A student’s journey to one of the world’s coolest entrepreneurship events
By: Trinh Tran
Tags: Tech, Volunteer, Entrepreneurship, Slush, Startup

What do you do to lighten up Helsinki in November? I got to take part in the world’s biggest tech event, Slush. I was a volunteer there and I want to tell you about my journey within Finland’s big startup community. I am studying in one of the most stimulating startup hotbeds in the world and I explored the event like a hungry learner. The first and foremost thing I took along was my entrepreneurial spirit. It’s not just about business opportunities, but about being part of the startup ecosystem. Here’s where you should dare to knock on doors that can lead to exciting, new things.

The volunteering experience of a lifetime

All volunteers had fun and got set to rock at Slush 2017 (Photo: Otto Jahnukainen — Slush Media)

Volunteering at Slush brought me to the event and more than that. Indeed, I got access to one of the world’s leading startup events where a bunch of opportunities awaited. The experience is valuable because we feel appreciated. Volunteer Day was held prior to the main event for those who were about to get their hands dirty for Slush. There were various activities that helped making teams stronger while contributing to their cohesiveness.

That’s the spirit!

People including entrepreneurs, investors, journalists all gathered in the darkest time of Helsinki just to celebrate entrepreneurship.

“Nothing normal ever changed a damn thing!” Just like this motto, the atmosphere at Slush blew my mind. People were open to talk, to share and to learn. At Slush, I felt a strong curiosity. Nobody can resist the temptation of knowledge. Gladly, this temptation was satisfied by all the great talks given by inspiring speakers. Even a field I had never been interested in is now stuck in my mind. The stories I heard at Slush are now echoing in my heart.

The Fireside Stage (Photo: Jussi Ratilainen — Slush Media)

What is greater than being surrounded by tons of technology startups? It wasn’t just about testing the latest tech gear and checking the latest products and software. Jumping into the valley of startups was like bungee jumping. You could never know what to expect, how far you would go and how much you would see from these innovative entrepreneurs.

They told me about their stories and motivations, which truly stimulated my entrepreneurial enthusiasm. They want to give a hand to medical and social health. They want to enhance travel experience. They want to help marketers increase productivity and save more time. They want to support children with learning languages in a more creative and interesting way.

All of them, with different colors and shapes, were creating an awesome entrepreneurial celebration that inspired and appealed a foreign student like me.

(Cre: Sami Heiskanen — Slush Media)

As a volunteer, it was amazing to know that I was contributing to build up the strong entrepreneurship community. We helped each other, supported attendees, made the stage run smoothly. We all delivered the spirit and values of Slush. I felt that I was a piece in the puzzle that forms this community.

It was the experience of a lifetime!