KAB-IFP opened the door to the Swedish startup scene

Her curiosity about the Nordic entrepreneurship scene led Vietnamese Quyen Nguyen to apply for the K-A Bonnier International Fellowship Program. She became one of four students accepted into the program’s second cohort, which became a gateway to her career and future. Today, she works at the Swedish startup Validio in Stockholm and dreams of one day contributing to the startup scene in her home country.

Between 2017 and 2023, a total of sixteen students from Sweden and Southeast Asia had the opportunity to participate in the K-A Bonnier International Fellows Program (KAB-IFP). The foundation initiated the scholarship program to strengthen the long-term business relations between the Nordic countries and Southeast Asia and to provide exceptionally talented students with knowledge and tools to succeed in an entrepreneurial environment.

– When I heard about the program, it felt like a perfect fit. I had worked for 4 years in Southeast Asia and have always been curious about the innovation and entrepreneurship scene in the Nordics. The fellowship program focused on exactly that and offered an amazing opportunity to interact with stakeholders in the field, through the Master program at SSE and its network, Quyen explains.

Unlike several other program fellows, Quyen chose to study her entire program period at the Stockholm School of Economics, spending two years in Sweden.

– I attended the Master’s program in Business & Management at the Stockholm School of Economics. The education was a mix of various courses and real-life business projects. I was particularly interested in the Innovation Course, which really led me into digital product development and the iterative mindset that I greatly benefit from in my job today. The projects also gave me insights that shaped my thoughts on a career path.

Quyen had the chance to do full-time work at a global tech company, a consulting firm, and within startups.

– It was incredibly valuable to get into the real work environment and experience what it’s like to work in different roles and companies. I came here to learn how innovation is fostered and truly had the chance to experience the innovative mindset. The program and the whole experience of living in Sweden has changed me on many different levels. It is a luxury to get to work in a dynamic, diverse environment while in a country with amazing nature and many values that I appreciate.

As Quyen graduated, the pandemic hit with full force with unprecedented shifts happening in many industries. She decided to join an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in and supports development of new companies globally. Her passion lies in the intersection of tech, commercial, and entrepreneurship, and today Quyen is a strategic projects manager at Validio, a Stockholm-based software startup. The company innovates within the data field, enabling organizations to trust the data that is being used in business-critical areas and in AI development.

– For four years, I have been contributing to the development of the Nordic and Swedish startup ecosystem, and I love it! The level of ambition is high and the pace is fast, but there is also great vision and strive for long-term performance. I also find the ability to collaborate to be world-class here. There is a strong belief in the power of collaboration and valuing everyone’s perspectives, which is inspiring.

She is content with here current position, but looking ahead, she has a desire to share her knowledge and experiences.

– I hope that one day I can combine my life in Sweden with contributing to the development in Vietnam by supporting startups there with knowledge or capital, Quyen concludes