Welcome to Food Days Seinäjoki!

Food Technologist

Mr Robert van Otterdijk (65) is a food technologist, graduated in 1985 from the Wageningen Agricultural University in The Netherlands. He worked first in the dutch food industry in quality assurance and r&d, after which he joined the Food & Agriculture Organization of the UN in 1989, on projects on post-harvest technology technology in Ghana (West Africa) and Tonga (South Pacific). 

In 1995 he joined a SIDA (Sweden) funded field project in Zambia on production, processing and commercialisation of root & tuber crops. Next he returned to the private sector – spices industry, procurement, processing and export of paprika – as a quality assurance manager in Lusaka – Zambia.

In 2002 he joined the FAO again, this time as the agro-industry officer of the Regional Office for Africa, based in Accra – Ghana. From 2008 to 2024 he moved between FAO Headquarters in Rome – Italy and FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia in Budapest – Hungary. His main responsibilities were agro-industrial development and the ‘Global Initiative on Food Loss and Waste Reduction- Save Food’. 

Currently he is a retired expert in Sustainable Development of Agro /Food Value Chains. 

Vice President of Sustainability and Public Affairs for Leanpath

Leanpath, the global leader in integrated hardware and software solutions for food waste prevention. Steven M. Finn helps Leanpath’s clients take control of their food waste while engaging employees in creating a culture of food waste prevention.  He is a member of Leanpath’s strategic leadership team with extensive experience in food waste reduction and prevention strategies, speaking frequently at industry events and providing education and guidance to client partners and internal teams.  He also manages Leanpath’s 12.3 Initiative.  

Steven teaches graduate courses on innovation for sustainability and the food-water-energy nexus at the University of Pennsylvania and Boston University in the U.S.  He is the author of several articles on food waste and has served as a Director for three non-profit organizations in the food sector.  He is the author of the blog Food For Thoughtful Action.   

State Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland

Päivi Nerg assists ministers in political steering and planning. In line with the ministers’ instructions, they also assist and represent the ministers in the drafting of policy outlines, conduct of inter-ministerial coordination, harmonising of policy positions, implementation of the Government Programme in the ministry’s administrative branch, and the handling of EU and other international duties. 

Päivi Nerg has extensive experience from different roles in state governance and national ministry, but also from agriculture and forestry sectors while working for The Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK).

Photo: Juha Mustonen / Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland

Director of International Trade, The Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK)

Thimjos Ninios has been tirelessly helping the Finnish food sector grow exports at The Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK), for over 7 years now.

Previously he was leading the export unit of Finnish Food Authority (previously Evira).

Agronomist, Sustainable Agricultural Development, Department of Promotion of Agri-food Products, Directorate of Agricultural Economy and Fishery

Anna Papakonstantinou MSc. is an agronomist, specializing in sustainable agricultural development. After being engaged in agricultural education for more than a decade, both as an educator and as vice director at a vocational training institution, she was appointed at the Department of Promotion of Agri-food Products, Directorate of Agricultural Economy and Fishery. As a member of an aspiring and enthusiastic team, Anna and her colleagues work for the support of local SME of the agri-food sector, through the promotion of local products, the enhancement of the producers’ extroversion and the organization of targeted activities, such as business delegations, gastronomy events, B2B meetings and the consolidation of the “Macedonian Cuisine”. The “Macedonian Cuisine” is an initiative of the Region of Central Macedonia that enables the support and promotion of   the local gastronomy and agricultural products, serving as a link between the Agri-food and Tourism sector.  

CTO, DSc. (Bioprocess Engineering), Solar Foods

Petri Tervasmäki works as the Chief Technology Officer at Solar Foods. Tervasmäki has been working at Solar Foods since 2019, and he has played a pivotal role in the development of the company’s gas fermentation processes and scaling production from pilot to commercial scale. Before joining Solar Foods, he worked as a researcher in the chemical process engineering group at the University of Oulu, as a brewing expert at Tornion Panimo Oy and as a research engineer at Outotec Oy.

Head of QA & RA, Onego Bio

As Head of QA and RA at Onego Bio, Minyoung Cha oversees product compliance, safety, and quality management systems (QMS) across all operations. With 15 years of experience in the industry, she brings a strong track record of ensuring regulatory adherence and maintaining high standards in quality and safety.

Minyoung holds a degree in Molecular Biology and am a certified Pharmaceutical GMP Professional & Food Safety Auditor through the American Society for Quality (ASQ).

Minyoung’s background spans food, dietary supplements, and pharmaceuticals, with a specialization in high-risk product categories across both manufacturing and corporate environments. She has deep expertise in precision fermentation, regulatory frameworks, and global market approval strategies, along with cross-regional experience throughout North America, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific.

Ecosystem manager, EIT Food

Susanah is an experienced Innovation Project Manager with a strong background in urban economic development and EU-funded ecosystem projects. She specializes in driving regional innovation through multi-stakeholder collaboration, focusing on co-developing and scaling projects that address real-world challenges.

