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ABOUT US

Slush is a not-for-profit organization on a mission to help and create founders to change the world. Based in Helsinki, Slush annually hosts the world’s leading startup event bringing together a curated crowd of European startups, world-class investors, and tech journalists. We stand by relevance over scale, bringing tangible value, and sharing actionable company-building advice. No fluff.

In addition to our event, we serve founders and investors with a year-round online community and matchmaking platform, Slush Online, and support nascent startup ecosystems globally to build their own local events through Slush’D.

Slush is owned by the Startup Foundation, a Finnish not-for-profit working towards strengthening the Finnish startup ecosystem. Most of any profits made by Slush go back to the foundation which uses it to support other ecosystem initiatives.

Slush is run by a group of students and recent graduates, and our main event is made possible every year with the help of 1,600 volunteers.

OUR MISSION

We believe entrepreneurship is the most efficient way to change the world at scale. We need more builders. However, at the same time, we know that building companies is hard.

Therefore, our role is three-fold: inspire, help, and collide.

  • We aim to inspire the current and future generations to solve hard and complex challenges through entrepreneurship.
  • We want to help these people to build impactful and durable companies.
  • We ensure that the people building and enabling the success of such companies collide.

In other words, we want to create and help founders to change the world.

OUR FOCUS

At Slush, we believe that entrepreneurship is the most efficient way to change the world at scale. Right now, perhaps more than ever, we face pressing problems to solve.

Our goals for the decade are derived from Entrepreneurship Redefined, a whitepaper we wrote in 2020. In it, we explore three important axes of change we think the entrepreneurial ecosystem should focus on.

  1. Firstly, we need companies to be built by a diverse set of individuals. After all, people solve problems they themselves face.
  2. Secondly, we need those companies to take extraordinary risks that, if successful, change the future beyond recognition.
  3. Thirdly, we need them to pursue the most pressing problems of our time. For that, we need the society at large – investors, LPs, academia, corporates, and regulators – on board.

The change doesn’t happen overnight, nor is it something we can just focus on during one event, tick a box, and consider it done. That’s why we’ve dedicated the 2020s to really working on it.

READ OUR WHITEPAPER HERE

OUR VALUES

BE CURIOUS

Slushers are some of the most curious people you will come across. We ask a lot of questions. We have strong opinions, but we are curious to hear reasons why we might be wrong. We refuse to act on information we don’t fully understand. Many of us are avid readers. When we meet new people, we delight by being genuinely interested in them. Internally, we share what we’ve read and learned in Slack channels like #learning and #great-content. Some of us have personal interests that border on irrational.

This is important for three reasons:

  • Slush is a workplace that will give young people more responsibility than any other. What we lack in experience, we must make up for in curiosity.
  • In our efforts to build a one-of-a-kind event and community, we have ventured beyond where any other event organizer has gone. No playbook exists for the work we do. Every day, we must answer questions that haven’t been asked before.
  • Slush is not a destination, it’s a launchpad. While we truly care about the work we do at Slush, ultimately, we recognize that the measure of our time here will be everything Slush helps us do down the line.

TRUST BY DEFAULT

At Slush, trust is not earned, it can only be lost. From your first day as a Slusher, every person will believe in you more than you believe in yourself.

We show this trust in ways that set us apart from most workplaces:

  • At Slush, almost all* decisions should be made by the team member who owns the corresponding domain. We trust each other to seek out the necessary perspective to make an informed decision.
  • We share all information openly. We document our work publicly in Notion and do not allow private Slack channels. The only exceptions are channels in which sensitive people-related or confidential commercial matters are discussed. We believe that ample access to information results in the best work and trust our colleagues to do what’s best for Slush with this information.
  • We are flexible on our working habits. Whenever possible, you are free to choose where you work from and when. We trust and encourage our team members to arrange their work in a manner that maximises their productivity and wellbeing.
  • At Slush, leadership is a division of responsibilities, not an expression of hierarchy or a command chain. We trust every Slusher to act as if they were the founder of their own domain.
  • Within your first month at Slush, you may well find yourself giving a lecture at Aalto or on a call with a unicorn founder. From Day 1, we trust our colleagues to be exceptional spokespeople for Slush.

Importantly, a company operating at this level of trust can only ever work if each of us tries hard to live up to that trust. In doing so, we are guided by our other eight values.

*For Slush to operate efficiently, certain areas call for alignment and accountability. Therefore, there is a short but important list of decisions that must be made centrally. It includes culture, core routines, high-level strategy, target-setting, compensation, and organisational structure.

NEVER SETTLE

Andy Grove has said: “Only the paranoid survive”. At Slush, we prefer the version: only those who never settle thrive.

