Canadian keynote speaker, business advisor, editor of TheCoolHunter.net
Working globally, focusing on customer experience, design, trends, branding, innovation, tourism and retail
Tuija Seipell (@tuijaseipell)
Tuija Seipell is a Canadian keynote speaker and business advisor who is both passionate and inspiring. She is not afraid to talk about or express emotions, so her stories and examples stay with people, leading to change.
Tuija’s expertise includes customer experience, travel, hospitality, design, retail, creativity, motivation and emotions (especially courage and hope). Her client list includes diverse global and multinational organizations such as Harley-Davidson, Nike and the EUROPARC Federation, plus various cities and government entities. She has also worked with numerous medium-sized and smaller organizations in various countries.
Since 2005, Tuija Seipell has been the editor of TheCoolHunter.net, where her work is read by millions. Born in Finland, she has lived and worked in Canada for 37 years, most of those in Vancouver, British Columbia.
“We very much appreciated your point of view and many points resonated throughout the conference, the ultimate being ‘honest.’ Your presentation was professional, yet very personal, connecting us to the key concepts. Your work and words will continue to inspire us well beyond the conference.”
Allan Brabo
Sr. Director, Global Operations
Nike Inc. - DTC Global Retail Design
Emotional Insights for Tech Startups in Riga
In February 2020, Tuija was a featured speaker at the TechChill conference in Riga, Latvia. One of the most-awaited Baltic startup events, TechChill brings together more than 2,000 tech enthusiasts, startup founders, ecosystem representatives and investors from many parts the world. In a presentation called Show Me a Reason to Like You, Tuija noted that tech companies are often “drowning in data, but thirsting for insights” that only end-user customers can provide.
“Our Amazing Speaker and Our Team’s Own Mentor”
In October 2019, Tuija was both keynote speaker at the Dash Design Hackathon in Helsinki and the production team’s mentor. This highly regarded three-day event provides a unique opportunity for companies to have their ideas, problems or future plans thoroughly scrutinized, discussed and added to by a diverse group of creative and inquisitive outsiders. Tuija delivered the keynote presentation at the Opening Session, coached the event’s mentors and finished with a workshop on Design Thinking.
Repeat Engagement: Top Wedding Photographers
In February 2018, Tuija was a featured speaker at Way Up North 2.0, an international conference of wedding photographers held in Stockholm, Sweden and streamed live around the world. In this YouTube excerpt from her presentation, The Curse of Knowing, Tuija examines the disconnect between what businesses promise and what they actually deliver. Video opens in a new window or in the YouTube app.
Repeat Engagement: Events Industry in Tallinn
In April 2019, Tuija was again featured speaker at Baltic for Events, a large regional forum held in Tallinn, Estonia for marketing leaders, event experts and professional service providers. The second day of the event was held on board the Silja Europa, one of the largest cruise ferries in the world. There, she told the story of the Vasa, a Swedish warship that sunk on its 1628 maiden voyage.
The Curse of Knowing in Coimbra
Tuija delivered her keynote presentation The Curse of Knowing and also led an interactive workshop at the November 2018 Bea World Festival in Coimbra, Portugal. For this important annual gathering of the European event industry, the theme was Creative Thinking: The Art of Breaking Routines.
LIFT: Media, Arts, Culture and Michelangelo
In October 2018, Tuija gave a presentation called If It Ain’t Broke, Fix It Anyway at the LIFT conference in Helsinki. At an event examining “new dimensions of media, arts and culture,” she took participants back to the 16th Century Sistine Chapel and Michelangelo’s Creation of the Sun and Moon. Her message: Leave your authentic mark on everything you do. One participant’s response: Thank you for reminding me about my best self.
Advocate for Experience in Health Care
In January 2019, Tuija was welcomed as keynote speaker and workshop leader at an Entraus event in Rovaniemi, Finland. Since then, she has worked with SITRA, the Finnish Innovation Fund, and addressed health-care sector audiences in several cities. Her consistent message: You must include the customer (user, patient or guest) experience in your planning.
Global Insights and Observations
Since 2005, Tuija has been the editor of TheCoolHunter.net, one of the world’s oldest and most-read culture and design blogs. Her insights and observations connect with millions of readers each month, and some of her Classic articles have earned more than 8 million views. A selection of those articles is available HERE.
Baltic for Events in Tallinn, Estonia
Photo by Vadim Schell.
In April 2018, Tuija was keynote speaker at the Baltic for Events Forum in Tallinn, Estonia. This key meeting for event professionals from all over the Baltic Sea region attracted 250 participants and generated media coverage in nine countries. A post-session interview with Tuija (below) is posted on YouTube.
Champion of the User in Architecture
In September 2019, for the second time, Tuija gave a guest lecture to international architecture students from the USA, Japan, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Bangladesh, Russia and Finland at the University of Oulu in Lapland. Her topic: The Curse of Knowing Weakens the Customer Focus.
