We are introducing you to inspiring women on our network and share their stories. Maybe they can become your role models and lower the barrier to connect online and offline, especially when you meet in our meetups.

Your name? Laura Aaltonen

Where do you work, study or are you looking for job?

Hi, I’m Laura Aaltonen, CEO and Co-Founder of Cryptic Cargo. Cryptic Cargo is a new, digitalized innovation in the escape room market. We have created the first truly portable and self-controlled escape room games in the world. The physical escape games are packed in a suitcase and the experience is controlled by a smartphone app.

The games are so easy to operate that players don’t need a game master – or even a team member who reads a lot about the concept before playing! We are currently available in Helsinki metropolitan area. The concept has already even received international attention when it was chosen to the finals in INVIO experience technology solution competition in Copenhagen in July.

I’m also working as a board member in the newly founded Women in Games Finland – our goal being to bring more diversity to the games industry.

My tasks as a CEO include everything – but my favorite tasks are working closely with our strategy, marketing and game design. All these things tackle important questions within the technology sphere that I’m passionate about.

What is your title?
 CEO & Co-Founder

Email address? 
lssaaltonen@gmail.com

What is your story, your background?

I’m originally from Helsinki, Finland. My study background is from Hanken School of Economics with marketing as my major subject. For the past two years I have also been working with my own company – and am currently working to finish my Master’s thesis. I love experiences, traveling, food and craft beers and I have also been on an study exchange in Budapest, Hungary.

Is technology part of you work? 

Cryptic Cargo has its roots deeply in technology and digitalization – as we have digitalized some of the parts that traditionally are handled by personnel to make a truly portable experience. It has been a fascinating journey to design the service and figure out how we can digitalize something without any guidelines – since we are the first ones doing this!

Your biggest challenge at the moment at work or in self-development?

Truly believing in oneself and to the things one is doing are so important – and yet require so much work.  It’s a never-ending circle where work is required all the time but it’s so rewarding when you actually get there. I’m again not entirely there right now, but hopefully soon again 😊

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I can’t really say where I’ll find myself in 5 years, but what I want to be doing then, as I am now, is working with things I’m passionate about, learning new things and developing as a person.

What Future Female network has given you? Or what would you like it to give you?

Future female has been great for me. For instance, I received tons of support for Cryptic Cargo through being a member in their co-mentoring program last fall. On top of that, all the events are inspiring, teaching and also give an opportunity to meet new, exciting people. What could be better!

What is the best and the most important quality in your professional persona from your point of view?

I like to see myself as a generalist – knowing a fair amount of many things about many different things to be my thing so it’s difficult to choose just one quality. Perhaps being a perfectionist, which I am, is in a way a great quality to have. I like to be prepared and have high quality materials with me wherever I go for instance. At the same time, it’s also such an important quality to let some things go with less effort. Learning not to work your hardest with things that don’t require that much effort has actually been even more important to me than always doing my absolute best.

Quote that inspires you the most?

If you never try you can never win – follow the things that make you feel afraid and do them, they will make you grow.

Last but not least – name one woman who you admire and why? 

I want to send thanks and admiration to my mentor Millie Ahlskog, who taught me the true importance of accepting oneself and believing in oneself. She is a great lady with so much wisdom and she actually is following her dream right now too and works with business coaching in her own company called Human League! https://humanleague.fi/

I am happy to network, grab a coffee, talk about entrepreneurship, just send me a msg! https://www.linkedin.com/in/lssaaltonen/