In the past decade, we’ve built the world’s leading startup event with a group of students and volunteers. This is an exceptional feat. However, we are only getting started. We will never stop asking “What next?” and “How could this be improved?”.

In fact, we work in an ecosystem that was designed to dethrone incumbents. Therefore, we, if any, should know that category-leadership is transient. Getting here was the easy part. The hard one is that which stretches out ahead.

The startup ecosystem also reminds us that legacy and creativity are hard to reconcile. While we build on the great work we’ve done over the years, we must constantly evaluate that work from first principles, as if nothing had come before us. Equally, we don’t hire people who can execute a checklist, we hire those who can throw it out the window and redefine how to get to their goals. At Slush, every day is Day 1.

EXCELLENCE IS A HABIT

Attention to detail compounds over time. Even in startups, excellence is nothing more than a habit. For that, we have high standards for ourselves in doing the basics right:

  • We respect the intense struggle of the entrepreneurial process. When dealing with our community, we always show up on time and communicate promptly.
  • We always close the loop—both internally and externally. If we are unsure, we say “I’ll figure it out and get back to you.”
  • We understand that there is always more work to be done than hours for doing it. In order to achieve our objectives, we actively take time to prioritize, de-prioritize, and plan our work.

By being consistent with the basics—even when no one is watching—we create an environment where we can expect the same from others. That, in turn, preserves our headspace for solving hard problems that deserve our attention.

STRIVE FOR CLARITY

We are a complex company. Very few organizations of 30–50 people have 15 teams, 1,500 volunteers, 3 main products, dozens of revenue streams, and thousands of customers. Even fewer employ a team whose average experience with the company is less than a year.

For these reasons, we try to be very clear in the following three actions:

  • Communication. The most common root cause of failure at Slush is unclear or insufficient communication. Therefore, we are concise in our communication, ask the right questions while providing the needed context, and question our colleagues when we suspect we’re being asked the wrong ones. We put extra effort into documentation because we know it’s a gift to our peers and future generations of Slushers.
  • Decision-making. Every Slusher owns nearly all decisions related to their domain. Even after heated debate, once a decision is made, we expect our colleagues to stand behind it. Therefore, we seek ample perspective before making a decision, reason rigorously, and then communicate clearly. At Slush, a decision isn’t considered made before it has been communicated to everyone who it might affect.
  • Leadership. As leaders, we recognize that our most important job is to set our teams up for success. Our responsibility is to reduce complexity—we set goals that clearly communicate what we expect of our team members and by when. Subsequently, we help our teams do intentional, clear, and specific work. We ask “why?” over and over again. When a team member gets really stuck we are there for them with clear guidance, ready to get our hands dirty and tackle the challenge together.

Each of these modes of clarity is underpinned by a clarity of thinking. That is one of the core traits we look for when hiring.

Lastly, it’s worth mentioning that clarity and complexity can rarely be reconciled verbally. Therefore, in pursuing clarity, we default to writing.

CARE DEEPLY

We care deeply for our work, and about our colleagues. We are curious to get to know our team members and proactively ask how they are doing. Even if in a hurry, we take time to pause and listen.

Work at Slush is about us, not me. Our community is unique in several ways:

  • To date, over 10,000 people have passed through the Slush team leaving their mark on the community. We recognize that without our amazing volunteers, Slush as we know it would not exist. Therefore, we care deeply about making their experience and Slush journey as meaningful as possible.
  • We win and lose as a team, and help beyond our own responsibilities. We own our failures and embrace them as a collective opportunity to learn. Moreover, we make sure to celebrate everything from the tiniest wins to major achievements. Internally, we spread positive news through channels like #posiposiposi and celebrate our colleagues both in public and private.
  • Each year, the team shapes the company and event to look like their own. When hiring, we seek people who share our values and culture while adding to our team with their backgrounds and personalities. We want this to be a great place to work, and it’s the team in place any given year who decides what that looks like.

Finally, we give and ask for candid feedback to help each other grow. We steer clear of gossip and encourage giving feedback directly by asking “Have you said this to…?”. When encountering something uncomfortable or against our culture, we don’t close our eyes but run toward the pain.

DEFAULT TO ACTION

Like the startups we work with, Slush works best when we execute early and iterate rapidly. While we value rigorous thinking and thoughtful plans, we acknowledge that we rarely know the final solution before starting to work on it. We believe everything is a “work in progress” and therefore share our work openly for feedback, both internally and externally, ****already ****before it’s ready.

We recognize the difference between half-done and half-thought. While the former is acceptable and part of the iterative process, the latter is something we try to avoid. We aim to think-share-improve instead of making our colleagues do the thinking for us.

