Heja Framtiden – Global Conversations on the Future

Technology can unlock life-changing opportunities for people with disabilities. Griet Vanhee previously worked as a speech therapist for ALS patients. She was recruited to the Swedish eye-tracking company Tobii and the newly formed division ⁠Tobii Dynavox⁠, focusing on AAC solutions - Assistive and Alternative Communications. On stage at ⁠Women in Tech Sweden 2026⁠, Griet showcased one of their products together with twelve-year-old Linnea, suffering from cerebral palsy, who could communicate through an eye-tracking device and a screen prepared with letters, words and phrases. Inclusion does not happen by accident, it happens by design. What potential could be fulfilled if more people were able to communicate on their own terms?Podcast host: ⁠Christian von Essen⁠ // Learn more at ⁠hejaframtiden.se⁠ and ⁠subscribe to the newsletter on Substack⁠ (in Swedish).

When ⁠Ken Villum Klausen⁠ founded ⁠Lunar⁠ in Denmark almost 11 years ago, he could hardly foresee the current AI landscape.With a resilient backbone formed on the struggles of building a proper Nordic challenger bank, Lunar is now increasingly positioning itself as an infrastructure for other fintech companies - and AI agents. Are we finally moving into invisible banking? Podcast host: ⁠Christian von Essen⁠ // Check out more episodes at ⁠hejaframtiden.se⁠ and ⁠subscribe to the newsletter⁠ (in Swedish)The episode was produced in collaboration with Lunar.

AI solutions are being rolled out at an incredible pace, but how do organizations and individuals implement these new ways of working in practice? Turns out there's a gap in AI adoption, not only between genders, industries and continents, but within companies and teams as well. Sweden-based ⁠Gertrude Chilufya⁠ is on a journey to bridge these gaps. As an AI Adoption Strategist, she helps individuals and leaders to get the AI ball rolling for increased productivity and better workflow. Heja Framtiden met Gertrude at ⁠Women in Tech Sweden 2026⁠ in Stockholm. Podcast host: Christian von Essen // Learn more at ⁠hejaframtiden.se⁠

Urban forests and gardens are increasingly important for shade, climate change mitigation, noise pollution and air quality. But out of the 100 Billion USD invested annually, there has been plenty of waste because trees are not properly taken care of. A third don't even survive their first year. ⁠Devon Young⁠ from Avanade and ⁠Hannah Prior⁠ from Microsoft set out to change this. Using their companies' combined technologies, they created a way of ⁠communicating with individual trees⁠ to see how they are doing. The solution is soon being rolled out to cities and municipalities looking to strengthening their preventive green maintenance. Heja Framtiden met Devon and Hannah at the ⁠Women in Tech Sweden conference 2026⁠ in Stockholm. Podcast host: ⁠Christian von Essen⁠Check out ⁠hejaframtiden.se⁠ and ⁠subscribe to the newsletter⁠ (in Swedish). Also: ⁠epic talkshow at Maxim in Stockholm 7th of May⁠ (also in Swedish).

Anyone who's met ⁠Shaena Harrison⁠ remembers the encounter, since she probably introduced you to a person you didn't know you wanted to meet.During her more than ten years in Stockholm, she has been working for tech companies like Klarna, Oneflow, LinkedIn, SingularityU Nordic and Telia, while volunteering at TEDx Stockholm. Eventually, she realized that could build something unique based on her skill as a super-connector, and founded ⁠Wing People - The Human Connection Company⁠, offering busy executives a professional "wing person" at events and conferences in order to make the most out their time, money and effort. In this episode, we dive into the topics of event design, connection skills, artificial intelligence and the power of opening doors for others. Podcast host: ⁠Christian von Essen⁠ Check out ⁠hejaframtiden.se⁠ and ⁠subscribe to the newsletter⁠ (in Swedish).

