Networks Beyond Borders

Helsinki as Proof of Concept: Two Days, One Living Ecosystem

The Nordic Business Forum in Helsinki was much more than an event. It became the moment where I could truly put my methodology to the test.

Walk your talk: the ultimate test

With Add Business, I step in as a co-pilot. With Companyonwise, I always start from DNA Discovery — the process of uncovering what truly drives organizations. I apply that same logic to myself. The connection between Brussels and Tallinn is no coincidence; it’s a deliberate strategy — to build a living ecosystem that helps Nordic and Baltic companies enter Belgium, starting from their own DNA.

But this had to be more than just a strong narrative. It had to be proven — in practice, at a single event. I had two days. No team, no luxury of preparation. Only the Brella app — a matchmaking platform that connects people based on shared profiles and interests — and one belief: if this methodology worked, I would be able to assemble a functioning ecosystem in 48 hours.

Growth, innovation, and digitalisation: the driving force of the ecosystem

During the Nordic Business Forum, a mosaic of connections came together in just two days. The network included professionals from software development, leadership, talent acquisition, legal, sales, branding, and education. Names like Timo Kempanen (Growth Agency), Kai Lempinen (Appmore), Lasse Kukkonen (Leadership Coaching), Lise-Lotte Laane (Sorainen), Juha Qvick (SalesFrame), and Mari-Liis Ahven (Optimist Public) represented more than business functions — they became the building blocks of an ecosystem connecting technology, people, and markets.

The result was not a loose collection of conversations, but a coherent network of fourteen complementary experts — each contributing their own strength: growth, innovation, digitalisation, human development, branding, legal expertise, and academic insight. Together, they form the essence of what NBB HUB stands for: a multidisciplinary, international alliance where knowledge, network, and practice reinforce one another to create sustainable market access.

From markets to ecosystems: the bigger picture

When I founded NBB HUB, I — like many others — approached it through the lens of markets, data, and entry strategies: approaching companies, creating analyses, mapping out competition. Important, but incomplete. Modern businesses no longer operate in isolated markets, but in dynamic networks of collaboration and co-creation. This is even truer once those networks cross borders. Belgium is the perfect example: a country that seems complex at first glance, but whose diversity makes it a natural hub for European expansion.

Research confirms that business ecosystems — networks of organizations that cooperate and compete in the delivery of goods and services — are now critical for innovation, sustainability, and competitiveness (Espina-Romero et al., 2023).

But an ecosystem is much broader than just events. It includes universities and business schools (such as Vlerick, Solvay, and Antwerp Management School) that nurture talent and share knowledge; sector federations (like Agoria, Fevia, and essenscia) that represent their industries; and membership organizations (such as Voka and BECI) that unite thousands of companies. The art of internationalisation lies in knowing where these worlds intersect — and how to gain strategic access to them.

The human factor: DNA as a compass

This vision took shape for me last year when I met Lars-Erik Hion and Jana Kukk of Rethink on the same stage. Together, we mapped their organizational DNA — their authentic simplicity, their strength. That DNA became the foundation of their growth. Their story confirmed what I intuitively already knew: success in a new market doesn’t begin with data or strategy, but with identity. Companies that land successfully don’t come merely to find clients; they come to find partners who resonate with their DNA. That’s how sustainable ecosystems are built — from the inside out.

Theory becomes practice

The beauty of the NBB HUB narrative is that it is not based on theory to be tested later, but on real-time evidence. Helsinki became the proof of concept. I preach ecosystem thinking, I start from DNA Discovery, and I offer co-pilot guidance — and in Helsinki, I demonstrated that it works. In just 48 hours, I built a living ecosystem: fourteen professionals, six sectors, three countries. No spreadsheets, no reports — just practice that worked.

NBB HUB doesn’t operate from a distance but through proximity. Ecosystems are not static structures — they are living organisms. They grow, shift, and adapt. Their power lies in connection — exactly what Helsinki revealed.