We are frugal like a startup, and default to solving problems with creativity over budget. Whenever it makes a difference, we are ready to get our hands dirty and do things that don’t scale.

Slush trusts you more than you do. To complete our work, we first ask ourselves “Can I do this myself?”, and only then ask for help. More often than not, we learn something very useful along the way.

STAY HUMBLE

Slush exists to help and create founders to change the world. To pursue our mission, we actively put founders first in everything we do.

We acknowledge we’re not (yet) founders ourselves, and make an effort to understand the founder mindset by going out there to ask, listen, and read.

At Slush, all founders are equal. It does not mean that we serve every founder similarly, as founders’ needs differ based on where they are in their journey. It means that we obsess about solving founders’ problems at all stages, and the Slush experience of a pre-seed founder is equally important as that of a main stage speaker.

We recognize that, while we’re at Slush, we have been put in charge of a project that is not our own. Ultimately, we know that doing what’s best for Slush translates into maximal personal learning for ourselves.

REDEFINE ENTREPRENEURSHIP

At Slush, we believe that entrepreneurship is the most efficient way to change the world at scale. Right now, perhaps more than ever, we face pressing problems to solve.

For these reasons, we feel a sense of urgency about shaping a brighter entrepreneurial future in Europe. We believe that it requires three axes of systemic change:

  1. Firstly, we need companies to be built by diverse individuals who build in collaboration with the rest of society, including academia, governments & the arts.
  2. Secondly, we need those companies to take extraordinary risks that, if successful, change the future beyond recognition.
  3. Thirdly, we need them to pursue the most pressing problems of our time.

We call this redefining entrepreneurship.

As Slushers, we can enact this change. Therefore, as a company work to live up to these same virtues. Therefore, diversity, inclusion, and sustainability are the core guiding values we use when making decisions. Therefore, they guide us in everything from target setting, budgeting, concept work, and team operations. By keeping these principles in mind in every single action you take, we collectively create meaningful change.

OPEN POSITIONS

The Slush Team consists of students and recent graduates looking to build a better world through entrepreneurship. Slush is not a destination, it’s a launchpad—we’re here to learn how to build great products and companies, and the measure of our time here will be everything Slush helps us do down the line.

ART DIRECTOR

About the role

As Art Director at Slush, you’ll shape the creative vision for the world’s leading startup event, crafting a brand & annual theme experience that mesmerizes early-stage founders in the global tech ecosystem. You’ll lead our Design function by creating bold campaigns and visual guidelines that capture Slush’s unique energy (Slush magic) across both digital channels and physical event design. Working directly with our Chief Product Officer Julius, you’ll have the creative freedom to collaborate with world-class studios/agencies as well as are responsible for directing in-house efforts to push boundaries in immersive storytelling (audio & visual) through the latest technologies.

What you’ll be doing

  1. Visual Identity of Slush: Design the thematic framework for Slush 2025, including visual/audio/motion mood boards, color palette, typography, tone of voice, etc.
  2. Event Experience Design: Lead the creative collaboration with our production company Sun Effects who is responsible for technical design and production, to ensure event concepts align with the Slush brand & theme of 2025
  3. Creative Campaigns & Partnerships: Including but not limited to the Slush theme video, social media content templates, merch design, event photography, after-movie.

As a Team Head, the Art Director is also responsible for:

  • Your team’s routines (team weeklies, 1-on-1s, team recaps, feedback 1-on-1s).
  • Managing (with the support of your supervisor) your team’s workload and priorities.
  • Ensuring that the team reaches the set targets (to be agreed together with Julius)
  • Maintaining and supporting (with the support of your supervisor and Slush People Team) your team’s wellbeing, motivation, and personal development.

What you’ll need

  • Strong portfolio demonstrating experience in both digital and physical brand experiences, with proven track record of leading visual identity projects
  • Proficiency in creating graphic design & motion graphics through industry-standard design tools (Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects, Figma)
  • Proficiency in video tools (Premiere Pro or similar)
  • Deep curiosity & ambition to explore, learn about-, and push the boundaries of emerging technologies in creative production
  • Excellent understanding of contemporary design trends, typography, and color theory
  • Strong project management skills with ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously
  • Ability to translate abstract concepts into visual narratives
  • Excellent communication skills in English, both written and verbal
  • High clarity of thought & self-reflection

Nice to have

  • Experience working with startups or tech companies
  • Knowledge of AI tools like Midjourney, Flux, RunwayML, etc.
  • Experience in managing relationships with external partners/agencies
  • Proficiency in 3D design and animation (Blender, Cinema4D or similar)
  • Familiarity with web design (WordPress/Webflow/Dora/Framer, HTML, CSS)
  • Prior leadership experience

Practicalities

This is a full-time, paid position, with a permanent contract starting ideally at the end of January/beginning of February 2025.