Cryopreservation is a common process in nature. Given that it already works with IVF embryos, could it potentially work for entire human bodies?James Arrowood believes so. He is CEO of Arizona-based non-profit organization ⁠Alcor Life Extension Foundation⁠, one of the largest cryonics facilities in the world. This is no longer just science fiction. Heja Framtiden met him after a ⁠cryonics seminar at Institute for Futures Studies⁠ in Stockholm. How far has the technology come today and when will we see the first attempts to revive people in the future? How does it actually work? And what happens if you wake up a hundred years from now? Podcast host: ⁠Christian von Essen⁠ // Learn more at ⁠hejaframtiden.se⁠ and check out the ⁠newsletter on Substack⁠ (in Swedish).

Mitchell Davis⁠ is a renowned authority in many different parts of the food system. He has been involved in The World's 50 Best Restaurants and the James Beard Foundation, and runs his own media outlet Kitchen Sense on platforms like Instagram and Substack. Heja Framtiden met Mitchell at the ⁠Stockholm Food Forum⁠, when the new Eat Lancet Commission was released. The episode is part of a paid collaboration with Stockholm Business Region's initiative ⁠Stockholm ImpACT Days 2025⁠. Podcast host: Christian von Essen // Learn more at ⁠hejaframtiden.se⁠ and ⁠subscribe to the newsletter (in Swedish)⁠.

Plenty of academic research end up in obscure publications behind big paywalls. When Abeni Wickham couldn't even access her own scientific paper, she realized that this was also undermining democracy. This led to the foundation of ⁠SciFree⁠, a digital platform allowing libraries to provide citizens with open access to thousands of academic papers and journals. They also work with digital preservation to safeguard and improve our collective memory. Heja Framtiden met Abeni at Norrsken House in Stockholm after the event AI for Knowledge and Democracy, as part of the overarching initiative ⁠Prompt What Matters⁠. Podcast host: ⁠Christian von Essen⁠ // Learn more at ⁠hejaframtiden.se⁠ and ⁠subscribe to the newsletter⁠ (in Swedish).

Heja Framtiden is a Swedish podcast and platform for conversations about the future. Here you can meet the futurists predicting the future, the entrepreneurs creating the future and the brilliant minds representing the future. With a variety of perspectives, we create a puzzle that never is solved. Whatever we think about the future, we should never stop cheering for it. Heja Framtiden is run by Christian von Essen in Stockholm, Sweden. Learn more at http://hejaframtiden.seThe main feed for Heja Framtiden (including Swedish episodes) can be found on Spotify, Apple and Youtube.

India faces many challenges related to climate change. But it's also a powerhouse of innovation and engineering. Rajat Kukreja is Entrepreneurship Manager at the ⁠University of Toronto India Foundation⁠ in Mumbai, enabling connections between science, government and startups to build new collaborative projects around urban planning and climate resilience. He has also been instrumental in developing the ⁠Sustainability Mafia⁠ network, currently gathering almost 100 climate tech founders in India. The ambition is to grow exponentially over the coming years, making sustainability "the default choice".Heja Framtiden met Rajat during his participation in Swedish Institute's yearly ⁠Impact Pioneers⁠ programme in Stockholm. Podcast host: ⁠Christian von Essen⁠ // Learn more at ⁠hejaframtiden.se⁠

Alpha Sennon⁠ grew up on a farm in Trinidad-Tobago, but never really liked it. He eventually built a concept around what he would have needed in order to be engaged in agriculture and see it as a viable career path. The result was WHYfarm. Enter ⁠Agriman⁠, a superhero that teaches kids about how cool it is to grow your own food (his female counterpart is cleverly called Photosynthesista) . Ten years into the making, the brand has evolved into comic books, a Youtube channel, youth and entrepreneur programmes, merchandise, e-learning, and food products with local fruits and vegetables that are sold in supermarkets. Heja Framtiden has a paid collaboration with Stockholm Business Region and the initiative ⁠Stockholm ImpACT Days⁠. We met Alpha Sennon at the foodtech conference Big Meet at Rosendals Trädgård. Podcast host: ⁠Christian von Essen⁠ // Learn more at ⁠hejaframtiden.se⁠ and check out ⁠all the previous English episodes here⁠.

