GET TO KNOW OUR TEAM

Janne Saarikko

Janne is an experienced banker, finance manager, serial entrepreneur and environmental activist in his fifties. Janne brings to our team insight and experience in implementing international growth and bringing the best practices of the financial market to fight climate change. Antifragile, thinking, intelligence and fuck it, lets do it are Janne's keywords. In his work, Janne loves common sense, numbers and concrete actions for the benefit of nature.

Antti Kangas

Antti is a long-time organic farmer from Sievi whose entrepreneurial career started at the ripe age of 18 years. During his career, he has done a lot of international trade in agriculture all over Europe. He has even once playfully said that he has visited every EU country on a dunghill.

Antti has also cleared a lot of fields - including peatlands, actually throughout his entrepreneurial career. At the same time, saddened when fields in other parts of Finland remain uncultivated, when there is no demand for fields in those areas. A few years ago, he began to think about how we could somehow turn this common climate problem into something positive for our agriculture and Finland. The basic idea of ​​Carboreal was born from this idea in numerous phone conversations over the course of a couple of years.

Salomo Vilén

Salomo comes from an organic cattle farm in Sievi. He is a witty businessman and one of the creators of Carboreal. His entrepreneurial career began in his twenties in the bioenergy sector, from where the road has led to Carboreal through international trading activities and various machinery contracting activities.

Aleksi Vilén

Aleksi is the oldest of the Vilén brothers and the idealist of Carboreal. A rancher from Sievi, moved to Carboreal from the wood processing industry. Aleksi is also the Managing Director of TMW Raahe. Aleksi has more than ten years of expertise in the bioenergy and forestry sector. He is particularly interested in physics and technology, and at Carboreal his biggest inspiration is a domestic solution to a global problem.

Pirkka Vilén

Pirkka is the youngest of the Vilén brothers. Coming from a cattle farm in Sievilä, half of his life has been spent heavily in agriculture. His background includes experience in early childhood education and in construction and metalworking. At Carboreal, Pirkka is inspired by the opportunity to contribute to slowing down climate change, and when you have a great team, working doesn't feel like work.​

Laura Vainionpää

Laura holds an MBA in Business Innovation and Management, specialising in sales and customer experience management. She has multiple years of experience in domestic and international sales roles. Laura feels that Carboreal provides the opportunity to do globally relevant work.

Raimo Vainionpää

Raimo has over 30 years of experience in sales and customer relationship management. Raimo has a passion for climate and helping businesses.

Virpi Reinikainen

Raimo has over 30 years of experience in sales and customer relationship management. Raimo has a passion for climate and helping businesses.

Katariina Heinämaa

Katariina works as a part-time assistant to Carboreal's management. Her day job is at the Parliament. Katariina's career has been traced back through her studies as a horticulturist and artisan to the commercial sector. Carboreal offers her new challenges on her career path.

Olivia Sorvari

Olivia Sorvari is a second-year law student at the University of Helsinki. Olivia's work includes, among other things, working on contracts and conducting various background investigations. In addition to her work and studies, Olivia is active in organisations such as the student organisation Pykälä, ELSA (The European Law Students' Association) and her scout troop.

Tomi Penttinen

Tomi is a dairy farm farmer from Toholampi, who works full-time as an agricultural contractor during the growing season. He is also an agricultural machinery salesman whose entrepreneurial career started with the opening of his own computer shop. Tomi has come through many twists and turns to become part of Carboreal's sales team.

Ricardo Alvarado

Ricardo has over 30 years of experience in development projects and international relations. He is a former ambassador to Finland, Denmark, Estonia, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden.

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He served as Dean of the Faculty of Diplomacy in Finland (2017-2020) and Denmark (2007-2011). Prior to diplomacy, Ricardo held several management positions in Nicaragua in business development and academia.

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After obtaining a BEng in Chemical Engineering, he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and completed his Master's and PhD degrees in the United States.

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Ricardo is committed to building a greener and more sustainable society together.