Our team primarily works at the Slush Helsinki office, due to the physical nature of our work and to build a stronger team culture within a continuously rotating team. Therefore, 3-4 days per week of office presence is required. However, partial remote work is possible if the team is aligned and kept in the loop with reasonable prior notice.

Hiring process

We open the recruitment process in December and aim to finalize the last interviews in late January. The hiring process consists of:

  1. Introduction call (20 mins)
  2. First round interview call (45-50 mins)
  3. Homework assignment (4-5 hrs)
  4. Second-round interview in-person/remotely (60-75 mins)

If you have any questions about the role or the process, feel free to send an email to our CPO Julius at [email protected]

APPLY HERE

UI/UX DESIGNER

Overview

The Product Team at Slush is responsible for ensuring a high-quality digital event experience for our event-goers, from ticket purchases to our in-house Matchmaking Tool, as well as other products such as our year-round platform, Slush Online. While our brilliant dev team builds these products, the UI/UX designers are working on creating a smooth user journey and ensuring that our digital products have intuitive and cohesive design. This is where you come in.

You will be working together with the Head of UI/UX design and the dev team to bring the best digital solutions to our platform.

Requirements

Hard skills:

  • 1-2 years of experience in web/UI/UX design through work, studies or hobby projects. (This is not a hard requirement and applications will be reviewed case by case.)
  • At least 2-3 portfolio cases that will be attached to the application.
  • Proficiency in Figma. Building low and high fidelity prototypes.
  • Strong understanding of UX practices, and deep desire & curiosity to master this field.

Soft skills:

  • Proficiency in English.
  • Strong collaboration skills, including the ability to coordinate, build consensus, and communicate your vision to the team in a clear way.
  • Ability to think critically and creatively to solve design challenges and improve user experiences.
  • Excellent time management skills, effectively balancing tasks and scheduling work autonomously and meet deadlines.
  • Proactive in taking initiative to drive progress.

Bonus points:

  • Experience designing products from ideas to real users.
  • Basic understanding of code that will help to create, test, and review products more efficiently.
  • Basic skills in WordPress / Webflow.

Responsibilities

  • Conduct user research, gather feedback, and analyze the findings, enabling continuous refinement and enhancement of user experiences across our products.
  • Create comprehensive user journeys, user flows, wireframes, and both low-fidelity and high-fidelity prototypes tailored to meet project-specific needs.
  • Strong collaboration skills to work with cross-functional teams, including CPO, Head of UI/UX design, developers, and marketing team.
  • Strong attention to detail with a focus on consistency and quality in design deliverables.
  • Willingness to learn new tools and techniques and adapt to design trends and technologies.
  • Document all of the solutions made throughout the year to keep the future generation of Slushers in the loop.

What you will get

  • You will perfect your hard skills as a UI/UX designer by working on challenging products and concepts that serve all our core audiences.
  • You will become an expert in the user experience of our core customers and users on the Slush platform, ranging from startup founders to investors and from media to partners.
  • You will build a unique network of people throughout the global startup & innovation ecosystem (VCs, founders, facilitators), as well as an international tech/innovation/CVC network through our counterparties (leading tech companies globally).

Practicalities

This is a full-time, paid position with an ideal start date in the beginning of March 2025. The role is fixed-term until the end of the year 2025. Our team primarily works at Helsinki office, due to the physical nature of our work, therefore 3-4 days of office presence is required. However, partial remote work is possible if the team is kept in the loop.

The position reports directly to the Head of UI/UX design and Chief Product Officer. The nature of the work also requires close collaboration with our team of software developers to ensure smooth hand of of design projects.

The application deadline is Feb 2.

If you have any questions about the role or the process, feel free to send an email to our Head of UI/UX Design Polina at [email protected]

APPLY HERE

HEAD OF MEDIA & PR

The Media & PR Team at Slush

The Media & PR Team is responsible for nurturing Slush’s relationships with journalists before, during, and after the event, and leading Slush’s own PR efforts. The goal of the team is to attract the world’s leading technology journalists to Slush and create the best experience of any event on the planet for them.

Media is one of Slush’s core audience groups, and the Media & PR team works closely with the other external-facing teams (Startups, Investors, and Program). The Media & PR team also cooperates closely with the Growth team to realize its own and joint targets. The Head of Media & PR reports to the President, Elin.

Based on current plans, the Media & PR team will be a one-person team in 2025, supported by 2-3 Team Leads in the fall. However, there is an option of recruiting a full-time Media Ops to join the team in the fall, depending on the projects the Team Head decides to undertake and their personal aspirations for the team.