The Ukrainian society is not frozen. Beyond the headlines, much of everyday life and business innovation is actually functioning quite well. Anastasiia Liubiashcheva is deeply involved in the Ukrainian startup ecosystem, working with Home of Startups Accelerator, ⁠Vacuum Deep-Tech Acceleration⁠ and the EU-funded consortium ⁠Seeds of Bravery⁠. Her mission is primarily to boost deep tech companies, moving from local labs to global markets. She explains how many agritech companies now have moved move into defensetech. But how is war-time life in Ukraine taking its toll on mental and physical health? Heja Framtiden met Anastasiia during the Sweden week of ⁠Swedish Institute's Impact Pioneers programme⁠. Podcast host: ⁠Christian von Essen⁠ // Learn more at ⁠hejaframtiden.se⁠

Being new in a country is difficult. Food is a great icebreaker, but how do you even enter these contexts in an effortless way? At the same time, many brilliant chefs are overworked, underpaid and rarely recognized for their time and effort. Stockholm-based foodtech startup ⁠Bestick⁠ wants to marry these two problems with a smooth solution. In their app, chefs can register to arrange food events on their own terms, while individuals can buy tickets to meet new people and experience amazing food. Heja Framtiden has a paid collaboration with Stockholm Business Region and the initiative ⁠Stockholm ImpACT Days⁠. We met Bestick founder and CEO ⁠Malika Kalitay⁠ during the ⁠Big Meet conference at Rosendals Trädgård⁠. Podcast host: ⁠Christian von Essen⁠ // Learn more at ⁠hejaframtiden.se⁠ and ⁠subscribe to the newsletter⁠ (in Swedish).

The power grid’s numerous substations require large amounts of hardware components and metals such as copper.Gothenburg-based ⁠EcoPhi⁠ was born out of CEO and founder Ebrahim Balouji’s research at Chalmers University of Technology, and today the company offers a combination of harmonizing hardware and AI-driven software.The aim is to digitalize the power system in order to enhance safety and monitoring, reduce resource use, improve energy efficiency, and facilitate the integration of renewable energy.Heja Framtiden has a paid collaboration with the competition ⁠Startup 4 Climate⁠, and EcoPhi is one of eight finalists that will pitch in front of the jury on 13th of November 2025 in Stockholm. Podcast host: ⁠Christian von Essen⁠ // Learn more at ⁠hejaframtiden.se⁠ and ⁠subscribe to the newsletter⁠ (in Swedish).

Hydrogen is increasingly important for the energy transition. But it's still expensive to produce it without fossil fuels. Rutvika Acharya is co-founder and CEO at ⁠Caplyzer⁠, aiming to change that equation. By developing a new generation of electrolyzers, Caplyzer wants to make a real impact in the world of hydrogen. Heja Framtiden has a paid collaboration with the competition ⁠Startup 4 Climate⁠, initiated by Godel and Ellevio, running on its sixth year. Eight finalist startups will be presented here in the podcast, and two of them will walk away with 1 million SEK after the final jury pitches on November 13th in Stockholm. Caplyzer is the second finalist featured here in Heja Framtiden in 2025. Podcast host: ⁠Christian von Essen⁠ // Learn more at ⁠hejaframtiden.se⁠ and ⁠subscribe to the newsletter⁠ (still only in Swedish).

Relationships and storytelling are keys to fixing the food system. At least according to Fiji-based Karen Mapusua, Director of the Land Resources Division at ⁠The Pacific Community⁠, enabling collaboration and technology transfer between 22 countries and territories in the Pacific Ocean. She is also president of the ⁠IFOAM Organics International World Board⁠. What are the Pacific region's strengths and challenges when it comes to food systems, climate change and water scarcity?We met Karen at the foodtech conference ⁠Big Meet⁠ in Stockholm during ⁠Stockholm ImpACT Days⁠, before her participation in ⁠The Stockholm Food Forum⁠. This episode is produced in a paid collaboration with ⁠Stockholm Business Region⁠. Podcast host: ⁠Christian von Essen⁠ // Learn more at ⁠hejaframtiden.se⁠ and ⁠subscribe to the newsletter⁠ (in Swedish).

