Miguel Peltomaa, Moderator

Miguel Peltomaa is a sign language artist, media personality, and social media influencer focused on creating accessible content. Having lost his hearing as a child, he now uses a cochlear implant and has familiarized the public with sign language and its culture through various Finnish television programs, including children’s programming and music competitions.

Mikael Hiltunen, Project Manager (politics and society), Hanaholmen

Sandra Bergqvist, Minister of Youth, Sport and Physical Activity

Minister of Youth, Sport and Physical Activity Bergqvist is responsible for matters covered by the Department of Youth and Sport Policy, including matters related to student financial aid. Sandra Bergqvist holds a Master’s degree in Social Sciences and has also completed basic courses in family-based childcare and elderly care. Bergqvist has chaired Pargas City Executive and City Council and served as a member of the board of directors of the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland. She has worked at the Association of Finnish Municipalities, the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Swedish Assembly of Finland (Folktinget) and the Åbo Akademi University.

Tarja Krum, Project Manager of the WELLcome-project

Tarja Krum is the sustainability manager at Finlands Svenska Idrott and project manager of the WELLcome -project. She has experience in working with equality and inclusion in sports with sports associations and federations. Tarja is the chair of Equality Within Sport (EWS) committee and is the European representative in the Global Executive, an international board governing The International Working Group (IWG) on Women and Sport.

Dr. Tine Vertommen

Dr. Tine Vertommen holds a MA in Ethics, MSc in Criminology, and a PhD in Medicine and Health Sciences. She leads the Safe Sport research team at Thomas More University in Belgium and is a guest professor at Ghent University. Tine also serves as an external expert consultant to the Safe Sport Unit at the IOC, where she focuses on developing evidence-based tools and policies to promote safe sports. Her research emphasizes preventing interpersonal violence against children and adolescents in sports, and she coordinates the International Research Network on Violence and Integrity in Sport.

Dakota Robin, Certified Human rights Trainer and DEI Specialist

Dakota Robin, 33, is a business administration graduate and an internationally certified human rights educator. He is a former professional football player, who has trained organizations and communities worldwide on DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) topics for nearly 10 years. In 2023, Dakota was one of Finland’s most sought-after speakers, known for his warm presence and ability to create safer spaces for learning and inspiration.

Azuka Nnamaka, Operations Manager at RF-SISU Stockholm

Azuka Nnamaka has worked in different roles within the Swedish sporting community where she has voiced issues concerning equality and inclusion. For six years she was a board member of the Swedish Basketball Federation and installed a code of conduct with the hopes of safeguarding anyone in association with the federation but primarily the national teams. 

Henrik Krogius, Para Swimmer

Henrik Krogius is a para swimmer who has represented the national team in numerous international competitions, including the Para Swimming World Championships and the Para Swimming European Championships. He is a World Champion in short-stature swimming, a Nordic Champion in swimming, and has won several medals in the Finnish Swimming Championships.
He is currently in his third year studying Bachelor of Business Administration at Arcada University of Applied Sciences.

Moderator: Kim Lindblad

Kim Lindblad works as Manager of International Affairs and Languages at Humak University of Applied Sciences, Helsinki. He holds a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Elementary Education, specialized in physical education, from Åbo Akademi. Kim has extensive experience in teaching and international affairs. A lifelong sports enthusiast, Kim is actively racing in sailing as a member of Ekenäs Yacht Club, and has a background in track and field with Ekenäs IF.

Sofia B. Karlsson, Consultant and Project Manager in Safe and Equal Sports

Sofia B. Karlsson is a board member of the Stockholm Football Association and an employee of the Swedish Cheerleading Federation. With a background as a tennis player and a sociology major, she has extensive experience working in Swedish sports organizations, including the Swedish Sports Confederation, AIK Football, and SHL, focusing on gender equality, inclusivity, and diversity.

Lena Hindström-Pesu, Executive Director at Åbo IFK Sports Club.

Lena Hindström-Pesu is the executive director of Åbo IFK Sports Club. ÅIFK is a multi-sport club, with football and handball being the largest sports. Her responsibilities include leading and developing the club’s activities. The most important stakeholders are the families of the athletes and players, as well as a large number of volunteers. The club has full-time head coaches and lead coaches. The club has also acted as the pilot club for the WELLcome project.

Annika Rae, coordinator for multicultural education in the City of Turku.

Annika Rae is a multicultural education coordinator for the City of Turku, where she develops and coordinates educational services for newly arrived immigrant children and youth, as well as multilingual students who have lived in Turku for an extended period.

Abdirahman Sugulle, football referee.

Abdirahman Sugulle, 27, from Espoo, has Somali roots but was born and raised in Finland. He began refereeing football at 15 and has since officiated in the men’s second division and as a fourth official in Veikkausliiga. In his lecture, Abdirahman shares his motivation as a football referee and discusses how to inspire young people to pursue their passion for sports and achieve their dreams.

Maurizio Pratesi, expert in multiculturalism, Football Association of Finland.

Maurizio Pratesi is a former professional basketball player, having competed for six years in the German Bundesliga and as part of the Finnish men’s National Team. Since retiring in 2003, he has founded several NGOs and community programs supporting marginalized children and youth in sports. Currently, he is the Director of Walter ry and an advisor on diversity and anti-racism for the Football Association of Finland.

Moderator: Kim Lindblad

Kim Lindblad works as Manager of International Affairs and Languages at Humak University of Applied Sciences, Helsinki. He holds a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Elementary Education, specialized in physical education, from Åbo Akademi. Kim has extensive experience in teaching and international affairs. A lifelong sports enthusiast, Kim is actively racing in sailing as a member of Ekenäs Yacht Club, and has a background in track and field with Ekenäs IF.

Thomas Blomqvist, Chairman of Finlands Svenska Idrott