The Growth of Bloom

It all started when…

our founder, Kelly Keodara, experienced challenges herself as an international integrating into the Finnish society. For many years, turning to various institutions for any level of support to not much avail. Discovering that the beautiful Finnish language wasn’t just complicated but a barrier in many ways. Slowly unraveling the hint of stigma that existed against the integration of foreigners into the community.

After speaking with many internationals across the nation, she immediately learned that she was not alone. Kelly understood that something must be done. Something needed to be built to help the internationals integrate better, which in turn can only help the entire state of Finland thrive. Since 8 years living, studying and working in Finland, she has learned the keys and solutions of integration in a brand, new environment. There is still much to learn but it felt like the right time to share the knowledge and experiences.

In 2020, during the ongoing pandemic, Kelly spent months researching the topic and conducted market research, in addition to interviewing hundreds of locals and internationals on the matter. Then she took action. This is when Bloom started to grow. With the support of the City of Tampere, this idea quickly evolved into something large. Much bigger and faster than ever intended. There was excitement and even relief — that something was actually being created to promote diversity and inclusion. The goal of Bloom has always been to create a safe space for both locals and internationals to feel welcome — regardless of where you are from.

Joining forces with co-founders, Jens Christian Trier Aagaard and Karen Ahtiainen, and current board members, plus our devoted volunteers, we are ready to bring the community together more effectively than ever before.

The adventure is just beginning. Let’s bloom together.