About
Hi there, thank you for visiting my website. Here you will get a better feeling for my professional background. But in short, I am passionate about harnessing the best in humanity and broadening our sense of intelligence by finding balance between the intuitive and rational, creative and analytical. Systems do not change by themselves, people change systems. And change starts within ourselves. I belief our InnSæi is the source for the compassionate and sustainable stewardship we now need to exemplify. I am committed to bringing InnSæi into the world, as a powerful and poetic reframing of our greater potential to create flourishing futures for people and the planet. I have had close to 30 titles in my career so far, and they are as diverse as a filmmaker, a consultant, a poet, a statistician, a principal, a playwright, an innovator, an entrepreneur, chair of boards, an activist, a dreamer, an artistic director, a managing director, a founder, a what-have-you. But the one I truly relate to is simply being Hrund. Hrund who is an artist at heart, a visionary and someone who can turn ideas and visions into reality.
No one is an island and no action happens out of context. Everything I have done has been possible because of other people and knowing that impact requires bridge building and constructive relationships between people, disciplines and sectors.
Strategy and sustainability
Managing Director of Festa – center for Sustainability in Iceland (2019-2023). During this time Festa tripled in size and became a unique stakeholder community in Europe, comprising some of the country‘s smallest and largest companies, a few municipalities, universities, the Environmental Agency and the Central Bank of Iceland.
Managing Partner at the Nordic Circular Hotspot (2019-2023), the leading platform on transition to a circular economy in the Nordics. Collaborator at the New Constellations, UK (2022-2024), which helps people imagine and create better, more beautiful futures. Nordic Ignite Ambassador, a Nordic angel investment firm. Advisor for various investment funds with particular focus on sustainability and the circular economy.
Public Speaking
As a public speaker and moderator I have appeared on such media outlets and platforms as ARD Germany, CBS News, WNPR radio US, RUV Iceland, National Geographic Explorer and Society, Tezign, Alibaba, Tedx, World Economic Forum, Women Political Leaders, Nordic Circular Summit and DesignMarch. I have lectured in universities such as Yale university, Stockholm School of Economics in Riga, Reykjavik University, University of Iceland, The Arts Academy of Iceland and University of Bifröst.
Entrepreneur
Creator and Director of Prisma – cross-disciplinary university diploma program, Iceland (2008-2010). Creative Director and Founder of Project 7 which vision was to harness a flourishing future vision of young change makers and artists in the Nordics. Advised, mentored and collaborated with entrepren
Boards & Advisory Councils
A board member of Eyrir Invest, the Advisory board member of Yale‘s International Leadership Center (ILC) and am former Chair of the Technology Development fund, Iceland‘s largest public grant fund for innovation. Other experiences include advisor or board member of Women Politival Leaders, Social Startup Iceland, Amnesty International and UNIFEM Iceland, Hjallastefnan school, Islandsbanki Entrepreneurship fund, Nordic Expert Groupl on Continuous Learning.
Writing and film-making
Author of InnSæi – heal, revive and reset with the Icelandic art of intuition, published by Lagon/Bonnier books UK 2024. Script writer, storyteller and co-director of InnSæi – the Sea Within (Power of Intuition), shown worldwide on Netflix and other mediums. Co-creator of short films for RUV (public tv station) and UNIFEM. Published playwright, poet and author of short stories.
Development and peace-building
Programme manager of UNIFEM in post-conflict Kosovo (2001-2002) and Statistician at the UN Economic Commission for Europe 2002-2004). Occasional assignments as consultant and senior consultant for UN Women and UNDP between 2004-2020 in Kosovo and Bangladesh.
Journalism and public relations
Foreign news journalist Morgunbladid and a columnist for business newspapers. Spokesperson for UNIFEM‘s Butterfly Week in 2008. Written various articles on sustainability, future trends, arts and culture.
Education
Educated in Anthropology at the University of Iceland, (BA) Development Studies and Complex Emergencies at the London School of Economics (MSc), UK, Diploma in executive leadership from Harvard Kennedy school. Executive courses at Oxford Said business school, IMAGINE‘s Oxford Leadership Experience, Yale University, Stanford University, miniMBA on innovation and management at Akademias Iceland, Strategic Foresight at SOIF, UK.
Honours and Awards
Iceland Ocean Cluster Sustainability Leadership Award. Yale World Fellow, Yale University, CT, USA. World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. World Economic Forum Cultural Leader. British Chevening Scholar.