Her work involves creating shared visions, managing collaborative efforts across diverse sectors, and ensuring the successful development and implementation of innovative solutions. She’s led projects in areas like sustainable tourism, urban food, and mobility, with a focus on circular economy and AI.

With over 20 years of international experience, Susanah is passionate about building sustainable, impactful, and ethically-driven innovations that bring tangible benefits to communities and industries alike.

Export Sales Manager, 65 Oats / Kinnusen Mylly

Teija Ruokamo is the Export Sales Manager of Kinnusen Mylly’s 65 Oats brand. Under the 65 Oats brand, gluten-free oat products are sold to the food and beverage industry across all inhabited continents, in over 40 countries..

Executive Chairman, ArcticStartup & Arctic15

Jan Ameri is the Executive Chairman of ArcticStartup and Arctic15. Entrepreneur-by-heart – and by actions since 1998. Being an expert in spotting new opportunities and creating new concepts, Jan has been a partner or co-founder in eight different companies in various industries.

In the early 2000’s he was already pioneering some of the very first WAP, SMS, and interactive TV based wireless games and fantasy sports games in the Nordic countries. He is very passionate about food&tech and innovation. Jan loves to watch Shark Tank in his free time. And he is an FC Barcelona fan. 

Co-Founder, Korvalaanen Ltd

Korvalaanen Ltd. is a family-owned company specializing in the further processing of its own harvest and especially in the original Finnish black oats.

The company started in 2020 on a first date and the journey has continued to its own mill operations and the conquest of the whole of Finland, all the way abroad.

The journey is still at the beginning, but the growth has been wild. Welcome to hear our story!

Innovation Director, Regional Council of South Ostrobothinia

Antti Saartenoja (PhD) works as Innovation Director at the Regional Council of South Ostrobothnia. He has 30 years of experience in regional planning, development and research.

In his current role, he is responsible for promoting internationalisation and innovation in South Ostrobothnia. 

Entrepreneur, Wild&Berg

Viktoria Forsberg is an entrepreneur with a background in the food industry and marketing.

She has developed market-leading brands in Finland, made her first successful exit after building a marketing agency for five years, and has now created Finland’s first “fullsnack” products with Wild&Berg.

Passionate about sports, health, and branding, Viktoria thrives on driving development and getting things done – with the sky as the limit.

CEO, Mysoda Oy

David Solomon is the CEO of Mysoda, a Finnish company on a mission to revolutionize the sparkling water market worldwide.

Mysoda combines cutting-edge craftmanship with world-renowned design to bring a new generation of sparkling water makers to life.

We can see David’s passion towards sustainability and design in Mysoda’s producs and way of doing business.

Director, FitoLab

Joana Costa is a microbiologist and the Director of FitoLab – Laboratory for Phytopathology at Instituto Pedro Nunes (IPN), a technology transfer organisation supporting research, innovation, and start-ups in Portugal.

She is also a researcher and lecturer at the University of Coimbra, co-coordinating the One Health research line and contributing to agroecological transition initiatives. Her work focuses on plant and soil microbiomes, nature-based solutions and tools to assess ecosystem health, promoting resilient and sustainable agri-food systems. Joana integrates several national and European projects, bridging science and SMEs. 

R&D Pioneer in Food Technology

Biologist and entrepreneur Maxime Willems is a driving force in food innovation. As the founder of Foodlab Proef, he helps companies and startups develop new products, optimize formulations, and explore alternative ingredients. With expertise in fermentation, plant-based alternatives, and functional ingredients, he is a sought-after expert in the industry. “If you don’t experiment with new ingredients and techniques, you risk falling behind.” 

Foodlab Proef is the strategic Plug & Play R&D Lab where food companies—big or small—can accelerate product development and tackle technical R&D challenges. With a state-of-the-art test kitchen and deep scientific expertise, Proef supports businesses at every stage, from concept to market-ready production. 

Export Manager, Atria Ltd. 

With over 12 years of experience in export, Seppo Pellikka is currently working as Manager of Export actions in Atria Ltd.

He particularly appreciates Atria’s roots and the fact that the company is owned by its producers. That, if anything, makes a man proud. The same applies to how things are done at Atria in general. It’s easy to stand behind it yourself.

Seppo would like to develop further in the world of sales and export, especially in the diversification of exports.

Senior Scientist, PhD, Bioeconomy Policy and Governance, LUKE (FInland)

Claudia Giordano is a Senior Scientist in Policy and Governance for the Bioeconomy at LUKE (Finland). She was formerly an Assistant Professor in Agri-Food Sciences and Technologies at the University of Bologna.

Claudia has worked as a consultant for UNEP, FAO, the European Commission, foundations, and NGOs. From 2019 to 2020, she served as Special Adviser on the 2030 Agenda to the Italian Minister of Research and Education.

Her work focuses on food policy and governance, urban food strategies, food system transformation, living labs and food hubs, and the measurement of food waste. 

