Interview with Freya and Hashim: redefining entrepreneurial journeys with AI
The UPBEAT project – Upskilling Immigrants for Business Planning and Entrepreneurship Using AI Technologies – concluded in January with excellent results. Partners in Finland and Estonia jointly delivered five hybrid/online training courses under the name Smart Start. This intensive program equipped young newcomers in both countries with the tools needed to launch businesses in Finland or Estonia.
We now continue our series of participant interviews. In the second round of the course, organized in autumn 2025 by Startup Refugees, participants included Freya Nasamon Saisorn and Hashim Alhaj, who used the program’s focus on AI and emerging technologies to reshape their own entrepreneurial journeys. The two participants were interviewed by Muntaser Alhamad, Project Manager at Startup Refugees.
Freya Saisorn: Bringing Tech-Driven Customer Insight to a New Business
Freya Nasamon Saisorn, a Business Information Technology student at Haaga-Helia, is drawing on her studies and experience in customer service as she prepares to launch a business in Vaasa. Originally from Thailand, she moved to Finland in 2021 with plans to enter the hotel sector, but has since shifted her focus toward technology and entrepreneurship.
From Idea to Early Plans
Saisorn is developing a concept that uses digital tools to enhance customer experience and streamline business operations, with the goal of creating a service model that is both efficient and high quality. Her interest in AI grew through recent training, where she explored how small businesses can use automation and data-driven decision-making. She says her biggest insight was seeing how quickly AI can process information, freeing up time for strategic work. Tools for rapid prototyping, she added, helped her turn abstract ideas into concrete steps.
Navigating Challenges
While she found the basics of Finland’s business structures relatively straightforward, regulations and sustainable growth remain areas she is still working to understand. Exchange with other participants in the program, she noted, strengthened her confidence and clarified that she can move forward even while learning. “My dream is to build a business that uses smart tools to offer efficient, high-quality service and eventually grow into a stable, scalable company in Finland,” she said.
Hashim Alhaj: Using Advanced AI Tools to Support Small Businesses
Hashim Alhaj, an entrepreneur with experience in marketing and AI automation, has brought an international background to Oulu’s startup community. Raised in Kuwait and previously running a digital tools business in the United States, he says Finland’s reputation for tech innovation and its collaborative culture drew him to establish his next venture here.
Automation at the Center of the Idea
Alhaj is developing an AI-driven software platform aimed at helping small businesses compete more effectively on social media. The tool analyzes competitors, highlights trends and high-performing content, assists users in producing similar material in their own style, and automates editing and scheduling.
He joined recent AI-focused training to refine this concept and to deepen his understanding of how automation can streamline marketing work. “What stood out most, he says, was seeing how AI can take over routine tasks, allowing a small team—or even a single person—to operate with far greater capacity.” One key takeaway for him was learning to build Custom GPTs, which he describes as “a digital employee” tailored to a specific workflow.
A Turning Point in Development
A hackathon exercise provided a practical boost. Using AI tools, Alhaj created a full business concept and pitch deck in under an hour, which, he said, made the process of launching a new venture feel significantly more attainable. Adjusting to Finland’s administrative and regulatory systems remains his main challenge, but he notes that the openness and support within the local community have made settling in easier. “My dream is to build a tech-driven company that gives small businesses access to powerful, affordable AI tools that help them compete at a higher level,” he said.
The Future of Finnish Entrepreneurship
Both Freya and Hashim are part of a new wave of entrepreneurs in Finland who are turning to artificial intelligence to streamline operations, inform strategic decisions, and scale their services without the overhead of large teams. Their trajectories underscore the growing impact of Startup Refugees’ programs, which are helping ambitious newcomers evolve into skilled, tech-driven business leaders. Together, they reflect how integration initiatives can shape a more innovative and inclusive Finnish economy.
The Start Smart course was developed as part of the UPBEAT project, which aims to enhance entrepreneurial skills among immigrants through the use of AI technologies. The project was implemented (2024-2026) in cooperation with Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, Startup Refugees, and the Estonian Refugee Council. Co-funded by the European Union under the Interreg Central Baltic Programme.
