Monday Game LAB: People
Time: Monday February 2nd | 9:30-13:30
Location: Jeti (auditorium), A Grid, Otakaari 5, 02150 Espoo
Participation: Free of charge —registration required
Theme: Meeting, networking, building a team
Speakers: Samuli Syvähuoko & Aki Kanerva
How teams form, why people matter more than ideas, and how founders build trust, culture and momentum from day one.
Speaker: Aki Kanerva
Title: Turning Company Culture from Accidental to Deliberate
Companies rise and fall by their cultures. Every company has one, even if they aren’t aware of it. Do you want yours to be accidental or deliberate? This talk will give you tools to identify, discuss, and guide your culture.
Bio: Aki Kanerva (he/they) is an indie game ronin and sensei, expert generalist, and game startup mentor in multiple incubators. He founded Virtual Air Guitar Company in 2006 and is currently CTO at Psyon Games. Aki works across people, processes, technology, business, and marketing.
Speaker: Samuli Syvähuoko
Title: Why Investors Invest in Teams
From an investor’s perspective, teams often matter more than ideas. In this talk, Samuli shares why investors consistently focus on people, trust, and team dynamics when making investment decisions – and what founders should understand about building teams that inspire confidence and long-term belief.
Bio: Samuli Syvähuoko is a Founding Partner at Sisu Game Ventures and an experienced game industry investor. He has worked closely with early-stage teams and studios, supporting founders as they build companies with global ambition.
A Grid x Espoo Game LAB presents: Monday Game LABs
People. Fun. Appeal. Passion. Money.
A founder journey through the lens of the game industry.
A five-part lecture series exploring how people come together, build engaging products, create appeal, stay passionate, and ultimately turn creative work into sustainable business.
Each Monday features:
- An industry expert talk
- Coffee and networking
- An EGL Masterclass deep-dive in the afternoon
What to expect:
A combination of expert talks, a hands-on masterclass led by the Espoo Game LAB Lab Master, and time for networking and informal discussion.