Hi, I am
Hanna Lakkala
FUTURIST, SPEAKER, STRATEGIST, COACH
THIS IS WHAT I BELIEVE INWith navigation skills and futures capabilities, the impossible can become possible.
We often think that reality is self-evident.
That opportunities have certain preconditions and only certain futures are possible.
However, as a futures coach, futurist, challenger of thinking and co-driver in change, I am constantly facing different futures.
What is possible? How can we create the future from the present in a more conscious way? What kinds of transformations can the changes in the world bring to individuals, communities, and entire states?
At its best, foresight and futures studies can open up new worlds and challenge you to think and question – to look deeper. For too long, however, futures studies lacked a bridge to people’s everyday lives, to the individual level, everyday choices.
I, therefore, want to combine my extensive experience rooted in academic futures studies & foresight, and my coaching mindset and apply the theories and methods of futures studies and foresight in concrete settings so that every person might obtain the strategic metaskills necessary to navigate life more bravely.
This moment is the only one we have. Only from this moment can we consciously create the desired future, without living it yet
Living in various places around the world over decades - such as Colombia, Laos, Nepal, Canada, Germany and the Nordics - has taught me humility to question my thinking and the prevailing narratives, strengthened my intuition and, consequently, given me the courage to respond to the call of life. I now dare to admit that the truth is probably found in the shades of grey, between black and white.
I returned to my roots in Torne River Valley, Finnish-Swedish border region in the Arctic North, after 20 years abroad, because I wanted space to think, to envision and be inspired by the Arctic nature, the silence and the opportunities available in the three neighbouring countries – Finland, Sweden and Norway.
Even in the future, I still want to keep one foot out in the world and the other foot firmly in the far North!
Recent keynotes
Photo by: Vilma Sanaksenaho, Reindeer parliament 2026.Alternative Futures for the Nordic Arctic – Why Do We Need Shared Visions? (May 2026)
I explored the forces reshaping the Nordic North, from climate change and the green transition to growing geopolitical attention and global competition for resources.
Drawing on a global perspective and a deep connection to the Nordic Arctic, I challenged the dominant narrative of “green growth” and asked what a broader cultural sustainability transformation might look like.
The keynote explored different possible futures for the region and posed a fundamental question:
Do we want to shape the future of the Nordic Arctic ourselves — or risk becoming a resource periphery shaped by others?
Commissioned by: Cross-Border Services Sweden–Finland–Norway / Nordic Council of Ministers
Event: Annual Conference of the Cross-Border Services Sweden–Finland–NorwayThe Futures of Reindeer Herding (June 2026)
What happens to one of the oldest livelihoods of the Nordic North when the world around it changes?
Drawing on my own roots in reindeer herding, I explored the future of reindeer herding through the lens of global and regional change. Climate change, the green transition and growing competition for land are reshaping the conditions for reindeer herding, while questions of cultural sustainability raise a deeper question:
what does it mean to transform without losing what matters?
The keynote explored different possible futures for reindeer herding - and what it might take to keep those futures open in a rapidly changing world and Arctic.
Commissioned by: Reindeer Herders’ Association
Event: Annual Conference of the Reindeer Herders’ Association (Poroparlamentti)How Can Futures Research Promote the Protection of the Bay of Bothnia and the Baltic Sea? (August 2026)
How do we related to a world in profound transition and what if we are not only witnessing the end of an era, but the emergence of a new one?
In this keynote, I placed today’s global transformations in a longer historical perspective, reflecting on how societies and civilizations have changed, declined and given rise to new ways of living.
Rather than viewing our multiple crises only through the lens of collapse, I explored another possibility: what if we are already building a new world, shaped by emerging values, cultures and ways of living?
Looking at the future of the Bay of Bothnia and the Baltic Sea, I explored how the values and choices of the societies around the sea ultimately shape the future of the sea - and how futures thinking can help us make those choices more consciously.
Commissioned by: Bothnian Arc
Event: Save the Baltic Sea Day 2026 / Oulu 2026 European Capital of CultureFutures Thinking as an Entrepreneurial Skill (February 2026)
How can entrepreneurs prepare for a future in a rapidly changing world? Drawing on my international experience, including working as an entrepreneur in Colombia and in international consultancy, I introduced futures thinking as a practical entrepreneurial skill.
I challenged participants to look beyond current assumptions, recognise emerging change, explore alternative possibilities and turn uncertainty into a source of opportunity and strategic choice.
Commissioned by: Kajaani University of Applied Sciences (KAMK) & Kainuu Entrepreneurs
Event: MATCH MADE Mentoring Programme
Hanna in podcasts
In this episode of Future of Business, hosted by American futurist Kevin Benedict, Hanna explores the key forces shaping the future of the Far North and the trends that have placed the Arctic region at the forefront of global interest.
Hanna appears as a guest on Future of Business, the podcast channel hosted by American futurist Kevin Benedict. In this episode, she reflects on different perspectives on international happiness rankings, discusses Nordic societies, and explores how coaching, positive psychology, and futures thinking are interconnected.