References

• BCG Henderson Institute. Building Trust in Business Ecosystems. Boston Consulting Group, 15 September 2022.
• Espina-Romero, Laura C., et al. 7 Topics That Business Ecosystems Navigate: Assessment of Scientific Activity. Frontiers in Environmental Science 11 (2023).
• Rifa’i, A., Wibowo, A., & Kurniawan, A. Three Decades of Research in the Field of Business Ecosystem: A Bibliometric and Content Analysis. Cogent Business & Management 10, no. 2 (2023).

That’s how our collaboration with Rethink, a digital agency from Tallinn, began. Their founder, Lars-Erik Hion, captures it perfectly:

“Complexity happens naturally. Simplicity is something you have to fight for every day.”

What started as a spontaneous conversation grew into a journey where Rethink, through our DNA Discovery approach, sharpened its unique identity — and became our very first client outside the Benelux.

Who is Rethink?

Founded six years ago in Estonia, Rethink has become one of the leading service design agencies in the Baltic region. Their expertise? Guiding organisations through the design phase of better digital services — long before the first line of code is written.

“We try to shine in the preparation phase of a software development project. Anything with a digital touchpoint — that’s what we do on a daily basis.”

What truly sets them apart is not just what they do, but how they do it: human-focused, crystal-clear, and with a near-obsessive focus on simplicity.

“We try to make technology as human as possible.”

Simplicity as DNA — and as daily discipline

Rethink’s DNA statement impact through simplicity might sound light, but it’s anything but superficial. In a world where digital complexity keeps growing, simplicity is not an aesthetic preference — it’s a conscious, daily choice.

“It’s a constant reminder of what we need to be.”

During the DNA Discovery sessions, we uncovered what was already there — but had never been named. Not as a slogan, but as an anchor for how they work, communicate, and grow.

The click in Helsinki

I’ll admit it: I arrived at the Nordic Business Forum with sweaty palms. It was our first time there with Companyonwise, and I couldn’t help wondering: Do we even belong here?

Then, during one of the speed-date sessions, I found myself across from Lars-Erik. That one conversation changed everything. No sales pitch. No bravado. Just a shared sense of curiosity, clarity, and trust. Two entrepreneurs with a love for simplicity, for the people behind the organisation, and for clarity that goes deeper than any tagline.

“Everything is about human connection,” Lars said later. “We met the Companyonwise team and immediately felt something. You brought experience and empathy — and that’s rare.”

For me, it was the turning point. Yes, we belonged there. Not to prove ourselves — but to truly connect.

From boardroom to shared story

The power of the process lay in the dynamic. Hierarchies dissolved. Titles disappeared. Everyone spoke as a person, not a position.

“It put management and the rest of the team on the same level. We got rid of the usual roles — founder, new joiners, owner — and simply listened to each other.”

It gave the process oxygen, created openness, and built shared ownership. And it helped Rethink realise that impact through simplicity wasn’t external advice — it was an internal truth.

DNA before strategy

For Rethink, DNA is not a strategic document. It’s the foundation everything else rests on.

“The DNA should come even before strategy, mission, or vision. When we hire, a DNA match is more important than alignment with our mission.”

DNA became their touchstone for decisions, dialogue, recruitment, and collaboration. Because simplicity only becomes powerful when you name it — and protect it.

Exporting Baltic simplicity

Estonia is a digital frontrunner. What’s still a future goal elsewhere is already reality there. But for an agency like Rethink, the local market has its limits.

“Estonia has been punching above its weight. But for a company our size, the local market becomes small quickly.”

That’s why they’re deliberately looking beyond their borders. Their mission: to export Baltic simplicity. Not as a visual style, but as a way of thinking. And their DNA became the anchor for that ambition.

What stuck?

The sessions with Companyonwise weren’t about branding or positioning — they were about reconnecting with who they had always been.

“It helped us rethink ourselves a little — and that was valuable.”

No glossy language. Just an open process that proved once again: simplicity doesn’t happen by accident. But once you name it together, it lives on — in every detail.

From Helsinki to the Baltics

What began with one conversation in Helsinki became our first DNA Discovery project outside the Benelux. Rethink became our pioneer in the Baltics. And it confirmed what I felt in that first meeting: simplicity works. Connection works. And even when the work is serious, it should still be fun.