This article was written by Nihan Suleiman, Crazy Town’s marketing intern.
Since its founding in 2024, Lahti Entrepreneurship Society (LahtiES) has been on a rapid growth journey. Built through pure passion, grit, and initiative, LahtiES is shaping the entrepreneurial landscape in Lahti—one step at a time.
Jazen Cordero, the current chairperson of LahtiES, shares that his journey began with a realization: although he was interested in entrepreneurship and student societies like LUTES, nothing similar existed in Lahti. Meeting Chinmay Deshmukh, who had already started working on a new initiative, was the spark that got LahtiES rolling.
After months of informal meetings, brainstorming, and navigating legal hurdles, LahtiES officially formed on January 22, 2024. Yet the road wasn’t smooth. Early challenges, such as operating without official funding and using personal savings to cover startup costs, tested the team’s commitment.
Jazen describes a pivotal moment in summer 2024 — when he realized that if he didn’t take ownership and drive LahtiES forward, it might fade away. He calls this turning point the ”LahtiES Reignition,” where he stepped up to lead new initiatives, organize projects, and fuel the team’s momentum.
Today, LahtiES is thriving. They work closely with local organizations such as LUT University, City of Lahti and Crazy Town. Their corporate team, led by Aliasgar Khimani, focuses on building a friendly, inclusive environment for students and aspiring entrepreneurs. Aliasgar emphasizes that the goal is to remove barriers around entrepreneurship, making it feel accessible rather than exclusive.
Crazy Town’s support has played a key role in this growth. LUT University’s Tero Rantala first introduced Crazy Town to LahtiES, paving the way for the local partnership. Supporting grassroots initiatives that foster an entrepreneurial mindset is at the heart of Crazy Town’s mission. Thriving entrepreneurial communities are built on social capital and shared ambition – and the LahtiES team had that spark from the very beginning.
Aliasgar expressed gratitude toward mentor Toni Pienonen and Crazy Town’s welcoming approach, which has provided LahtiES with vital working spaces, mentorship, and networking opportunities. Aliasgar describes Crazy Town as ”productive, peaceful, and well-organized.”
Looking to the future, LahtiES has big ambitions:
💥 Scaling up events like Startup Fest 2.0 and Entrepreneurship 101.
🚀 Launching new partnerships with major organizations like OP and Business Finland.
👋🏼 Hosting an ES Summit that brings together entrepreneurship societies from across Finland.
🌎 Building a startup ecosystem in Lahti by offering students practical workshops, internship pathways, and mentorship.
🤓 Reaching high school students to inspire entrepreneurship even earlier.
LahtiES also plans to deepen its collaboration with Crazy Town through joint events, internship programs, and creating a stronger local startup network. When asked for advice to aspiring student entrepreneurs, Aliasgar and Jazen agree: Start now. Don’t wait for permission. Begin building, prototyping, and validating your ideas immediately.
Lahti’s entrepreneurial scene is still young, but with LahtiES at the forefront, it’s clear that a vibrant and dynamic future is being built — one bold initiative at a time.
Follow LahtiES at www.lahties.com