Media Operations at Slush 2025

Media is one of the three core audiences at Slush’s main event. We want to stay true to our mantra of relevance over scale and attract the very best in technology journalism to Slush, including outlets like The Information, Axios, and Forbes. The Media & PR Team builds the relationships, concepts, and operations that attracts these people to Helsinki and makes them have a delightful time here. The Media & PR Team works closely with the Program team to invite relevant journalists as moderators to Slush, and helps facilitate interviews between top journalists and speakers.

Slush’s own PR

We believe that companies become the stories they tell about themselves, and therefore, we aim to tell great stories about Slush. The Media & PR Team is responsible for the PR efforts around our main launches, such as the event launch and speaker launch, as well as building Slush’s reputation as a thought leader in the industry. The Media & PR team builds and manages the relationships that make this possible and coaches the wider team on how to talk to media.

Responsibilities of the Head of Media & PR

  • Owning Slush’s relationships with top technology media, making sure we understand their needs and convincing them to join the event.
  • Curating and creating the media offering at Slush 2025, both independently and together with our partners and other teams. In 2024, this included Media Morning, Media Area, Media Bank and Media <> Speaker intros. In addition, the Head of Media & PR works closely with the Head of Program on identifying and inviting relevant journalists as moderators on our stages.
  • Leading Slush’s PR efforts. This includes crafting narratives for Slush’s own PR work and pitching them to journalists, preparing team members for interviews, writing press releases, and preparing for crisis communications.
    • The Head of Media & PR works especially closely with the CEO on this, as the CEO acts as the external spokesperson for Slush.
  • Educating, supporting & collaborating with other Slush teams that rely on our media networks. This might include helping our Investor team curate journalists as moderators for Investor Day, or working with the Growth team on our concept launches to ensure they reach a wide audience.
  • Creating and reviewing the media accreditation process and providing customer service to media representatives looking to join Slush.
  • As a Team Head, the Head of Media & PR is responsible for:
    • Taking care of the team’s routines (team weeklies, progress reporting, feedback 1-on-1s).
    • Setting the team’s targets and managing the team’s workload and priorities (together with Elin)
    • Recruiting, onboarding and leading 2-3 Media Team Leads in the fall.

Ideally, you’d have

  • A curious mindset to absorb the dynamics of the global startup ecosystem and excitement to build value as a communications & PR professional within it.
  • Previous experience working with media, communications, and/or public relations, or exceptional excitement to learn how it’s done.
  • High ambition levels. Our goal is to make Slush the most attractive tech conference on the planet for a tech journalist, and we want you to show us the next step on the way there.
  • Leadership skills with the ability to make decisions, set and prioritize goals, and delegate tasks. As this is a single-person team for most of the year, you need to have excellent self-leadership skills and thrive when advancing projects independently.
  • Excellent project management skills, including the ability to comprehend and lead multiple projects at once with several different stakeholders. You thrive when you get to create concepts, turn them into roadmaps, and hold yourself accountable to achieving what you set out to do.
  • Excellent written and spoken English, including the ability to produce high-quality written texts (such as press releases). Native-level Finnish is seen as an advantage, but not a requirement. The ability to work and communicate effectively between internal teams and external stakeholders is an absolute must.

Practicalities

This is a full-time, paid position, with a permanent contract starting ideally at the end of February or in early March 2025.

Our team primarily works at the Slush office in Helsinki. Due to the physical nature of our work and our commitment to build a strong culture within a continuously rotating team, 3-4 days per week of office presence is required. However, partial remote work is possible if the team is aligned and kept in the loop with reasonable prior notice.

Hiring process

We open the recruitment process in January and aim to finalize the last interviews by mid-February. The hiring process consists of:

  1. Introduction call (25 mins)
  2. First round interview call (50-60 mins)
  3. Homework assignment (5-10 hrs)
  4. Second-round interview, preferably in-person (60-75 mins)

If you have any questions about the role or the process, feel free to send an email to Slush President Elin at [email protected].

APPLY HERE

LP RELATIONS

About the Role

As LP Relations at Slush, you will be the driving force behind our engagement with limited partners (LPs), ensuring that Slush 2025 is the premier event for international LPs. Your role will involve crafting compelling concepts and communication strategies that resonate with international investors, highlighting the unique value Slush offers. Collaborating closely with our Head of Investor Relations, you will manage long-term relationships with LPs and spearhead efforts to sell LP tickets to Slush.