Heja Framtiden has a paid collaboration with ⁠Stockholm Business Region⁠ and the newly instated ⁠Stockholm ImpACT Days⁠, where Re:Think Food is the theme for 2025. The week was kicked off by Big Meet, ⁠Sweden Foodtech's⁠ yearly conference, this time at ⁠Rosendals Trädgård⁠ on Royal Djurgården in Stockholm. In the kitchen, we met with Sabi Nazarian, also known as ⁠The Culinary Farmer⁠. He both practices and preaches small-scale agriculture as one of the most important solutions for shifting the food system towards sustainability, job creation, generational succession, resilience and self-sufficiency.The scaleability is not in the business model itself; it's in the movement of the many, towards regenerative agriculture.Podcast host: ⁠Christian von Essen⁠ // Learn more at ⁠hejaframtiden.se⁠ and ⁠subscribe to the newsletter⁠ (in Swedish only so far). ⁠Here are all the English episodes on Spotify.⁠

What are some of the most important lessons if you want to build a successful global brand from scratch? Swedish TV host, comedian, singer and writer ⁠Gina Dirawi⁠ decided to embark on an entirely new adventure when she started building her brand ZËIYT, developing olive oil products for skin and hair care. To boost the journey while gathering valuable insights, she simultaneously launched the podcast and video series ⁠Gina Mot Miljarden⁠, interviewing the best entrepreneurs and investors she could think of.In this episode of Heja Framtiden, Gina Dirawi joined Christian von Essen in front of a live audience at ⁠Norrsken⁠ House in Stockholm, for a conversation about entrepreneurship, empathy, passion − and the grit it takes to challenge an unsustainable industry with higher demands. The event was held in conjunction with the festival ⁠Rosendal Garden Party⁠ in June 2025.Podcast host: ⁠Christian von Essen⁠ // Learn more at ⁠hejaframtiden.se⁠ // Check out the ⁠newsletter on Substack⁠ (in Swedish).

The iPhone production demands plenty of rare resources, but the product lifespan is often cut short because of minor deficiencies, which leads to tons of unnecessary e-waste and carbon emissions. The Finnish company ⁠Swappie⁠ aims to give iPhones a second or third chance in the hands of consumers. After nine years of operations, it has over 700 employees and operates on 11 different markets. So how do you scale a circular business model with the use of trust, storytelling, AI and automation? Let's find out. This conversation took place on stage at ⁠Norrsken House⁠ in Stockholm as part of an event on circular economy. Also make sure to check out ⁠the whitepaper⁠ that Karin refers to in the episode. Podcast host: ⁠Christian von Essen⁠ // Learn more at ⁠hejaframtiden.se⁠ and sign up for the ⁠Swedish newsletter on Substack⁠.

Technology is often said to disconnect us from one another, but there are exceptions. Sean Rogg is an artist and futurist who continually explores how human emotions, empathy, and connection can be triggered, manipulated, and deepened through technology and collaboration. By making the audience an integral part of his experiments, he has broken away from traditional art practices and instead embraced the realms of futurism and transhumanism to push the boundaries of human connection.His ⁠The Waldorf Project⁠ has been evolving for over 15 years. We met him in Stockholm after the premiere of the VR performance Virtual Serenity, a powerful glimpse into how technology can be used to merge consciousness, art, and immersive experiences. And this is just the beginning. // Podcast host: ⁠Christian von Essen⁠ // Check out our previous ⁠English episodes⁠ and ⁠subscribe to the newsletter⁠ (in Swedish).