Who We Are

VentureVillage Oy is a Finland-based education and research facilitation company founded by two expatriates from Kerala, India — Unnikrishnan S. Kurup and Dr. Anup Jinadevan. With one foot in Finnish educational excellence and the other in the dynamic needs of the Global South, VentureVillage exists to build meaningful, measurable, and scalable education partnerships across borders.

Our work is rooted in the belief that education is not just the transfer of knowledge — it is a force of diplomacy, equity, and transformation. We view expatriate communities not as mere observers but as active liaisons, innovators, and implementers of globally relevant, locally grounded initiatives.

Our Philosophy

We believe that:

  • Diaspora-led education diplomacy creates trust, cultural fluency, and grounded partnerships.
  • Curriculum must be co-created, not exported — we work with educators in both Finland and the Global South to create meaningful programs.
  • Education must lead to action. We turn research and ideas into school-level interventions, student mobilization, and measurable impact.
  • Collaboration is our engine. Our network includes Finnish universities, EU researchers, Indian and African schools, CSR funders, policy institutions, and global youth.

Founders’ Notes

“We started VentureVillage not just as a company, but as a movement to make Finnish educational values accessible and adaptable globally. As expats living in Finland for over a decade, we saw a unique opportunity to build bridges — not just in theory, but in practice.”
— Unnikrishnan S. Kurup, Co-founder

“Our focus has always been on outcomes. Whether it’s equipping students in Kerala to understand climate action or enabling a Finnish university’s research to reach classrooms in Patna — our model is to deliver impact through precision and empathy.”
— Dr. Anup Jinadevan, Co-founder

Key Programs and Collaborations

1. Curriculum 2030: A Finland–India Partnership

  • Co-created by Finnish pedagogical experts and Indian educators.
  • Integrates social-emotional learning, sustainability, entrepreneurship.
  • Implemented through workshops and residential bootcamps in Finland.
Unveiling of Curriculum 2030 inaugurated by His Excellency Counsul General Erik af Hällström in January 2025, in presence of experts from University of Helsinki. Dr. Markus Talvio and Ms. Mirka Gustaffson.

2. International Finland Future Bootcamp

  • Annual residential program hosted in Helsinki and Suomenlinna.
  • Blends learning modules with cultural immersion and university visits.
  • Students from India participate in a 7-day program culminating in certification.

Happening July 2025. Photos coming soon.

3. Education for Ecological Transformation

  • A research-backed climate education program funded by the Max Planck Society and University of Innsbruck.
  • Led by Prof. Esther Blanco and Dr. Raisa Sherif.
  • Rolled out in over 5 Indian schools, impacting 570+ students.

4. GreenCity and Project Ashakiran

  • CSR-funded waste management and sustainability programs.
  • Partnerships with Renault Nissan, India Cares Foundation, and local panchayats.
  • Focus on practical environmental education and zero-waste goals.

5. JPAL-World Bank Collaboration

  • Supporting research on children as agents of environmental change.
  • Working in Patna, Bihar, across public schools and families.

We partnered with researchers from JPAL on a project aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of children as environmental change-makers within their families. Funded by the World Bank, the project was implemented in Patna and focuses on transforming school students in Grades 4 to 9 into “Green Warriors” or environmental champions. The initiative also measures their ability to share and influence environmental practices with friends and family members.

Facilitators, trained by VentureVillage, play a key role in guiding the students. The first round of training for 30 facilitators was conducted in December 2023, followed by a second round for 100 facilitators on January 2nd and 3rd, 2024. The training was led by Jacob Roshan, then Chief Program Officer at VentureVillage.

(Culmination of a program initiated in 2023)

Photo: Jacob Roshan, former Chief Program Officer, with the trainers who were part of the Training of Trainers program, which culminated in Patna.

Our Impact in Numbers (2023–2025)

  • 50000+ students reached across India through climate and waste programs.
  • 200+ facilitators trained to deliver research-backed learning.
  • 10 Finnish institutions and global researchers engaged.

Let’s Collaborate

Whether you’re a university, CSR partner, school network, or policy maker — our model is adaptable, impactful, and built on trust.

📧 Contact us at info@venturevillage.world
🌐 Visit us at www.venturevillage.world or www.venturevillage.in