What you’ll do

  • Relationships-building and Outreach
    • Conduct cold outreach campaigns to identify, engage with, and convert potential LPs
    • Build and nurture relationships with LPs by understanding their needs and aligning them with relevant opportunities
  • LP Engagement and Value Creation
    • Act as a trusted liaison between Slush and LPs, ensuring consistent communication throughout the year
    • Develop tailored strategies to add value to existing LPs, enhancing their long-term engagement
    • Regularly gather feedback from LPs and integrate insights into improving their experience
  • Event Planning and Coordination
    • Lead the planning, coordination, and execution of the Slush LP Track, ensuring it meets the expectations of LP participants
    • Providing opportunities for fundraising venture capital investors through continuous introductions throughout the year and concepts, such as Slush x RAISE
  • Partnerships and Collaboration
    • Build and maintain partnerships with key stakeholders
    • Actively identify and secure LP Track Partnerships to enhance the event experience.
    • Facilitate seamless interactions between GPs and LPs during Slush events and initiatives
  • Strategic Contribution
    • Contribute to the development of long-term strategies for LP relationship management and engagement
    • Stay informed about market trends in the venture capital and investment landscape to refine outreach and engagement approaches

What You’ll Need

  • Relationship Building & Strong Interpersonal Skills: Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with high-level stakeholders from various backgrounds
  • Event Management Experience: Familiarity with organizing and managing events
  • Sales Experience: Experience in sales or business development, with a track record of meeting or exceeding targets
  • Planning and Independence: Ability set and stick to your own strategic goals and being able to work independently without close supervision
  • Interest in Investment and Venture Capital: A keen interest in the startup ecosystem and venture capital investment landscape, and an ability to quickly learn about new markets
  • Strong Communication Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.

Good to Have

  • Interesting study background (university studies in business, engineering, law, social sciences or similar)
  • Experience working with international investors, other multi-national organizations, or within the venture capital industry
  • Prior experience in a role within the tech or startup environment

Practicalities

This is a full-time, paid position with a fixed-term contract, ideally starting in the beginning of March 2025 and running until the end of 2025. Our team primarily works at the Slush Helsinki office to foster a strong team culture, with 3-4 days per week of office presence required. Partial remote work is possible with prior notice and team alignment.

Hiring Process

The recruitment process opens in January, with final interviews expected in late-February. The process includes:

  1. Introduction call (20 mins)
  2. First round interview call (45-50 mins)
  3. Homework assignment (5-10 hrs)
  4. Second-round interview, preferably in-person (60-75 mins)

We’re continuously reviewing applications, so don’t wait to apply! We’ll hire as soon as we find the right candidate (the last chance for applications is on Monday, January 27).

For questions about the role or the process, please contact our Head of Investor Relations ([email protected])

We look forward to hearing from you!

APPLY HERE

PROGRAM CURATOR

The Program Team

The Program Curator is part of the Slush Program Team, responsible for managing up to 200 main stage speakers at Slush. The team’s mission is to bring the leading experts and brightest minds from the startup ecosystem to our stages—sharing their knowledge, learnings, and stories with the audience. These stages and the speakers they host are a defining feature of Slush, leaving a lasting impact on the event and the ecosystem for years to come.

Founder Stage Curator

The Founder Stage celebrates the founding stories of iconic companies, inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs to think big. This stage focuses on journeys of growth, challenges, and vision while remaining highly relevant to early-stage startups. The curator has a deep understanding of entrepreneurial milestones, a strong ability to connect with influential founders, and can effectively drive conversations with crucial stakeholders.

Impact Stage Curator

The Impact Stage drives essential conversations about the intersection of technology, society, and the startup ecosystem. It highlights topical phenomena, critical trends, and the societal implications of technology, offering a platform for exploring bold and thought-provoking ideas. The curator thrives on big-picture thinking, excels at identifying impactful trends, and is confident in facilitating meaningful conversations on challenging subjects.

Builder Stage Curator

The Builder Stage provides practical insights into company-building, scaling, and operating startups, equipping founders with the tools to create groundbreaking companies. The ideal curator is a practical thinker with a strong grasp of operational challenges, adept at curating actionable content on scaling, funding, and team-building, and experienced in addressing the needs of early-stage entrepreneurs effectively.

Startup Stage Curator

The Startup Stage showcases emerging startups, revolutionary ideas, and rising voices shaping the future of technology and business. Some of these founders have gone on to build notable companies and achieve unicorn status. The ideal curator has a keen eye for innovation and is passionate about amplifying diverse voices, spotting breakthrough ideas, and creating opportunities for new entrepreneurs to shine on a global stage.

