The Slingshot team

Karete is the CEO of Slingshot and Program Leader, renowned for her forward-thinking approach and passion for developing future-proof people and businesses. She emphasizes the importance of creating healthy growth and holistic development in future business. With a distinguished 25-year career at IKEA, Karete held various leadership positions in
commercial areas of retail concept, communication, and design, both nationally and globally. She played a significant role in global leadership development, serving as a leader, and as a facilitator and coach.

Karete is a Certified NLP Master Practitioner and an expert in the Enneagram personality assessment tool. She designed and implemented coaching
leadership programs for 120 IKEA leaders in Norway and led crucial innovation initiatives along the years. In 2019, Karete started her own company, offering team and leadership training, CEO coaching, design thinking processes, and change management lectures. She later became Regional Director at EGGS Design for the Stavanger and Bergen offices in 2022-23, leading 120 designers across Norway and Denmark together with the management team.

Recently, Karete joined Laura Storm’s Regenerative Leadership Academy and also became a certified Mindfulness instructor in 2024. She aims to integrate more consciousness and presence into leadership practices, to enhance crucial development in people and business scaleup.

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Francisco is a seasoned Senior Manager and Growth Lead at PwC's Stavanger office, boasting over a decade of profound expertise in crafting business strategy and fostering innovation. His career trajectory has been defined by a relentless pursuit of identifying growth opportunities and unraveling complex business challenges. 

With a Master of Science degree in International Business, specialized in Entrepreneurship from Hult International Business School, Francisco has honed his skills through extensive hands-on experience and academic rigor. His strategic acumen and innovative mindset have positioned him as a trusted mentor and advisor, sought after by companies eager to unlock their full growth potential. From designing bespoke growth programs to fine-tuning sales funnels for maximum efficiency, Francisco's contributions have consistently yielded tangible outcomes.

He thrives in dynamic environments where he can leverage his critical thinking and creativity to drive meaningful change. His involvement in hackathons and startup advisory roles
underscores his entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to pushing the boundaries of possibility.

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Alfonso is a former Vice President at Laerdal Medical and former Product Director at Easee - once one of the fastest-growing scale-ups in Europe. His internationally recognized expertise in Product Management and Innovation emerged from his deep passion for building products and designing innovative business models - as well as creating high-performing environments for teams to thrive in creating solutions that customers love.

Afonso believes that life is too short to build products that no one wants to buy and is on a mission to help leaders avoid that. He's the author of the ebook "Harnessing the Power of OKRs" and the framework "The PM Growth Bubble" - used by some of the most iconic tech companies in Norway.

He's the Founder of Scandinavian Product Group and the host of the Scandinavian Product Podcast (top 2 most heard Technology podcasts in Norway, at the time of writing) where he interviews some of the most iconic Innovation thought leaders like Marty Cagan and Melissa Perri. Afonso has been a speaker at some of the largest Product Conferences in the world, coaches CPOs and founders across the globe, and serves as an Advisory Board Member in a couple of

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Kjetil emerges as a seasoned leader with a wealth of experience spanning over 15 years across various industries. His journey has been defined by a relentless commitment to driving business development by releasing the “collective genius” in teams at all levels.

He is dedicated to fostering cultural transformations, enhancing learning and development, and boosting engagement. He connects leaders and employees to deeper levels of self-awareness, by investigating the underlying reasons behind behaviors and resistance, to empower organizations to achieve meaningful and lasting change. Kjetil is a trained pedagogue and Certified NLP Master Practitioner, and his approach is underpinned by a deep understanding of human behavior and organizational dynamics.

His collaboration with over 20 Norwegian scale-ups through Slingshot Norway has been instrumental in shaping organizational cultures and driving tangible business outcomes. Moreover, his role in elevating a Norwegian scale-up from NOK 25 million to NOK 80 million within a span of 2.5 years underscores his prowess in driving sustainable growth.

Victoria emerges as a beacon of excellence in consultancy, armed with nine years of invaluable experience navigating the complexities of the MENA region. As a co-founder of Innovation Lab Middle East, and now the latest start-up, GaidMe, she has spearheaded numerous initiatives centered around strategy, entrepreneurship, and team development. A deep-seated belief in the power of human potential characterizes Victoria's approach. As a relational architect, she fosters environments where teams can thrive and innovate.

With a bachelor’s degree in Pedagogy and certifications as a Kaospilot, Victoria brings a unique blend of academic rigor and practical wisdom to her endeavors. For the last 8 years, she has been working with several different departments in Dubai Gov, such as Dubai Digital, MBRSC (Space center) and RTA( Road and Transport Authority) where she curates leadership trips worldwide, and orchestrates culture programs. 

This underscores her prowess in driving organizational transformation and working in a global market. Moreover, her role in developing talent programs for Tenaris in the MENA region and leading innovation programs at Hyper Island in Sweden attests to her versatility and adaptability across diverse contexts.