Growth Director for Food Exports, Ruokatieto ry

Jukka Vainionpää, M.Sc. (Food Science), is the Growth Director for Food Exports at Ruokatieto ry. He focuses in his role to develop the strategy process for food exports, combine the needs of companies to increase exports and, in particular, represent the food sector and companies’ views in the steering of government resources, research and education needs, and the formation of a food country image.

Jukka Vainionpää is a professional in the food industry and export with strong experience in food exports, the ability to act as a strategic leader and a proven track record of successful project management. He has solid experience in international B2B sales and customer relationship management, as well as extensive networks in the sector.

Agronomic Engineer, Project Coordinator, Fundación Entretantos

Agronomic Engineer with Masters Degree in Organic Agriculture. For 20 years, she has focused her professional activity on the development of initiatives and actions in the framework of agroecology, cultivated biodiversity and food policies, in Spain but also in other countries as Brazil. 

In this sense, it must be highlighted her work as manager in a cooperative of organic farmers in the south of Spain for 6 years, director of the Seed network of Andalucía for 11 years and, since 2005, as coordinator of the Red de Semillas “Resembrando e Intercambiando” (Spanish seed network). 

Now, she is developing her career in Fundación Entretantos where she coordinates different projects working on the promotion and research of agroecological transition of local food systems. It must be highlited her role as responsible of the food, climate and cultivated biodiversity policy program of the City Food Network, Red de Municipios por la Agroecología, where she is leading The Barcelona Challenge for Good Food and several other projects.

Food Systems Lead, Research Fellow, ODI

Maryam is leading the agri-food systems work in ODI’s Climate and Sustainability team. Her work spans sustainable urban food systems, building food systems resilience and climate adaptation in fragile contexts.

She is a seasoned professional with experience across multiple sectors and regions, collaborating with governments, NGOs, and international organizations towards climate proofing livelihood, and improving food security and nutrition for communities.

Before joining ODI, she worked as a food systems advisor at the UN – FAO in Rome and led agri-food value chain and food systems programs in FAO Near East and North Africa region

Project Coordinator, SIXFOLD at SEAMK

Markus Ojala is Project Coordinator of SIXFOLD at Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences (UAS), specializing in food processing and food systems.

With a strong focus on sustainability, Markus leverages digitalization to enhance and innovate within the food industry.  He is also a member of the board of SS4AF S3 partnership. 

Head of the Finnish National Culinary Team

Katja Tuomainen is the Head of the Finnish National Culinary Team and a seasoned professional in the restaurant and food industry. With a background in leadership, concept development, and international collaboration, she has played a key role in promoting Finnish food culture both at home and abroad.

Under her guidance, the Culinary Team achieved a historic gold medal at the IKA Culinary Olympics, bringing international recognition to Finland’s culinary excellence.

Expert and a project portfolio coordinator, Natural Resources and Bioeconomy Team, SEAMK

Anu Palomäki works as an expert and a project portfolio coordinator in the Natural Resources and Bioeconomy team at SEAMK. She is a co-lead of the Sustainable and Responsible Food Production research group.

Palomäki is also a doctoral student at the University of Helsinki, focusing on climate change adaptation in food systems. Palomäki has developed South Ostrobothnia’s food system climate roadmap and adaptation strategy, and actively works with regional, national, and EU-level projects to promote sustainable and climate-resilient food systems. She has extensive experience in project development, management, and stakeholder collaboration. 

Development Manager, Into Seinäjoki Oy

Elina Koivisto is Into Seinäjoki’s development manager and she has over 15 years of public sector experience in regional development, food export promotion, and SME growth.

She has specialized in building international stakeholder networks and utilizing EU-funding instruments to strengthen cross-border cooperation.

Elina’s focus on initiating and managing strategic projects that enhance company competitiveness and sustainable growth, especially in the food sector.

CEO, Foodwest Oy

Senior Researcher, University of Helsinki, Ruralia Institute

Silvia Gaiani is currently leading a 5-year research on Innovation and entrepreneurship towards a sustainable transition of the food system. I am also leading GENGREEN, an Interreg Aurora sponsored project on female green entrepreneurship across Finland, Sweden and Norway and a NKJ sponsored project entitled A Nordic Baltic framework for sustainable food systems.

Silvia is involved in international and national projects related to Nordic food systems and food entrepreneurship and teaching a course on ”Food entrepreneurship, sustainability and innovation in Africa and in the Nordics” in the framework of UNIPID, the Finnish University Partnership for International Development.

Silvia is also one of the organizers of Food Days, a yearly event aiming to raise awareness on food innovations in Finland and at supporting the Nordic entrepreneurial culture. I’m a member of UNA EUROPA Self Steering Commitee on Sustainability.

Kujawsko-Pomorski Agricultural Advisory Center

Anna works at Rural Development Department that leads the innovative Rural E-box initiative for farmers and food processors

She is a coordinator in Horizon agricultural projects for KPODR since 2020. She has a double (English and Russian) philologist degree and is a interdisciplinary worker cooperating locally and internationally with stakeholders in agricultural area.