Responsibilities

As a Program Curator at Slush, you’ll play a pivotal role in shaping our main stage content. You will own one of four stages, driving its content vision and execution. Your responsibilities include:

  • Research, identify, and invite world-class speakers to your stage
  • Build and maintain meaningful relationships with speakers and their teams
  • Develop stage talk concepts, prepare descriptions, schedule sessions, and oversee preparation calls to ensure high quality content
  • Design mentoring opportunities that connect speakers with founders
  • Recruit, onboard, and lead a volunteer team supporting your stage during the event

Requirements

  • Strong enthusiasm for the global startup and venture capital ecosystem, with a focus on learning and developing
  • A deeply curious mindset, eager to explore challenges and opportunities in the startup world
  • An ambitious and proactive attitude, willing to pursue bold ideas and execute them effectively
  • Exceptional research and critical thinking skills to identify and pitch compelling content ideas
  • Strong project management and execution skills, managing multiple tasks and priorities independently from the big picture down to the details.
  • Empathy and humility—key for building relationships and collaborating within a team. Understanding of the nuances of relationship-building & networking.
  • Ability to communicate clearly and persuasively, simplifying complex ideas and putting them into perspective
  • Fluent in written and verbal English

We value potential over perfection. At Slush, we’ll support your growth and equip you with the skills to excel in the startup ecosystem.

Commitment

  • Full-time, fixed-term role (until the end of 2025) based in Helsinki.
  • Start Dates:
    • March 2025: Founder Stage Curator and Impact Stage Curator.
    • May 2025: Builder Stage Curator and Startup Stage Curator (flexible start, latest May).

If you have any questions about the role or the process, feel free to send an email to our Head of Program Maryama at [email protected]

APPLY HERE

INVESTOR OPERATIONS

About the Role

As an Investor Operations at Slush, you will be integral to creating the world’s best investor experience. You will be responsible for building and maintaining relationships with approximately 3,500 investors attending Slush 2025, acting as their primary point of contact. Your role will involve investor relationship management, organizing Investor Day and other investor concepts, executing volunteer operations, and conceptualizing new value-adding initiatives.

You will work closely with the Head of Investors, Camilla, and collaborate with various Slush teams, such as Partnerships, Startups and Growth. The Investor team is part of Core Audiences at Slush together with Startups, Program, and Media & PR.

What You’ll Do

  • Investor Relations and Sales
    • Build and nurture relationships with leading venture capital investors, communicating the unique value of Slush and creating mutually beneficial partnerships
    • Manage sales (tickets, lounges, side events, etc.) and relationships for specific investor partnerships
    • Review and process incoming investor applications, providing excellent customer service
  • Event Operations and Coordination
    • Lead and execute the Investor Team’s volunteer operations
    • Own the operations of existing investor products and concepts
      • Your main responsibility will be organizing one of Slush’s flagship concepts: Investor Day, a 2,000 person event gathering together all investors coming to Slush on Day 0
      • In addition, you’ll be responsible of some smaller investor concepts, such as breakfast events
    • Collaborate with the Product and Startup teams to create the world’s best meeting experience
    • Develop and execute new concepts that add value for investors, in collaboration with the team
    • Support and collaborate with other Slush teams that rely on investor networks, such as Program and Startup teams
  • Strategic Contribution
    • Contribute to the development of long-term strategies for investor engagement
    • Stay informed about market trends in the venture capital landscape to refine outreach and engagement approaches

What You’ll Need

  • Curious Mindset
    • Eagerness and quick ability to learn to understand the dynamics of the global venture capital landscape and startup ecosystem
  • Project Management Skills
    • Ability to manage and lead multiple projects simultaneously
  • Self-Starter
    • Strong execution skills and the ability to advance projects independently
  • Interest in the Startup Ecosystem
    • A keen interest in the startup ecosystem and venture capital investment landscape, and an ability to learn quickly
  • Communication Skills
    • Excellent written and spoken English, with the ability to work effectively with internal teams and external stakeholders

Good to have

  • Interesting study background (e.g., university studies in business, engineering, law, social sciences, politics or other)
  • Experience in event organization through e.g. volunteering or university clubs/associations

Practicalities

This is a full-time, paid position with a fixed-term contract, ideally starting in March 2025 and lasting until the end of 2025. Our team primarily works at the Slush Helsinki office to foster a strong team culture, with 3-4 days per week of office presence required. Partial remote work is possible with prior notice and team alignment.

Hiring Process

The recruitment process opens in January, with final interviews expected in late-February. The process includes:

  1. Introduction call (20 mins)
  2. First round interview call (45-50 mins)
  3. Homework assignment (5-10 hrs)
  4. Second-round interview, preferably in-person (60-75 mins)

We’re continuously reviewing applications, so don’t wait to apply! We’ll hire as soon as we find the right candidate. (The last chance for applications is on Monday, January 27).

For questions about the role or the process, please contact our Head of Investor Relations at [email protected].

We look forward to hearing from you!

