The experts of holistic education
FinlandWay’s® passionate experts help you to unlock the best of Finland’s early childhood education. Our team consists of experienced preschool teachers, nursery managers and PhD and Master’s degree level experts.
FinlandWay® was co-founded by education experts from the University of Helsinki and emerging markets impact specialists from the World Bank Group.
We have selected the core elements of Finland’s education excellence and use the latest technology and delivery models to support our partner schools and families to build better beginnings for lifelong learning.
Mission
Our mission is to offer the best comprehensive early education package, training local educators and preschools in the world-leading practices and designs from Finland. FinlandWay® enables preschools to create exceptional learning experiences for young students for better beginnings.
Vision
We work towards achieving global leadership in early years education excellence and lasting positive impact on the lives of the children, families and communities worldwide.
Quality
Empowerment
Joy of learning
Accountability
Give your child a holistic education experience
Find your FinlandWay® preschool and invest to world’s leading curriculum and methodology.
Start your own preschool franchise
Transform your career and help building better lives for the children in your community.
We combine our understanding of the demands and challenges of our partner countries with a firm footing in leading research and daily education practices of Finland.
Noora Laitio
FRSA, CEO and Co-Founder
A Cambridge economist and impact investment specialist in emerging economies, Noora has worked for IFC World Bank Group as their Nordic Representative and Western Europe Women’s Representative for Private Sector Projects, the European Investment Bank and in investment banking across five continents.
Jonna Kangas PhD
Education Expert and Co-Founder
A leading internationally published author, editor, speaker and researcher on participatory play-based pedagogy from Finland, Dr. Jonna is a Senior Lecturer and Teacher Training Expert at the University of Helsinki and a Joint Research Member at the Playful Learning Centre research laboratory. Her research has been published by Springer, Elsevier and Sage amongst others.
Marika Poutiainen
COO and board member
Marika is in charge of running daily operations and development projects at the FinlandWay® headquarters and making sure that the team members have the best opportunity to achieve their personal and customers’ goals. Marika can make everyone feel included and appreciated. In FinlandWay® she is excited about the possibility of constantly creating new and she thinks that challenges make the work interesting.
Laura Ketonen
Manager, programme design and training
Laura enjoys pedagogical problem-solving and innovation. She has strong competence in pedagogical mentoring and teacher training. Laura’s areas of expertise include programme planning and learning material development, with a particular focus on adapting the FinlandWay® methodology to diverse cultural settings. She can explain the Finnish pedagogical principles in a practical manner and is here to support our schools with the implementation of the FinlandWay® methodology.
Yassine Ayoub
business development manager
Yassine is a dynamic Business Development Manager with extensive experience in forging strategic partnerships and driving significant growth across various sectors, with a strong emphasis on fintech, IT, and education. His passion for harnessing communication skills and technology to create innovative solutions sets him apart, particularly in the rapidly evolving MENA market. Yassine adopts a proactive and results-focused mindset, excelling in developing scalable strategies, instilling client confidence, and navigating intricate negotiations with ease.
Amandine Mäkelä
Operational Excellence
Amandine is an early childhood education teacher with extensive experience in management, development and quality assurance. Having lived abroad for the past 25 years, she has developed a deep understanding of diversity and multilingualism in children. Her areas of expertise are in creating positive learning spaces that enhance children's participation, community development, and supporting teacher's professional growth.
Anni Taivainen
Pedagogy
Anni is an early childhood special education teacher with extensive experience supporting children with diverse developmental needs. Anni has worked as a preschool manager, where she played a key role in opening a new facility. Anni has a strong interest in language - and culture- aware teaching and has trained Finnish professionals on this topic. She is passionate about integrating more arts into daily activities and supporting the emotional development of young children.
We are a fast growing education company
and continuosly looking for new talents
Are you an early childhood education professional with good language skills? Or you might have great organisational skills and an eye for business opportunities? Above everything we appreciate a customer-centric mindset, can-do-attitude and the flexibility that working in a growing team requires.
