Innovative Solutions for an Inclusive Workplace in 2026

Anna Tengqvist is the national and international coordinator at Forum for Social Innovation Sweden at Malmö University. Among other things, she coordinates the work at Competence Centre for Social Innovation. She has been working in the fields of social innovation, social sustainability, and empowerment for 25 years, leading, supporting, and evaluating change processes for sustainable development in Sweden and Europe.

Caroline Wigren-Kristoferson has an academic background in business administration with a focus on entrepreneurship and innovation. Her research focuses on entrepreneurship and innovation in various contexts, with a particular interest in how entrepreneurs are influenced by and interact with the social, institutional, and geographic contexts in which they operate.

Since 2020, she has been a professor of urban studies at Malmö University, and since the fall of 2025, she has also served as vice president for collaboration and innovation. In that role, she chairs both the steering committee for Competence Centre for Social Innovation and the steering committee for Forum for Social Innovation Sweden (Forum for Social Innovation Sweden).

National Coordinator for Swedish ESFCouncil. Has responsibility for Program Area E, social innovations, in the national program for the European Social Fund in Sweden together with Johnny Karlsson. Has in previously roles worked as  business developer at a other agency. Would you like to that the Social Fund be be used for to create conditions for long-term and sustainable solutions to societal challenges. 

Gloria-Karin is a project manager at Forum for Social Innovation Sweden. In her role, Gloria-Karin creates platforms for knowledge sharing and cross-sectoral collaboration addressing societal challenges, particularly at the intersection of the 2030 Agenda and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, with a focus on co-creation.

Together with her colleagues, she has, among other things, developed a method—the Coalition Method—to catalyze cross-sectoral collaborations, and launched“Social Entrepreneurs of the Future”(FRASE) at Malmö University, where 15–20 high school students have the opportunity to work in social entrepreneurship during the summer.

Gordon Hahn is the Executive Director of Coompanion Sweden and has extensive experience promoting the social economy and social innovation at both the local and international levels.

He is also a member of the project team behind Competence Centre for Social Innovation, where he serves as project manager for Work Area 6, which focuses on developing approaches to regional organization and a framework for organizing support for social innovation in Sweden.

Ingrid Westerfors is the acting CEO of Mikrofonden Sverige—a cooperative financial institution that works to promote greater financial inclusion for social enterprises and associations through its investments. She has participated in several collaborative projects focused on social innovation, the development of financing solutions, and a strengthened ecosystem for the social economy and social innovation, including serving as the lead author of the feasibility study report “A Functioning Social Finance Market in Dalarna.” She brings with her over 20 years of experience in project management and leadership roles within mission-driven and cooperative organizations and businesses, including over 15 years in social finance, cooperative banks, and support structures for new business ventures.

Johnny Karlsson is the national coordinator at the Swedish ESF Council, with a particular focus on social innovations within the framework of Program Area E. He is also the national validator for the European Commission’s Social Innovation Match database. He has worked primarily in the field of labor market issues for over 25 years, including as a former operations coordinator and section chief for the Swedish Public Employment Service’s “Jobbgaraget” in Tensta, as well as a project manager for several ESF-funded projects focused on marginalized youth and mental health issues. 

Josefin Aggestam is a project manager at the National Center for Competence Centre for Social Innovation and a business development specialist at Malmö University. Throughout her professional career, she has studied and led complex collaboration and change processes, often in areas such as the labor market, occupational health and safety, social work, and sustainable development.

With a background in evaluation, organizational development, and change management in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, she works at the intersection of academia and society to strengthen collaboration, learning, and long-term social change.

Lotta Orban is the communications manager at Competence Centre for Social Innovation and a project manager at Forum for Social Innovation Sweden at Malmö University. Lotta works on both strategic and operational levels, handling everything from news coverage, content creation, and storytelling across various formats and channels to project management, facilitation, and moderation.

Lotta has extensive and diverse experience in communications within academia. As a former journalist, she is accustomed to simplifying and clarifying complex facts and information. Through her work, Lotta aims to help make knowledge, research, and innovative solutions accessible to a wider audience.

Ruth Brännvall is an independent researcher with a Ph.D. in Economics and Management from the Royal Institute of Technology. She has published articles and books on topics related to the financing and development of social innovation in Sweden and internationally.

Ruth has extensive practical experience in this field as the founder of several organizations focused on social entrepreneurship and investment, such as Impact Invest and Impact Advisory.

Åsa Eriksson is a member of the Social Insurance Committee, where she is responsible for issues related to social insurance policy, the Swedish Social Insurance Agency, and Finsam. She has a background as a social studies teacher and previously served as an executive officer at the Södra Dalarnas Coordination Association and as chair of the municipal council in Norberg Municipality.