APPLY HERE

PARTNERSHIP MANAGER

Overview:

You will work closely with our whole Partnerships team (including four Partnership Managers), led by the Head of Partnerships. Also, since partner activities are interconnected to almost everything Slush does, you will be working closely with many other teams like startups, investors, finance and marketing.

What will you get?

  1. The partnerships team is the commercial core at Slush, responsible for most activities seen from the outside during Slush week; 80% of events and 80% of production during Slush are organized by partners, generating 50% of all revenue, and most of all growth possibilities in the future.
  2. You will not have the same amount of freedom, responsibility and trust in any other organization; leading a multi-million not-for-profit’s commercial operations and development will be fast-paced and highly rewarding.
  3. Due to our culture of “trust by default” and the constant need to renew ourselves, Slush has become one of the best founder & startup operator schools on the planet. You’ll get to work with an exceptional young and ambitious team that never settles.
  4. You will build a unique network of people throughout the global startup & innovation ecosystem (VCs, founders, facilitators), as well as an international tech/innovation/CVC network through our counterparties (leading tech companies globally).

Responsibilities:

  1. Be part of defining our partnership strategy to fund 50% of Slush operations and lead Slush towards its mission by creating value for startups through partner presence.
  2. Act as an account manager for tens of forward-looking companies—your deals totaling up to €1 M Euros. You will manage the partnership journey from start to finish. This includes managing the first interaction, leading negotiations, closing the deal, and executing the partnership to enable a long-lasting relationship between the partner and Slush.
  3. Lead projects and own the decision-making for your own concepts (e.g. business development in a specific offering, partner side events, or Partner Day -concept) based on your interests and abilities.
  4. Drafting highly tailored proposals and ensuring your deals are closed quickly. You’re responsible for contributing around 10 % of Slush’s annual revenue, supported by the Parntership team and our Head of Parterships.

Requirements (examples):

  1. Experience in having ownership of B2B deals and superb comms skills – grammar, rhetoric, and all the basic stuff. Empathy and understanding your counterparty’s perspective in client relationships and internal teamwork.
  2. Understanding the basics of client relationship work – maintaining good relations with your partners throughout the year.
  3. Analytical mindset – experience in breaking down complex business cases, approaching problems in a structured manner, or conducting analyses to support your decision-making.
  4. Ability to take complete ownership and to execute a project.
  5. Deeply into learning and development – eager to learn about feedback, new industries, business models, corporate-startup collaboration, project management, etc.
  6. Understanding of, or curiosity, towards the tech & startup scene, and how stakeholders benefit from startup collaboration.
  7. Ability to strive, give high-fives, be proactive, and efficiently lead a team even under pressure.

Practicalities

This is a full-time, paid position, with a fixed-term contract until the end of 2025. We are recruiting two Partnership Managers at the same time. The roles start during February or early March.

Our team works mainly at our Helsinki office. Because of the physical nature of the work we do at Slush, working here will require some amount of office presence, but partial remote work is also possible.

Hiring Process

The process includes:

  1. Introduction call (20 mins)
  2. First round interview call (45-50 mins)
  3. Homework assignment (5-10 hrs)
  4. Second-round interview, preferably in-person (60-75 mins)

We’re continuously reviewing applications, so don’t wait to apply! We’ll hire as soon as we find the right candidate.

If you have any questions, feel free to send a message to our Head of Partnerships Charlotte at [email protected].

We look forward to hearing from you!

APPLY HERE

CONTACT US

OUR TEAM

AINO BERGIUS
CEO

JOAKIM BERGER
Head of Production

NOORA SAKSA
COO & CFO

CAMILLA KOMULAINEN
Head of Investor Relations

SAANA PIRTTIJÄRVI
Operations Producer

YING ZHANG
Developer

ALEJANDRA COBOS
Marketing & Comms

ANNI KOTOLA
Finance Operations

ELIN DÖLKER
President

HENRI MARONEN
Developer

MESBAUL ANINDO
Head of Marketing & Growth

STELLA KORPIKUUSI
Expansion (Slush’D)

MARGOT DE MAULMONT
Developer

ALI ZEIN
Partnership Manager

ANSHUL MAHAJAN
Head of Tech

ELINA LAURILA
Head of People

JULIUS THIMM
CPO & CMO

KAROLIINA PÄRNÄNEN
Art Director

MARIIA NEDELKINA
Partnership Manager

MARYAMA MOALIM
Head of Program

SANTTU VAALAMO
Research

CHARLOTTE ALHOLM
Head of Partnerships

KALLE KAHANPÄÄ
Head of Startups

KIMMO PESONEN
Developer

POLINA KUKLENKO
Head of UX/UI Design

AAPO LEPPÄNEN
Developer