Founder · Unfiltered
Building companies across borders.
I bootstrapped an education company from Finland to €9.31M across Europe and Asia — the hard way, with no outside funding. This is what I learned, and how I can help.
Co-founded alongside a TIME100 Most Influential leader. Scaled from Finland into Vietnam and beyond.
About
Operator first, speaker second
Everything I share comes from having actually done it — not from a slide deck.
I bootstrapped an education company from Finland to €9.31M in annual revenue — with no investors, no safety net, and a market most people said couldn't be built. Along the way we expanded into Vietnam and across Asia, co-founded ventures with a TIME100 Most Influential leader, and built an organisation that runs 75% women in a field that doesn't usually look like that.
We also picked fights we didn't have to — including a public battle with a national government that tried to change the rules to stop us. Some of it we lost. Most of it made us. I keep the receipts.
What I care about now is passing the useful parts on: how to grow without funding, how to lead across cultures, how to enter emerging markets without romanticising them, and how to keep your judgement intact when everything is on fire. That's what I bring to a stage, a coaching call, or a boardroom.
Recognition
Award-winning, and on the record
Recognised at the Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards two years running — a track record you can verify.
Work with me
Three ways to work together
Every engagement starts with a conversation, not a price list. Tell me what you're trying to move, and I'll tell you honestly whether I'm the right person for it.
Keynote speaking
Founder-grade talks for conferences, leadership offsites, and founder communities — high on story and receipts, low on recycled LinkedIn wisdom. Delivered in English, tailored to your audience and stakes.
- Bootstrapping to eight figures without funding
- Leading across cultures and continents
- Building and scaling in emerging markets
- Holding your nerve under regulatory or financial pressure
One-on-one coaching
Private, ongoing work with founders and CEOs who are scaling something real and need a sparring partner who's been in the seat — not a life coach reading from a framework.
- Founders scaling past their first few million
- Leaders taking a company into new markets
- Decision-making, hiring, and holding the line
- Confidential, direct, and pointed toward action
Company consulting
Hands-on advisory for companies expanding internationally or rebuilding how they operate — especially teams eyeing Asia. I work with your leadership, not around them.
- Market entry and expansion into Asia
- Organisational design and scaling operations
- Introducing AI into the business, sensibly
- Turning a plan on paper into something that ships
On stage
Talks and themes I'm known for
A sample of the ground I cover. If your event needs something adjacent, ask — most of these bend to fit an audience.
Get in touch
Let's talk
Tell me a little about what you have in mind — a keynote, coaching, or a consulting engagement. I read every enquiry myself and reply personally, usually within two business days.
Prefer email? thomastiilikainen@gmail.com
Thanks — your enquiry is in.
I'll read it personally and get back to you within two business days.