House of Many Voices 2025 – Another gathering of ideas, voices, and humanity

Insights|September 4, 2025

House of Many Voices returned to Helsinki this autumn. This time the event was bigger than ever, maintaining its iconic nature while filling the room with music, dialogue, poetry, and reflections on what it means to be human in a fast-moving world.

Insights

• Purpose and leadership are built on listening and storytelling
• Younger generations need real opportunities despite AI shifts
• Authenticity and compassion remain at the heart of being human
• Beauty, history, and even death can guide us if we dare to reflect

The evening began with violin by Lina Liekola, a finalist in the 2025 International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition, and welcoming words by Johan Sidklev, Managing Partner at Roschier, and Johanna Flythström, Partner at Roschier, who reminded the audience that the essence of the gathering lies in expanding horizons, suggesting solutions together, and daring to disrupt.

The keynote brought Reetta Rajala, Lauri Ratia, and Johanna Vesikallio into conversation about work and purpose. Reetta reflected on how family life had reshaped her view, while Lauri shared experiences from his book Pelastajat, where saving a shipyard also meant saving a town. He acknowledged the sacrifices of long work hours, the regrets, and the pride of seeing people employed. Johanna said that leaders must define purpose together with their teams, staying true in communication and using storytelling as a bridge: listen, talk, listen again, then crystallize the message.

The discussion moved to generational shifts. With AI taking over many entry-level tasks, young people risk losing the chance to learn through easier jobs. Reetta stressed the importance of data to counter age discrimination and show the strengths of older employees, while Lauri emphasized resilience: keep going, do different things, and take new roads. All agreed that diverse teams and opportunities for the young are essential.

The program continued with a wide range of perspectives. Anders Adlercreutz spoke about learning as curiosity that helps us make better decisions. Dakota Robin shared his story of growing up different, of struggling with identity and self-esteem, and of the energy it takes to pretend. Harri Koskinen reflected on beauty as a process rather than perfection, while Anna Savonen underlined the importance of compassion in a world increasingly shaped by AI. Stefan Nygård reminded us that history offers only a dim light into the future, and Juha Hänninen moved the audience with reflections on death as a natural, personal part of life that is often met with overcare and fear rather than acceptance.

The evening also offered poetry in Swedish by Marx Mukaru and Nasir Sarr, reclaiming language as a voice of identity, and discussion about music by Antti Ihamuotila and conductor Jukka-Pekka Saraste, who explored how interpretation and energy can change the meaning of a performance. Further, Harri Kulmala addressed networking in the age of AI, stressing the importance of meeting people with genuine interest rather than through algorithms alone. Alongside these, several other speakers shared their voices and perspectives, ensuring the event lived up to its name: a house of many voices.

The event will next return to Stockholm. To keep the conversation alive between the main gatherings, a series of deep dive events will also be organized, offering space to explore themes in more detail. Stay tuned for more.