrepreneurship Society (VES), sought to challenge the trend of students postponing their business ideas until after graduation or relocating to larger cities like Helsinki.
“Many students hesitate to take that first step,” said VES chair Anton Heinonen. “We wanted to show that starting a business in Vaasa is possible right now.”
From captain’s hat to luxury brand
One team, including Novia University of Applied Sciences student Patrik Ahlvik, designed high-end hats inspired by a captain’s hat Ahlvik admired in a friend’s photo. “I liked the style but wanted something more accessible,” he explained. The process proved harder than expected: “By day two, I realised how complex hat-making is—but if you’re determined, it’s doable.”
Other projects included a 3D-printed wristband to improve vein visibility for medical procedures, an app to streamline therapist-patient matching, and a device converting audio frequencies into LED light displays.
Failure as a stepping stone
Organisers emphasised that setbacks were part of the learning process. “We even hoped for some failures,” Heinonen said, citing insights from a trip to Silicon Valley, where entrepreneurs without a track record of failures are often taken less seriously. “That mindset is what we’re trying to bring here.”
The event’s success, according to Heinonen, lay in sparking public dialogue. Passersby shared their own ideas and sought advice, fulfilling the core goal of normalising entrepreneurship. “Even if no businesses emerge from this, the real win is generating interest in starting one,” he said.