Meet Nanna Ulsøe
Please introduce yourself (who are you and what do you do in your life)
My name is Nanna, I am a serial tech entrepreneur from Denmark who loves working with skilled people that want to make a change. After several years abroad in China, the US, and the UK, I moved back to Denmark in 2012 and quickly started my career in tech.
Which team and when did you graduate?
Team 15 and I graduated in 2011.
What have you been doing since you graduated as a Kaospilot?
My first step was to do a Master’s degree in Project Management in the UK. In 2012 I returned to Copenhagen and got a job as a Sales and Marketing Manager which I hated. I felt like I was wasting my time on e-mails and long meetings, so I promptly quit and have been a tech entrepreneur ever since.
My first company Canvas Planner was one of the few bootstrapped tech startups in Denmark. We never took in funding to build the business, and it gave us a lot of freedom to build the product and business we wanted. The idea with Canvas Planner was to make movable tasks on an online whiteboard, to minimize interruptions, ineffective meetings, and too many internal e-mails. In 2019 Canvas Planner became the winner of the IBTM accelerator in Barcelona and I became the Female Founder of the year. Canvas Planner is used by teams all over the world and now we have made a partnership with ClickUp, an upcoming American productivity tool. Besides having a consulting company Future Work, then I am just about to launch a new AI Startup, Roccai. It is a swipe solution that can help people make better decisions when browsing online.
To have influence and flexibility in my work is key
What is important for you in your job?
I am driven by building tech startups that make an impact. Working with smart people, learning, and creating results. Starting a new business is the perfect reason to create a new work culture and leadership style that matches the present. I believe in working remotely, the culture, the digital tools, and the mindset are different when working remotely, and it will be a big part of every startup I create or join.
To have influence and flexibility in my work is key.
What major learnings would you point out from your experience that have shaped you as a leader?
It takes failures and a lot of hard work to shape the life I dream of. For me being able to reflect on the mistakes I have made has been key for my growth as a person and as a leader. I trust my gut feeling and react if something doesn’t feel right.
What is your biggest source of inspiration right now?
I find huge inspiration in my network, friends, and family. I also enjoy listening to podcasts and participating in online debates to expand my horizons.
What would be an example of a learning or an experience from your time at Kaospilot that has been important to you?
My final project is the worst project in my life – Fundraising for Skateistan. I was working with people that turned out to do a lot of deceitful things. Having my own reputation put on the line and being the face for this when behind the scenes there were a ton of ethical challenges, this experience has given me a strong filter on who I work with and being involved in decision making.
Choose the advice you follow carefully
What is a piece of advice that you would like to give future Kaospilot graduates?
An important person in my entrepreneurial journey told me to always remember that advice is free for others to give, but you are the one that has to live with the consequences of the decisions. Choose the advice you follow carefully 🙂