Hera: A Year in Bloom – Empowering Young Women To step into entrepreneurship with confidence

At Crazy Town, we believe entrepreneurship grows best in supportive communities. One of Lahti’s brightest examples is hera, a student-driven network empowering young women to step into entrepreneurship with confidence. Last week, hera celebrated its first anniversary, called Year in Bloom, right here at Crazy Town.

I had the opportunity to interview hera’s leading team, consisting of their co-founders Chaska Luna and Maggie Walters, as well as their co-lead Veronika Sulak and events lead Hanna Elsilä, to reflect on their journey, the challenges they’ve faced, and their hopes for the future. 

How It All Began

Hera was born from a simple but powerful observation. As co-founder Chaska Luna explains, “in Lahti, there wasn’t really a space where female students could connect over entrepreneurship. I noticed that many women around me had exciting ideas but lacked the right community or role models to feel confident enough to pursue them. So, we decided to build that space ourselves.”

Alongside Maggie Walters, Chaska set out to create a community where women could lower barriers, build confidence, and show that entrepreneurship is for everyone. 

The Power of Community Support

From the very beginning, hera had strong allies with Lahti Entrepreneurship Society (LahtiES). The board not only cheered them on but also actively supported them by helping them connect with sponsors, offering practical resources, and preparing the stage for hera members to step into Lahti’s wider entrepreneurial scene. 

As Chaska put it, LahtiES ensured both sides of the equation: “They made sure our community felt confident stepping out, and at the same time prepared the ecosystem to listen and amplify female voices.” 

One year in: Growth and Pride

Looking back on their first year, Maggie proudly says, “We underestimated just how much meaning a community like this could create. In just one year, hera has nearly quadrupled in size, and the impact within Lahti and slowly across Finland has been incredible.” 

But growth didn’t come without challenges. In the early days, the team often asked themselves: Would people show up? Would they find value? Would hera truly make a difference? According to Maggie, those doubts were overcome by staying true to their vision, listening to the community, and learning as they went.

Success is Courage

When asked about standout success stories, Hanna Elsilä emphasized that every member’s journey matters: “We’re still such a young community, and every female-led business we’ve seen is less than a year old. But every one of them is a success, because they’ve dared to start. That’s worth celebrating.”

What makes Hera Different?

For Veronika, the uniqueness of hera lies in its closeness: “Most of us know each other personally. That makes our events and workshops not only more enjoyable but also more supportive. We aren’t afraid to share even our wild ideas, and that pushes us all to grow faster and stronger.”

Hera supports young female entrepreneurs by organizing events, workshops, mentoring sessions, and excursions. These opportunities also help with connecting young female entrepreneurs to each other and with established founders & CEOs, giving their students a chance to expand their network and become more involved in Finland’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. 

Celebrating at Crazy Town

The team’s one-year celebration, Year in Bloom, was hosted at Crazy Town, a place that has become hera’s natural home. “Crazy Town has been the hub for so many of our meetings, brainstorming sessions, and new ideas.” Maggie shared. “It was the perfect space to celebrate this milestone.” 

For Hanna, celebrating here also helped introduce hera members to Crazy Town in a welcoming, informal way: “Crazy Town is still a new concept for many students. Hosting our anniversary party here was a way to show our community what it’s about – collaboration, creativity, and connection.”

Looking Ahead

When asked where they see hera in the future, Veronika envisions a thriving community of over 100 members, with more events, excursions, and accelerator programs designed specifically for women. The team also looks forward to strengthening existing partnerships with organizations like Wednesday in Helsinki, Meridian Agency, and Bright Cycle Spin Studio, while building new collaborations with the City of Lahti, Startup Foundation, and other female-focused communities. 

Words of advice

Finally, Hanna offers advice for any young woman just beginning her entrepreneurial journey: “Be bold, be bright. Try and fail, don’t let fear get ahead of you. Believe in yourself and be your own cheerleader, then surround yourself with people who cheer for you too.”