Inka Wessman brings the same drive to product development, the negotiation table, and the ultimate frisbee field: a hunger to keep learning and to keep getting better.
Sports have always been a strong part of Wessman's life. Even in middle school, she attended a school with a dance focus. As an athlete who trained actively, she developed a natural interest in nutrition as well. Eventually, that interest led her to study at the University of Helsinki's Viikki campus.
"I had to choose what to apply for as my first choice. Nutritional science would have meant too much physiology and would have pushed me toward a research career. I ended up studying food chemistry, which opened up broader opportunities in the food industry. I got to look at food through the lens of chemistry," Wessman explains.
A career that started with sports nutrition and protein bars
Wessman began her career in the brewing industry before moving to Func Food, a company focused on sports nutrition and energy drinks, in 2018.
In her new role, she found that she was trusted and that her growth was supported. As an innovation manager, she was responsible for product concepts across the entire EMEA region and developed products for three different brands. The US company Celsius Holdings acquired Func Food in 2019, and Wessman spent six years at Celsius in total.
"It was genuinely interesting to work on the flavors and concepts behind sports drinks, bars, and energy drinks. Every flavor came with its own story and a huge wave of activation around it," Wessman recalls.
Choosing the right MBA program
Developing her own skills has always been part of who Wessman is. She felt a strong need to gain a deeper understanding of both business development and financial matters. After careful research, she chose the Aalto MBA program.
"Aalto MBA is an internationally respected program, and its teaching style felt right to me. It was important that learning would happen through discussion, such as through group work."
"Aalto MBA is an internationally respected program, and its teaching style felt right to me. It was important that learning would happen through discussion, such as through group work. This worked well for me personally, since learning has always been more difficult because of my dyslexia. It also felt good that the intensive periods were only once a month," Wessman says.
Combining the MBA program with her day-to-day work turned out to be a good decision. As part of her studies, she developed a sustainability strategy for Celsius, which the company adopted. For her final thesis, she worked with an MBA classmate's company, UPM Raflatac, on recycling PET film from labels back into the production process.
Deep business understanding and practical tools
Wessman speaks highly of the Aalto MBA program. Her confidence in her own abilities, along with her understanding of how to grasp and build a business as a whole, grew significantly.
"The MBA gave me a great deal. In my field, many people are so focused on product development that they don't always see the bigger business picture. The knowledge I gained through the program helps me understand every decision from the company's perspective," Wessman says.
She picked up numerous practical tools for tasks such as building a strategy for the year ahead. The Scaling Up and Business Model Innovation modules stood out to her in particular, since they encouraged a culture of experimentation, a mindset she has actively applied in her work since.
”I also gained a lifelong MBA network. There were people from the culture and the arts, engineers, and researchers. It was genuinely educational to see such varied expertise from different industries and to gain new perspectives on my own work through it."
"I also gained a lifelong MBA network. There were people from the culture and the arts, engineers, and researchers. It was genuinely educational to see such varied expertise from different industries and to gain new perspectives on my own work through it," Wessman adds.
"Everyone was truly smart. It was valuable to see that range of backgrounds and to bring that broader view back into what I do."
Moving to Raisio for plant-based protein mid-studies
Sustainability has always mattered to Wessman. Partway through her studies, she changed jobs and moved to Raisio, trading sports nutrition for Härkis and plant-based proteins. She was able to apply her MBA learning right away to develop the plant-protein business and manage that category.
"As product group manager, I was responsible for developing the plant-protein portfolio. We also decided to build an internal startup within Raisio, where we had the chance to experiment and iterate. We managed to develop concepts for two products and identify a new customer segment to drive business growth, along with a customer-feedback model for rapid learning, before Raisio sold the business to Valio, and the projects were put on hold. The experience left me with a real entrepreneurial mindset," Wessman describes.
After Raisio, Wessman spent a brief period doing project work as a sole trader before the former head of that internal startup at Raisio hired her at SuperGround in February 2026. The startup specializes in technology that puts byproducts from fish processing to good use. As much as 70 percent of salmon, for example, currently goes to waste, and the technology has also been tested with chicken.
"Func Food had an entrepreneurial culture, and I'm still chasing that same feeling. At SuperGround, I'm responsible for category expertise, commercialization, and quality of the end product. My goal is to build understanding that there is real demand for this technology," Wessman says.
Competitive sports alongside a full-time career
Sports have remained a constant thread through Wessman's life. As an adult, she discovered ultimate frisbee. Her competitive drive took over, and she finally found a sport where she could compete at a high level.
"I have the same hunger in sports as I do in a startup. I quickly set myself the goal of first becoming the best in Finland, then the best in Europe, and after that, a serious contender at the world level too."
"I have the same hunger in sports as I do in a startup. I want to challenge myself, and I'm willing to put in the work to get results. I quickly set myself the goal of first becoming the best in Finland, then the best in Europe, and after that, a serious contender at the world level too," Wessman sums up.
Ultimate became a central part of her life. She trained intensively on her throwing, speed, and game sense. Already in her second year, she played for the national team at the World Championships, where the team finished ninth.
"I've always believed that jumping into the deep end and playing against people better than me helps me learn faster. That approach has helped me improve enormously."
Ultimate is also where she met her partner. In 2022, the two of them tried out together for a team in Canada and made the roster. Her employer at the time, Celsius, allowed her to work remotely during that period, something Wessman remains very grateful for.
Her MBA studies temporarily reduced how much she played, but since 2025, Wessman has been playing for a team in Germany.
Family life in a 100-year-old log house
Before moving to Canada, Wessman and her partner sold their home. When they returned, they ended up buying a 100-year-old log house that had belonged to her partner's family and renovating it.
"If we had known beforehand how much work the renovation would take, we probably wouldn't have started the project. But it's wonderful now to come home and think that we actually get to live in such a beautiful house," Wessman adds.
Their family now also includes a daughter, born in July 2025. Daily life is a balancing act between work, training, trips to Germany, and life with a young child.
"Everyday life is challenging, but also very rewarding. It teaches you to do things efficiently, so there's as much time left as possible for being with family."
Where does Wessman see herself in five years?
"I hope I'm still in a development role, solving interesting problems at SuperGround or at another company aiming for fast growth. Beyond learning, value-driven work matters a lot to me, since there has always been a bit of a changemaker in me. I only have a couple more years of competitive play left in me, and after that, I'll need to figure out something new. I'd also love to get a camper van one day and spend a summer touring around Norway."
